Life-Saving Rope

Li Banfeng repeatedly recalled the events of the past few days and immediately denied the Peddler's accusations, "I did have the feeling of being on a cloud, but I absolutely did not commit arson. I myself was burned by fire these past few days."

The Peddler was also surprised. "Who burned you?"

Li Banfeng's expression was grim. "This matter is not as simple as we imagined. I don't know who burned me yet, but it should be the same person who set fire to your house. He may not have wanted to burn me, but he may have wanted to burn you!"

This person is extremely treacherous. He has a grudge against you, or a grudge against your lover, or an affair with your lover. The two of them want to join forces to harm you.

I think it's more likely that the two of them are having an affair. Every time I fantasize about Yunduo, my body catches fire, which proves that someone above has set up an ambush specifically for you!

The Peddler thought carefully for a moment, then shook his head and said, "When I went up to the clouds, I wasn't burned. They weren't targeting me." Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then his expression became even more serious. "Then they were targeting me."

The Peddler was even more confused. "Why are they targeting you?"

Li Banfeng sorted out his thoughts and offered a reasonable speculation. "Because they thought I had discovered their conspiracy, and in order to silence me, they have been targeting me. When they saw me, they burned me, and then they falsely accused me of setting the fire!"

The Peddler and Li Banfeng sat side by side, both lost in thought.

After a silence of more than ten minutes, Ban Feng couldn't help but scratch his itch. The Peddler asked, "If they wanted to kill you, why did they have to set a fire? Wasn't there any other way?" Li Banfeng replied seriously, "I think it was to destroy the evidence."

The Peddler nodded slightly and said, "If you were a decent person, I would actually believe you."

"I'm a decent person! Think about it carefully, besides your enemies, who else could set your house on fire?"

This question truly stumped the Peddler: "Few people know the Cloud Gate Technique, and even fewer can find that cloud. Tell me first, how did you get up there?"

Li Banfeng answered truthfully, "At first I couldn't get up there either, but after careful observation, I had a clear impression of that cloud." "Observe? Look with your eyes?" The Peddler was surprised.

"Yes, just look with your eyes," Li Banfeng pointed to the window, "Isn't that cloud right there? You don't need to open the window, you can see it through the glass." The Peddler looked at the window, the same window he had come in through, the windowpane and glass were nothing special.

Under normal circumstances, Li Banfeng should not have seen this cloud.

The Peddler stood by the window, looked outside, and asked, "Is this where you saw these clouds?" Li Banfeng nodded, "Yes, the view from here is quite good."

The Peddler asked again, "How many times have you looked at it?"

"I can't remember. If I were just looking around, I could see them with a glance. I haven't counted them carefully."

"You can see it as soon as you look up..." The Peddler squinted and asked again, "Let's not say you just glanced at it, how many times have you looked at it carefully?"

"You don't need to look at it many times, right? This cloud doesn't change much. One look is enough, isn't it?" To be honest, Li Banfeng had only observed it once. "When did you look at this cloud?"

"Dusk."

The Peddler nodded slightly. "So you saw a fiery sunset?"

After a moment's recollection, Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly, saying, "It really was a fiery sunset, burning exceptionally brightly. The weather that day was very clear..." Li Banfeng paused, then frowned, "You can't exactly say that I saw the fiery sunset and went up to the clouds to start a fire, can you?" "A decent person probably wouldn't, but you're another story."

"Then tell me, how did I act inappropriately?"

The Peddler sat back down next to Li Banfeng offered him a cigarette. "Do you even know what the Cloud Gate Technique is?"

"I don't know!" Li Banfeng answered honestly. "Since it's a technique I can learn, it must be a technique used for Travel Cultivator or House Cultivator, right?"

"Neither," the Peddler shook his head. "The Cloud Gate Technique is a Boundless Skill, meaning it transcends sects and cultivation levels; anyone can learn it." "There must have been many people who knew this technique back then."

"Not many!" the Peddler shook his head. "Because this technique is too difficult. Many people with extremely high cultivation levels never manage to learn the Cloud Gate Technique in their entire lives. As for why you learned it by accident, there are probably many complicated reasons."

