Birch Hermit Association

Li Banfeng exchanged a few blows with Chuunibyou and gave him several martial arts classics to practice diligently.

Chuunibyou was very serious and started studying the classics as soon as he got on the bus. However, Li Banfeng understood one thing: Chuunibyou's current cultivation was of very limited effect.

In Pro State, martial arts cultivation is the most common Daoist practice. Li Banfeng has seen many low-level cultivators. His Chuunibyou diligence made Li Banfeng overlook one issue: the difference between fighters and true martial arts cultivators.

In actual combat, a fighter's first priority is to choose the right weapon.

Martial arts practitioners don't need to consider these things; they just pick up whatever they can and use it.

This determines the inherent gap in adaptability between the two sides; fighters are fundamentally a level below martial arts practitioners.

On the way back, Li Banfeng asked the Light Bulb, "What's the term for oil repair in Outer State?"

"Lubricant!"

"Did you also become Dark Energy User using the bureau's Guiding Agent?"

The Light Bulb shook its head and said, "The Guiding Agent I use is a family heirloom, left to me by my grandfather."

"Was your grandfather an oil repairman?"

"I don't know what kind of Daoist sect he belongs to. I've never met my grandfather. He passed away before I was born. My parents never told me about my grandfather's Daoist sect."

"In our bureau, whose Daoist lineage is family-inherited?"

"There are quite a few. He Bensheng's Insect Cultivator sect is a family tradition, as is Honey Hungry Sister's Daoist sect, and Big Head's Daoist sect is also a family tradition. There are several others, but I can't recall them all right now."

When it came to the Big Head, the Light Bulb paused for a while.

Big Head is still being held in the Dark Star Bureau and has not been home or seen by his family.

Back at his residence, Li Banfeng went into his Portable Abode. Chu Zikai was no longer there. Hong Ying had prepared the flesh and blood, waiting for the magical artifacts to be served.

The record player originally wanted Chu Zikai to stay a little longer, but something unexpected happened. "My dear husband, Chu Zikai suddenly said something and then he started to explode, just like An Zongding's situation."

"Which sentence?"

He said that all so-called civilization is fabricated.

Hong Ying said, "At the time, I was asking him about the Birch Hermit Association, and he mentioned more than a dozen places just for that Luo Fu guy."

Li Banfeng glanced at Hong Ying's notebook. "More than a dozen places, that's not easy to find."

Hong Ying said, "I was pretty ruthless, so I guess he wasn't lying."

The family sat down to eat, and Li Banfeng flipped through Chu Zikai's confession and the information on the Chuunibyou.

The Birch Hermit Association now a pressing issue for Li Banfeng, because this organization knows Li Banfeng's identity. Li Banfeng is in the open, while they are in the shadows. If things drag on, Li Banfeng could be assassinated by them at any time.

Both the documents and the testimonies mentioned one place: the Black Market.

The Birch Hermit Association also short of money. In addition to making money through the Ferry Gang, they also ran some businesses on the Black Market. The Chuunibyou marked several stall owners, all of whom Birch Hermit Association on the Black Market.

Chu Zikai also mentioned in his confession that Miglov had his own business on the Black Market.

The family sat down to eat, and the record player instructed Hong Ying: "Send some food to the Fifth Chamber, Seventh Chamber, and Eighth House, so that the other households can see it too. As long as they help us, we will definitely treat them well."

Li Banfeng left Portable Abode and called Tang Changfa.

Tang Changfa quickly handed over the business to Yan Hong'er and Yan Cuier, and ran to Li Banfeng's residence. Li Banfeng asked, "Are you adapting well to the Black Market?"

"I adapted! It's a great place; business is good, and the people are easy to get along with."

"Where are you going to get your supplies?" This was a question that Li Banfeng had never been able to answer for Tang Changfa. When he first started his business, Tang Changfa could only sell the little bit of stock he had on hand.

"Seventh Master, you don't need to worry about this," Tang Changfa was indeed doing quite well in the Black Market. "There are plenty of people who want to deliver goods to us and have me receive them. The goods have to be top-notch and the price has to be right. There are plenty of sources of goods for me to choose from."

Li Banfeng showed Tang Changfa the list of stall owners from the Chuunibyou: "Are you familiar with these people?"