Li Banfeng lowered his head modestly. "Actually, I haven't learned the Cloud Gate Technique. I probably didn't actually ascend to the clouds. I just used the fake transfer technique to bring the scene from the clouds into the room. The fact that your house burned down definitely has nothing to do with me."

"You still won't admit it, huh? I saw you burn my house down yesterday with my own eyes."

"Why should I admit it?" Li Banfeng vividly remembers the details of the time. "When I used the fake move, I only saw the white clouds, not the fiery clouds."

The Peddler nodded and said, "If it were a decent person, they would think they had come to the wrong place if they didn't see the sunset. If it were you, you would probably burn the clouds down if you didn't see them."

"Do you think I'm crazy? Why would I do such a thing?" It wasn't that Li Banfeng was denying it; he genuinely had no recollection of arson.

"You truly don't understand the Cloud Gate Technique. There are some things you simply don't know how to control," the Peddler said, taking a drag of his pipe. He then asked about something else. "Why do you insist on learning the Cloud Gate Technique? Are you trying to secure a backup plan, or are you trying to hide your fighting strength?"

Li Banfeng didn't understand the Peddler's meaning. "Why hide your fighting strength?"

"That's right, what's your combat strength? Why are you hiding it? Are you preparing for a promotion?" Does promotion have anything to do with Cloud Gate Technique?

An unexpected bonus?

Li Banfeng immediately chimed in, "I really should start preparing." The Peddler was taken aback. "You have three layers now?"

"The House Cultivator are done, but the Travel Cultivator are still lacking." This honest statement, Definite Statement, solidified the already difficult situation. The Peddler asked, "Don't you want to go Above the Clouds?"

"Who wants to go Above the Clouds? There are no levels Above the Clouds, and that name sounds so corny!"

The Peddler wholeheartedly agreed, "I also think it's corny. In the past, some people called the Above the Clouds 'stars,' and others called it 'constellations.' I said, do you even know where the stars and constellations are? Yet you all dare to use such loud and arrogant names."

In my opinion, this Above the Clouds is not the proper way to cultivate. There are no levels at all. It's like walking blindly with your eyes closed. This is clearly unscientific!"Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly: "I also think this path is unscientific, which is why I want to learn the Cloud Gate Technique."

"The Cloud Gate Technique is indeed a method, but do you know how to use it?"

"I've only heard rumors, I don't know any details, I just want to learn the techniques first!" Li Banfeng looked sincerely at the Peddler, the platform was set up, just waiting for him to disembark. "It's still early. To advance from the Third Layer Above the Clouds, whether to the Above the Clouds or the Fourth Layer Above the Clouds, you need a lot of popularity to climb. You need to accumulate enough popularity first."

Explain."

The Peddler didn't go down the slope.

Li Banfeng lowered his eyes, clearly dissatisfied with the result.

"I've built up enough popularity, but the problem is I don't know what to do next. What if I use the wrong method and reach the Above the Clouds, then all my efforts will be wasted?"

The Peddler shook his head slightly. "You're oversimplifying things. Upgrading from level three to level four in the clouds requires a huge amount of popularity. It can't be solved by Green Water Bay alone." Li Banfeng shuddered.

The Peddler laughed, "What's wrong, brother? What are you afraid of? You've been the Local Earth God of Green Water Bay for a long time. Did you think I didn't know about this?" Li Banfeng put his hands in his pockets and smiled honestly, "I never intended to hide it from you. Between brothers, what can't we talk about?"

"Why didn't you say that when we met last time?"

"I was thinking, wasn't it your lover who messed things up back then?"

The Peddler sneered, "Fine, I'll let you cover it up anyway. Green Flower has already reached the Third Layer Above the Clouds. He's accumulated so much popularity but he's not using it. He's just waiting to reach the Fourth Layer Above the Clouds. Now he's gone to Knife Ghost Ridge and become a living god. All that popularity he painstakingly built up has given you a good meal."

Li Banfeng asked, "With so many people around Green Flower, isn't that enough to advance to the fourth floor?"