Tang Changfa pointed to a man named Zeng Hongfu and said, "I know this man well. He's in his fifties and has been in the Black Market for many years. Last night, he kept coming to me, saying he wanted to buy medicine to Limb Regeneration."

Limb Regeneration?

"Is this some kind of attempt to grow arms?"

Tang Changfa, "I don't know if he's missing an arm or a leg. I really didn't sell it to him at first."

Because this medicine is too precious.

"Do you really have such a medicine?"

"Yes! There are two kinds. One is the paste given by the city lord. This is a treasure for glue repair. It can easily stick on some flesh and blood, and it's barely usable for sticking on some arms and legs."

There's another, even more amazing one: the Peddler's plaster. No matter where a part of your body is missing, as long as you aim it correctly...

Then stick it on, and it'll work perfectly.

Li Banfeng seen both of these things before, and he was particularly shocked by the Peddler of sticking something to Qiu Zhiheng's hand.

Tang Changfa, "We still have one bottle of paste and only one plaster left. These are such precious things..."

"How could I bear to sell it to him? He's come back several times to raise the price, but I've ignored him. I bet he'll come back tonight."

Li Banfeng asked, "Aren't there any other Pro State on the Black Market? Could they buy plasters or paste from someone else?"

"That's difficult," Tang Changfa shook his head. "The paste was obtained by our city lord from a glue repairman friend. That friend works incredibly hard, and he can only make two or three bottles of paste a year. If anyone else were to ask for it..."

That friend wouldn't give it to him either.

Forget about the Peddler's plasters. If anyone has a broken arm or leg, they can go to the Peddler to buy plasters, but he'll only give them the amount they need; he won't let them take more, and no amount of money will help.

The plaster I have here was stolen from the peddler's cart when Peddler came to Fool's City, as you know.

The Peddler always treats us well; elsewhere, who would dare rob Peddler? This plaster is priceless.

Plasters and pastes are priceless treasures. Tang Changfa did the right thing; these things should indeed be cherished.

How could Zeng Hongfu know about the precious medicine that Tang Changfa had?

"Have you ever shown these two things off like that?"

Tang Changfa shook his head and said, "I didn't show off. When Zeng Hongfu asked yesterday, Yan Cuier was very nonchalant."

"I let it slip."

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "This deserves a beating. Tell Yan Cuier she needs to be hit a hundred times. I'll personally beat her when I have time."

"The shopkeeper is right, she deserves to be punished. I'll make a note of it!"

According to Li Banfeng's recollection, Miglov's hand fell to the ground and turned into a mushy mess. He should indeed Limb Regeneration, but paste and plasters probably wouldn't do him any good, would they? His hand was gone.

Desperate measures will be taken without proper diagnosis?

Or does he have another way?

Li Banfeng said, "We'll go to the Black Market together later. You sell the paste to that person, but you should ask for a higher price."

!

Li Qi gave the order, Tang Changfa naturally complied. The two arrived at the Black Market and sat in a private room.

Tonight, the Culture Palace is showing a romance film, but they mainly sell medicinal herbs.

Li Banfeng was watching a movie while Yan Cuier and Yan Hong Li Banfeng massaged his shoulders and back. Yan Cuier, in particular, was very attentive, occasionally whining, "Boss, are you really willing to hit me? If you're going to hit me, just give me a couple of light taps with your hands."

You mustn't grab a weapon!

Halfway through the movie, someone knocked on the door. Li Banfeng remained calm and sat down in the corner of the private room.

Zeng Hongfu indeed came again, still for the medicine to Limb Regeneration. He doubled the price, and Tang Changfa deliberately hesitated for a long time before finally selling the paste to him.

Zeng Hongfu was overjoyed. He abandoned his stall and ran out of the Culture Palace.

After driving for more than ten kilometers, Zeng Hongfu entered a residential building and a two-bedroom apartment.

A dozen or so people were sitting in the living room. Zeng Hongfu spoke fluent Lafsha Language with them and then entered the master bedroom under the watchful eyes of two Lavsha People.

Miglov lay in his bedroom, and when he saw Zeng Hongfu, he smiled, "My child, have you gained anything?"

Regardless of the other person's age, Miglov refers to them all as "children."

Zeng Hongfu seemed quite pleased, agreeing as he took out some paste, "This is the best medicine in Pro State, a special product from the adhesives."

"Child, you need to clarify the concept more clearly. Is it an adhesive or a glue repairer?"

Zeng Hongfu immediately realized his wording was inappropriate. "It's a product of adhesive repair, capable of perfectly reshaping your lost limbs."

Miglov stared at the paste for a long time, then nodded and said, "Child, I will remember your contributions to the Secret Order, and your position in the Secret Order will be adjusted accordingly."

I need some arms now. I mean some, not just one. You know, for my left arm to fully recover, it's not something one arm can do; it requires complex and meticulous repairs.

Zeng Hongfu nodded repeatedly and said, "Great Chairman, this is my sacred and glorious mission. You can leave this to me."

"Bring the person who sold you this medicine to me. If he refuses, you must ask them where this medicine came from. Whether they are willing to answer or not, their lives cannot continue in this world."

Zeng Hongfu said, "Don't worry, I will get back to you first thing tomorrow morning."

Miglov waved his hand, indicating that Zeng Hongfu could leave.

Zeng Hongfu dared not turn his back on Miglov. He retreated all the way to the door, opened it, turned sideways, and quietly closed it, making almost no sound.

Miglov looked at the small bottle of paste in his hand, then at his severed arm, closed his eyes, and offered two prayers:

"Great God, grant me protection, so that I may continue to serve at your feet with a whole body."

Let me, with my whole body, punish the blasphemous thugs; let me, with my whole body, wash away the shame from my heart.

A tall, muscular man with brown hair entered Miglov's room, bowed, and said, "President, we have identified the woman and found her address. Her name is Jin Shunying. On the night of the incident, she went to the auction with Li Qi."

"Have they caught her?"

The man shook his head and said, "That woman hasn't returned to her residence yet; our men are still keeping watch there."

Miglov nodded and said, "I trust your abilities; you are far superior to those foolish Huan Kingdom. Pour me a drink."

The man took out vodka from the liquor cabinet and poured Miglov a glass.

After taking a bite, Miglov calmed down considerably and gestured for the man to leave.

The man left the room and immediately closed the door.

Miglov frowned. In this respect, the Huan Kingdom were more discreet and polite. He closed his eyes, preparing to fall asleep, when some noises kept coming from the living room.

Mi dong! Dong dong!

Miglov was furious. "What exactly are you doing?"

A man pushed open the door. "Hey, Mr. Chairman, I just went and got you some arm parts."

"An arm?" Miglov chuckled. He had entrusted this task to Zeng Hongfu, but neither his physique nor his voice...

The person at the door was clearly not Zeng Hongfu.

Who are you?

Li Banfeng walked in carrying more than a dozen arms. "Here are left arms and right arms, all just cut off from the living room. The Bloodline Seed are well-matched, the fat and lean meat are just right, and the meat is fresh. Pack them up while they're still hot."

Miglov struggled to create a wall, blocking Li Banfeng. He got out of bed, rushed to the window, and prepared to jump out.

Because he was missing an arm and had many injuries, Miglov was unable to climb onto the windowsill immediately.

Li Banfeng's shadow helped him up to the windowsill and then led him into Portable Abode.

After entering the Portable Abode, Miglov drew his dagger and cut off his left leg. His left leg turned into a lump of mud, which quickly formed a castle and enveloped Miglov.

According to Miglov's design, the castle was so large that it could break this small room.

This allows him to establish connections with the outside world.

But an invisible force suppressed the size of the castle, limiting its height to just over one meter and its length to just one and a half meters.

Miglov lay half-reclined in the castle, concentrating his mind on making the castle move.

However, the castle could not sense the power of the gods and remained stationary, showing no signs of moving.

Miglov kept increasing the thickness of the wall to protect himself first, while also thinking about his next move.

Hong Ying looked on, puzzled. "What is this foreigner trying to do? Why is he covered in mud?"

The record player said, "Yingying, have you ever eaten beggar's chicken?"

Hong Ying understood what the record player meant, and quickly gathered firewood to start a fire.

Miglov, unable to move the castle, grew increasingly impatient.