"It's enough, but he can't ascend because I didn't recognize him as a disciple and didn't give him the Entry Medicine Powder. After Third Layer Above the Clouds, he couldn't find his way and was unwilling to ascend Above the Clouds, so he's been stuck at the Third Layer Above the Clouds."

Although he's only on the third level, many cultivators Above the Clouds can't defeat him. It's a pity about his great talent; the Disease Cultivator is truly bizarre. To cultivate, Green Flower often spreads disease lesions. I wanted to kill him, but just as I was about to make my move, he did something great.

Li Banfeng thought for a while, "What good things could Green Flower possibly do?"

"A plague spread from Inner State to Pro State, killing many people. This plague was cured by Green Flower." At this point, Li Banfeng finished his cigarette and gave the Peddler another one.

The Peddler recalled the situation, "It was a difficult situation. We were splitting the profits and losses, with neither side owing the other anything. I have to be fair in everything I do. Green Flower saved Pro State; I can't kill him, but I can't let him run around like this either."

I made a contract with him, allowing him to beg once a year, wherever he wants—a village, a town, a city. Even if this place isn't in Green Water Bay, I can't interfere.

But wherever he went, there was one condition: he had to beg his way through the area, and if three people gave him alms, he had to return to his home. "And if there aren't three people?"

"He will spread a plague."

Li Banfeng recalled his experience in Blue Poplar Village: "Back then, the Green Water Beggar went to Blue Poplar Village to beg, intending to spread disease Blue Poplar Village. But Blue Poplar Village was his own territory. What was his purpose in doing so?"

The Peddler shook his head. "I still don't understand this."

Li Banfeng then asked, "There's another matter. The spread of disease depends on population density. Why didn't he go to densely populated cities? Blue Poplar Village is so remote; the disease might not be able to spread there."

"According to the contract, if he goes to the city, he has to pass through it. With so many people in the city, he'll definitely receive alms three times, thus eliminating the opportunity to spread the plague. That's the beauty of the contract," the Peddler said, changing the subject to Li Banfeng.

"If you want to learn the Cloud Gate Technique, I can teach you. We might as well sign a contract. I'm not trying to restrict you; I'm just helping you build up your popularity. There's a very popular place in Pro State called Virtue Praise Cliff, which is a good place for cultivation. You can go there and be Local Earth God for three years..."

"I'm not going!" Upon hearing about Virtue Praise Cliff, Li Banfeng felt nauseous. "Why am I being made Local Earth God in Dexiu's territory? Where are their original Local Earth God?"

The Peddler sighed deeply, "The former Local Earth God of Virtue Praise Cliff was named Wang Zhengde. He was a Great Virtuous Person, but perhaps because of his old age, his mind became somewhat unclear. He went to Black Stone Slope and opened a lecture hall, specializing in the study of virtue, and recruited many disciples."

Last month, Tang Shijiang, having reached his limit, told Wang Zhengde to leave immediately, but he wouldn't listen. Later, Tang Shijiang went to persuade him, but as you know, Tang Shijiang is not good with words and doesn't know how to talk, so he didn't say much.

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand. "He didn't say much, so how could he offer advice?"

The Peddler gritted his teeth and said angrily, "That idiot Tang Shijiang killed Wang Zhengde outright. If he had even left him alive, Virtue Praise Cliff wouldn't be in such chaos."

Now that the Local Earth God is gone, a group of virtuous cultivators are causing chaos at Virtue Praise Cliff in their struggle for the Local Earth God. I believe that true virtue lies not in the Daoist sect, but in one's state of mind. If you have this kind of mindset, you will definitely win over the people at Virtue Praise Cliff. Just believe me.

"Don't believe me, I'm not suitable," Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly. "Old Pan is suitable. Pan Dehai is Proper Land Local Earth God with the qualifications, strength, and experience. This position is rightfully his."

"Wang Zhengde just died, Pan Dehai went to Virtue Praise Cliff and fought for almost a month, knocking out all his old teeth. He just returned to Sea Eat Ridge yesterday to recuperate. So, you should think about this matter again..."

Li Banfeng squatted down on the ground. "We're not going to Virtue Praise Cliff. There's no room for discussion!"

The Peddler squatted down next to Li Banfeng: "Brother, I'm doing this for your own good. Wang Zhengde has also accumulated a lot of popularity; he also wants to ascend to the Fourth Layer Above the Clouds, but he hasn't found the right way and hasn't been able to get there."

"I'll tell you the secret now. You can then go and devour Wang Zhengde's popularity. One bite and you'll be rolling in it all. No matter how you look at it, you'll make a huge profit." "I just don't think much of Dexiu's territory."

"That's a Proper Land, and you're complaining about the land? If you're so picky, I can't help you. You'll have to figure out the Cloud Gate Technique yourself."

Li Banfeng sniffled, tears welling in his eyes: "I'm at such a critical moment, and you're not helping me? What about our brotherhood? What about our kinship?" "I remember our brotherhood, but you can't just talk about friendship in business. The key is to agree on a price and have a fair transaction, treating everyone fairly, Honesty with Old and Young."

Upon hearing the words "Honesty with Old and Young to all ages, "Li Banfeng swallowed back the tears that were about to fall.

No wonder the Peddler wouldn't dismount. Sun Tiecheng once said that the Peddler had created a unique skill that was Honesty with Old and Young, and that it was effective against foolish cultivators. "Fine, don't help me then, I'll figure it out myself." Li Banfeng then stared at the cloud in the sky.

The Peddler tidied up his cart: "Brother, you can figure it out yourself, but don't always think about burning down my house. Find another cloud." "Are there any suitable clouds?"

"Yes!" The Peddler looked at the sky. "There are many clouds in the sky over Pro State. Some you can see, but most you can't. Among the clouds you can see, some stay still—those are owned. Others are constantly changing—those are unowned."

"You can steal clouds that have an owner, and you can collect clouds that don't. As long as you don't burn down my house, the sky's the limit." The Peddler was about to leave when Li Banfeng remembered another important matter. "I want to find Water Snake Grass. Where should I go?"

"Hay or fresh grass?" "Hay is fine."

"I have some here, twenty silver dollars a plant."

"The Peddler is so reliable!" Li Banfeng asked excitedly. "How many do you have?" "More than thirty."

"I want them all!"

Li Banfeng paid the money, the Peddler handed over the goods, pushed his cart out the window, landed smoothly on the ground, and continued to push the cart and hawk his wares, shaking his Pellet Drum. Watching the Peddler's departing figure, Li Banfeng smiled to himself.

It's alright if you don't tell me about the Cloud Gate Technique; my Wife definitely knows some of them.

Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Abode and saw the Water Snake Grass. His Wife was overjoyed: "Husband, you actually brought back so much! This stuff is quite hard to find." "Is this enough?"

"That's enough. We'll have plenty left over after making the ropes; these are very valuable medicinal herbs that will definitely be useful in the future." "My dear Wife, do you know about the Cloud Gate Technique?"

The Wife thought for a moment, "I've heard some rumors before, it seems to be a technique that can be performed above the clouds." Li Banfeng was greatly disappointed. "Even our A'Bi knows about this, but my Wife has only heard rumors?"

The record player laughed, "My dear husband, you underestimate our A'Bi. He's Wise Scholar, a prominent figure among literary cultivators. He's probably read more books than our entire family combined."

"Hmph!" The Judge's Brush dangled at Li Banfeng's waist. "But he can't remember the key techniques either."

"Why does my husband want to learn the Cloud Gate Technique?"

"For the sake of future promotion, my dear Wife, I don't want to go to the Above the Clouds; I want to ascend to the Fourth Layer Above the Clouds."

The record player paused for a moment, then said, "My lord, the claim of Fourth Layer Above the Clouds is just a rumor. Little Slave 've met people who claim to be above three layers above the clouds, but whether it's true or not, there's no way to verify it."

Indeed, some people want to avoid the Above the Clouds and continue cultivating there, but it's said that this requires special methods. What those methods are is a matter of much debate, and even I, your Little Slave, cannot discern them. In short, this is not the proper path of cultivation, so my husband shouldn't think about it too much."