The temperature inside the castle kept rising, making it hard for Miglov to breathe.

Li Qi, what exactly are you going to do to me?

You know my background, so why do you still dare to attack me?

You've offended the Birch Hermit Association, and instead of protecting yourself, you dare to attack me?

Are you crazy?

What kind of place is this house?

What are the origins of the monsters in this house?

The record player reminded Hong Ying, "Be careful with the heat, don't actually kill him."

"Don't worry," Hong Ying picked up the Wine Gourd and poured some wine onto the fire. "He won't be able to hold on any longer, and he'll come out on his own."

Li Banfeng took all the corpses from the living room to Portable Abode and searched the two-bedroom apartment.

"Master, there's a hidden compartment under the sofa." The gloved man crawled under the sofa and soon brought out an iron box.

I opened the box and saw a stack of photos inside, each one a picture of a formula on a blackboard.

Gloves searched the room again and found several hundred thousand yuan in cash, a blueprint, and an account book.

The drawings appear to be architectural designs, but they are rather rough, with many parts lacking dimensions.

The ledger recorded recent income and expenses. Because it was written in Lafsha Language, Li Banfeng couldn't understand the details. He gave all the cash to Gloves. Li Banfeng dragged the bodies of more than a dozen of Miglov's men into his Portable Abode.

Using her gloves, she cleaned up the traces at the scene, took the bottle of glue, made sure nothing was overlooked, and left the scene with Li Banfeng, heading to the Black Market together.

Culture Palace, second floor of the cinema.

Zeng Hongfu led five men into Tang Changfa's private room.

The private cinema box was very small, and once these people came in, the room was basically full.

Tang Changfa, "Brother Zeng, what do you mean by this?"

Zeng Hongfu laughed and said, "It's nothing, I just came to ask you something. Where did you get that bottle of paste?"

Tang Changfa shook his head and said, "You shouldn't have asked that. The Black Market has its Black Market rules. If you think the goods are wrong, you can ask the person who sold the snacks to be a witness. If you want to ask anything else, I have nothing to say."

"You won't talk!" Zeng Hongfu's smile vanished. "Then you'll have to suffer a bit."

Tang Changfa frowned and said, "What are you trying to do? Are you planning to sabotage this place?"

"Scared?" Zeng Hongfu pulled an Emei Dagger from his sleeve. "If you're scared, tell the truth now, and I might spare your life!"

"You drew your weapon first!" Tang Changfa pointed to the Outer Dao, "If the snack vendor saw this—"

"He can't see," Zeng Hongfu said, shaking his head slightly. "He won't be able to see you anymore."

Tang Changfa sighed, "What are we going to do?"

"What should we do? Tell the truth!" Zeng Hongfu pointed the Emei Dagger at Tang Changfa's forehead.

"I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about how to explain it to the shopkeeper. He didn't allow us to kill people here." After saying that, Tang Changfa grabbed the Emei Dagger and deliberately plunged it into his own skull.

Zeng Hongfu was stunned, and the five people behind him were also stunned.

But Tang Changfa's brains were flowing out of the wound, yet he seemed completely unharmed, and then he continued talking to Yan Hong...

Yan Cuier spoke.

Zeng Hongfu and his men were so frightened they couldn't move.

Your Fool Cultivation Skill; Please Hit and Call Out.

Zeng Hongfu and his companions had never seen anything like this before. Seeing the Emei Dagger trembling up and down in Tang Changfa's forehead, they were so frightened that they forgot even the thought of running away.

Yan Cuier came up with an idea. "Let's not kill them, but cut off most of their flesh. That will ensure they can't run around and won't die."

"We can take the blood and flesh without leaving a trace and still gain something in return. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Yan Hong pinched Yan Cuier: "Giving such nonsense! Let me tell you, you're still being punished by the shopkeeper, a full hundred times! If you dare to cause trouble again, see if the shopkeeper won't beat you to death!"

Yan Cuier stuck out her tongue and fell silent. Yan Hong'er suggested, "Use a drug to knock them out."

We'll deal with it when the manager arrives.

Tang Changfa around and locked the door of the private room. "Yan Hong'er, if you ask me, you should remember to hit her. What did the manager tell us? We're doing legitimate business, don't keep playing tricks on us!"

"Eating this 'drowsy concoction' made me dizzy for days. You're making me feel so uncomfortable. Why don't you just cut my tendons and ligaments? That way, I won't feel dizzy at all."

Shortly after, Li Banfeng entered the private room, frowning and saying, "What happened? Why did you sever his Achilles tendon?"

Yan Cuier pouted and said, "Tang Changfa made us do this—"

Li Banfeng looked at Tang Changfa and said, "I've wasted all this time teaching you. We're people who run a legitimate business. You just severed someone's Achilles tendon like that? How can it be reattached?"

Tang Changfa said in a low voice, "I'm afraid he'll take the drug and get dizzy—"

Li Banfeng said, "What's wrong with being dizzy for a while? At least your Achilles tendon is still there, and it can still be used if it's reattached to your body. Now that you've severed it, how can it be used?"

"Couldn't you have just cut your Achilles tendon beforehand and applied it directly to your body? You've severed it now; isn't that just a complete waste?"

Yan Cuier said, "They don't listen to me. That's what I thought from the beginning."

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "From now on, you all have to listen to Yan Cuier in these kinds of matters."

Yan Hong snorted and said, "Manager, have you forgotten the beating she received? A full hundred lashes, we remember them all!"

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "We'll talk about that later."

Yan Cuier glared at Yan Hong'er. "The shopkeeper loves me, so even if he hits me, it's out of love. You wretched woman, you're just trying to make me angry!"

"You bitch, you've really driven me crazy!"

As soon as Li Banfeng entered Portable Abode, he saw Hong Ying being pressed down on a stool by a record player and being beaten.

This is no joke; the record player is really being hit.

Li Banfeng asked, "What happened?"

The record player said, "I told her to use fire to force that foreign devil out, but she didn't know her own limitations and actually burned him alive! There are still so many things she hasn't had a chance to ask!"

Hong Ying gritted her teeth and said, "Judging from how he could build such a big house, he must have at least some cultivation level above the clouds. Who knew he was so fragile!"

Portable Abode spoke up, "Xiao Wan, don't make things difficult for Hong Ying. It's better to burn him to death; if you want to suppress this house..."

That's really not easy.

The record player played Hong Ying's music. Hong Ying stood up, looking aggrieved, and said, "Even the old man said it wasn't easy. Shouldn't this person have been a sure thing? He died in less than half an hour of burning. Who could have imagined this!"

Miglov was burned to death by Hong Ying, and he was still covered in mud before he died.

This is what Chu Zikai meant by indescribable combat power. The castle that Miglov built made Portable Abode quite wary, but Hong Ying only set it on fire and burned Miglov to death.

"My Wife, is there a way to interrogate a soul?"

The record player said, "There is a way, but it's a bit risky. After this foreign devil's soul leaves his body, he will forget most things. To make him remember these things, we need to nurture him slowly, turning him into a vengeful spirit."

It's uncertain how long this will take, and what he might accomplish during that time. To be on the safe side...

The Little Slave still ate him.

This isn't because the record player is greedy; it's been having plenty of food lately.

She was right. Keeping such a vengeful spirit in the Portable Abode was bound to bring about some consequences.

"So what if he's dead? Let's have a feast!" Li Banfeng was quite open-minded. Miglov's death meant that they were missing a confession, and confessions were only valuable if their authenticity was verified.

The physical evidence he possesses is quite valuable.

"My Wife, look at these photos."

The record player examined the photos carefully. "These are some algorithms, incoherent and without any clear clues. There are a few sheets of text here, but the text is not easy to understand."

Several photos were accompanied by text, but it wasn't written in the Huan Kingdom; it was very similar to the text on the account book.

"This should be Rafshahr, but it seems no one in the family understands Rafshahr," Li Banfeng said after a moment's thought. "Tomorrow, I'll take these things to the Dark Star Bureau and have the translator take a look so she can make a translation."

Tang Blade felt it was inappropriate. "My lord, we just killed the leader of the Birch Hermit Association, and now we're showing their things to the Dark Star Bureau?"

Although you have friends in the Dark Star Bureau, we can't be so open with them; we still need to maintain a degree of caution.