The Wife was on the path Above the Clouds, and was unfamiliar with the path to break through the Fourth Layer Above the Clouds. Hong Ying was in the same situation as the Wife; she didn't even believe that there was Fourth Layer Above the Clouds.

The Judge's Brush knows the most; he may have actually taken this path, but he can't remember it. Red Lotus probably knows more, but she claims to have forgotten, and Li Banfeng can't do anything about it.

What should I do? Should I figure it out on my own?

Or perhaps they should grit their teeth and become the Local Earth God at Virtue Praise Cliff.

It's too early to think about that now. The House Cultivator have just reached the Third Layer Above the Clouds, and the Travel Cultivator are still at the second level. Li Banfeng has already collected most of the popularity in various regions, and they want to gather enough popularity to reach the fourth level. Who knows when that will take.

Let's wait until my Wife finishes the rope and rescues Little Fatty first. Two days later, the rope was completed.

A yellowish-brown hemp rope, about three fingers thick, didn't seem particularly special to Li Banfeng, but his Wife had put a lot of effort into it, arranging every detail meticulously. Li Banfeng hadn't gone to Ma Bamboo Village this time, sticking to one place with the Dark Bridge Cannon, fearing it would arouse suspicion.

He went to Leqing Town, which is the border between Green Water Bay and Belt Ridge. The border line passes through a large swamp, a place where no one is seen all year round, even more desolate than Ma Bamboo Mountain. Li Banfeng carried his Wife out of his Portable Abode. His Wife controlled the Dark Bridge Cannon, casting two overlapping shadows on the border line.

"My lord, be very careful when using the rope. If you feel anything is wrong, discard the rope immediately and get out of the wormhole as soon as possible. Whether Qin Tianjiu can be saved depends on his fate. My lord must not let himself be implicated."

Li Banfeng agreed, took the rope, and stepped into the shadows.

A cloud of dust fell, and Li Banfeng entered the wormhole. After walking for about ten seconds, he first saw the white crane. The white crane stood on one leg beside the dark bridge, its long neck bent backward, its long beak tucked into its wing.

He is sleeping.

Li Banfeng passed by Baihe silently and walked a short distance forward.

Li Banfeng had almost reached the end of the hidden bridge when he still hadn't seen Qin Tianjiu. Where did that kid go?

Visibility inside the wormhole was extremely low. Li Banfeng tapped the Thread-Pulling Earring, trying to locate Qin Tianjiu by sound. He could vaguely hear some breathing sounds, but couldn't be sure if it was Qin Tianjiu.

Left with no other choice, Li Banfeng called out, "Qin Tianjiu?" His voice echoed through the wormhole for a long time.

The white crane woke up, stretched its neck, looked around for a moment, then turned its head and looked at Li Banfeng with one eye. This white crane's perception was too strong.

Li Banfeng was considering whether to continue calling for Qin Tianjiu. What if Bai He took Qin Tianjiu hostage? Just as he was pondering this, Bai He suddenly spoke, "Little brother, come quick, someone's looking for you!"

Qin Tianjiu walked from the darkness onto the dark bridge. He was thinner than before, with sunken eyes. He looked around and shook his head, saying, "Senior, who's looking for me?" Bai He didn't speak, but Li Banfeng replied, "Little Fatty, it's me."

Qin Tianjiu was very excited. He wanted to call him Seventh Brother, but he didn't dare to speak. He knew that he couldn't easily reveal Li Qi's identity here.

Li Banfeng stared at the road beneath his feet, his gaze slowly extending outwards from his feet, using his Golden Eyes Autumn Down Technique to carefully search for the gap between the dark bridge and the wormhole. Locating the gap wasn't difficult; near it, the light entering would cause a noticeable shift in brightness.

Li Banfeng located the approximate location of the crevice and placed the rope near it.

The thick hemp rope, wriggling like a snake, probed for a moment before suddenly flattening and widening, slipping through a gap like a piece of paper. The rope possessed a certain level of perception, but it didn't recognize Qin Tianjiu and could only wriggle towards any living target.

It crawled to the feet of the white crane.

The white crane stared at the rope on the ground and remained silent for more than ten seconds.

He hid to the side and said to Qin Tianjiu, "Young brother, this person has come to save you. Go quickly."

Qin Tianjiu bowed deeply to Baihe. Just as he grabbed the rope, the man in White Clothes suddenly rushed over and shouted, "Don't go yet! Take us with you! Don't go!" Baihe blocked the man in White Clothes, preventing him from getting close to Xiaopang.

The man in White Clothes cried out, "My lord, let this young man take us with you. We've never mistreated him." Bai He shook his head, and no matter how much the man in White Clothes cried out, Bai He wouldn't let him get close.

Following his Wife's instructions, Li Banfeng slowly pulled the rope.

Little Fatty followed the rope to the vicinity of the crevice, and under the pull of the rope, Little Fatty's thin body was slowly flattened.

"Cough cough!" The chubby boy coughed up a mouthful of blood from the excruciating pain. Before long, he didn't even have the strength to cough anymore. He was pressed down like a piece of paper and slowly slid into the crevice.

He wasn't crushed by the gaps in the dark bridge; he was flattened by a special spell on the rope. After entering the dark bridge, the spell was lifted, and Little Fatty wasn't seriously injured, only breaking a few bones. This was already the best possible outcome planned.

Bai He was still outside the dark bridge, looking at Li Banfeng with one eye. "Friend, if you still have the strength to help us, we will never forget your kindness. If you can't save us, then take this brother with you and leave. Take care."

Li Banfeng glanced at the white crane, then turned and helped Xiao Pang up. They walked to the end of the dark bridge, where a cloud of ashes rose as the two emerged from the wormhole. Before them lay a swamp, and Xiao Pang plunged into the muddy water, taking a couple of gulps.

During this period, he could only quench his thirst by eating moss on the ground. Although the muddy water in the swamp was so dirty, it tasted very sweet in Xiao Pang's mouth. Li Banfeng pulled him up and handed him a water bottle.

Little Fatty held the water bottle, his knees trembling slightly.

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "If you dare to kneel, I'll throw you back." Little Fatty didn't dare to kneel, but tears still streamed down his face.

"Seventh Brother..." He cried, his mouth agape, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

Someone was crying even harder than him. The man in White Clothes was sitting next to the white crane, wailing, "My lord, how could you do this? We only had this one chance! How could you let him go like this?"

"How long have we been trapped here? Will we ever get out? Is this the end of our lives?" "Stop nagging!" The white crane flapped its wings and slapped the man in White Clothes.

The man in White Clothes looked down and saw a rope wriggling on the ground. It was the rope that had just rescued Qin Tianjiu.

Li Qi returned and released the rope from the hidden bridge once more. Bai He looked at the man in White Clothes: "You go first."

The man in White Clothes wiped away his tears, grabbed the rope, hesitated for a moment, and then gave it to Bai He. "My lord, you should go first."

"No need to refuse, everyone can go out, you go first." Bai He let the man in White Clothes go through the gap first.

Are we really all allowed to go out?

Bai He couldn't say for sure; the other side might only be able to save one person, but he still gave the opportunity to the man in White Clothes.

Before long, the rope was extended again. The white crane breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to bite the rope, he thought for a moment, then turned around and shouted, "Girl, come quickly, grab this rope!"

Li Banfeng admired the white crane. It had been trapped in the wormhole for two whole years and finally got a chance to get out, but it still gave the opportunity to someone else. There are very few people like that.

A woman approached and said, "Senior, you should go first."

Baihe shook his head and said, "You should leave. My cultivation is high. Even if I can't get out, I won't die if I stay here for a few more years."

The woman tried to refuse, but Baihe urged, "Let's go quickly. The people who came to rescue us have also taken a great risk. Don't waste time here!" The woman said no more and quickly grabbed the rope.

Although she looked much more haggard, Li Banfeng could still recognize the woman at a glance. Li Banfeng was very familiar with her appearance, figure, and voice. Teacher Song.

Why did you end up in the wormhole?

P. S.: I think Baihe is a person I can get along with.