Li Banfeng also knew he had to take precautions. The only method he could think of was to break down the sentences and have them deciphered by translators in multiple sessions.

The key issue is that the Dark Star Bureau seems to only have one Lafsha Language translator. No matter how many times it is done in one translation, there is still a possibility that the translations will eventually be connected.

Can I translate directly online?

Uploading this information online is equivalent to informing the whole world about the matter.

Find an electronic dictionary, don't go online, translate offline, and the translation quality is truly impressive.

Portable Abode came up with an idea. "There's a Wenxiu in the Ninth Room who can speak many foreign languages, and he probably can speak Lafsa language too."

The old man seems to have remembered a lot of things lately.

Li Banfeng said, "You all go ahead and eat, don't wait for me."

Hong Ying prepared to peel off the mud off Miglov's body, but said to her Portable Abode, "Don't move, I'll do it. This mud is special; I still have a use for it."

Upon arriving at the Ninth Room, Li Banfeng first touched Red Lotus's Lotus Heart: "Hua Jiuer, you stayed in Snowflake Port for a while?"

Red Lotus pinched Li Banfeng's finger with her Lotus Heart: "I couldn't recall having such an experience, but after Chu Zikai mentioned it, I seem to have a vague impression. I never joined Snowflake Port, but I did some work with them, which should be considered a collaboration."

"You make pills for them and sell them for money?"

"Not only that, I've also helped them forge magical artifacts and weapons, and I've given them a lot of advice. I've done a lot for them."

"Why do you do this?"

"For revenge."

"Whom should we seek revenge against?"

"I can't remember. I was seriously injured in Snowflake Port and lost a lot of my memories."

Li Banfeng then asked, "Then why did you leave Snowflake Port later?"

"I didn't want to leave, but I was forcibly taken away, and that's when I got injured."

"Who took you away? He Jiaqing?"

"It wasn't him, he doesn't have that ability, but I can't remember who it was."

I don't know if they genuinely couldn't remember or were intentionally keeping it from me.

Li Banfeng didn't ask any more questions. He placed the photos and account books in Ninth Room, looked around, and said, "Friends living in Ninth Room, would you be willing to lend a hand?"

A woman's voice reached his ears. "Young master, is this Lafsha Language?"

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "Yes."

The woman said softly, "The text in the photo records an ancient incantation, and next to the incantation is the process of calculation and derivation."

Li Banfeng was very surprised. "Using mathematics to derive incantations?"

"Yes, I also found it novel." The woman's voice was very ethereal, her breath weak and elusive, and it was difficult to understand what she was saying if one did not listen carefully.

Li Banfeng asked again, "What is the result of the derivation?"

"This servant does not know; this servant can only translate these words for the young master."

Before long, the translation was completed and written on a piece of white paper.

Li Banfeng picked up the blank paper and glanced at it; there were a few lines of text written on it.

"Unaware of the cruelty of war, unaware of the blood and tears between life and death, we were strangers to begin with, so let's not talk about deep feelings, it's just an unreal dream."

Li Banfeng looked at it several times and asked, "Is this a translation? A foreign language, how can it be translated like this?"

The woman replied, "Translation should be faithful, expressive, and elegant; a more refined style creates a better artistic conception."

"But this doesn't look like a spell."

"This is a spell, a Western spell. Sometimes it really does sound like poetry. If you don't believe me..."

"Why don't you show this incantation to your wife? She's knowledgeable and should be able to distinguish between genuine and fake incantations."

Li Banfeng read it several more times and indeed found that there was a deeper meaning in the text.

What will this incantation lead to? Will it create a magic circle? Or will it unleash some kind of Curse Art? The specifics will have to be determined by my Wife.

Li Banfeng took the translation back to the main room and was about to hand it to the record player when he suddenly noticed a newspaper fall to the ground from the shelf.

Where did the newspaper go?

Li Banfeng looked up and saw that it was Judge's Brush that had kicked the newspaper away; the newspaper had originally been his quilt.

"Give it to me." The Judge's Brush stuck the translation in the paper, placed it on the candle flame, and burned it to ashes.

Li Banfeng was shocked. "Why did you burn it?"

The Judge's Brush replied with four words: "Bullshit!"