Help Him Cut the Line

Cui Tike sat on a large blue stone, took out a stack of papers and a fountain pen, filled it with ink, and began to settle accounts with Li Banfeng.

"Our friendship is unbreakable, I have no doubt about that, but business matters must be clarified first, especially this deal. The costs I will incur are very high. Your friend has a special kind of fungus growing on him. You are highly educated and know how troublesome fungi can be."

Moreover, this fungus is outside my field of knowledge; I have never seen a similar species before, and I have no way to directly formulate an effective strategy against it.

Furthermore, your expectation that I can develop an agent to kill this type of fungus further complicates the treatment, making the fees I charge extremely high.

Li Banfeng was ready. "Go ahead and speak!"

Cui Tike first stated his condition. "I came to Virtue Praise Cliff on the orders of the Peddler to maintain order. I have signed contracts with many Desh leaders here, ordering them not to wage war for a short period of time, otherwise they will suffer from serious diseases."

The main problem now is that Dexiu isn't the only one involved in the Virtue Praise Cliff War; many gangs from Pro State are also among them. They refuse to sign any contracts with me, and I can't kill them either. According to the Peddler's rules, there's a limit to the number of people I can kill.

So the first thing I want you to do for me is to get these disciples away from Virtue Praise Cliff. If you can't expel all of them, at least get most of them to leave.

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "That can be done."

Cui Tike put forward a second condition. "Virtue Praise Cliff suffered very heavy losses in this war, and I estimate that they will starve this winter."

I've experienced hunger. You can't expect a starving person to stay rational. Faced with the test of survival, they might very well start another war. My friend, I hope you can send a batch of food to Virtue Praise Cliff. It shouldn't be too much of an expense for you.

"I agree to that too."

Cui Tike has changed a lot, and Li Banfeng can't yet see the source of that change. Is it the influence of the Peddler on him?

"The third condition is that several key figures have been quite unruly during this war. I initially intended to kill them to settle the matter, but their prestige in Virtue Praise Cliff is extremely high, and killing them might lead to even more serious conflicts. I hope you can help me deter these people; mere deterrence is sufficient."

Li Banfeng looked at Cui Tike and said, "Is this really you? I haven't mistaken you for someone else, have I?"

Cui Tike laughed, "I'm just trying to solve the problem in a more effective way, for example..." "Noodle soup, delicious!" The child brought the noodle soup to the Light Bulb.

Cui Tike got up and took the child away. "I told you, don't play with him yet. He has a lot of little things on him, very dangerous little things." Light Bulb glanced down at the child. He wasn't very interested in the soup. He didn't really want to eat. He just wanted to stand straight like this.

Cui Tike approached the Light Bulb, and the density of Light Bulb on it made Cui Tike frown. "The good news is that I can obtain a large number of experimental samples through you. The bad news is that I may not be able to eat them all, and you may not be able to handle them either."

Light Bulb glanced at Cui Tike, then turned its head back and stood straight as ever.

Cui Tike focused his mind and stood beside the Light Bulb. After more than three minutes, Cui Tike's cheeks swelled up. This was no exaggeration; the sheer number of fungi made it difficult for Cui Tike to eat.

He forced it down, his cheeks puffing out again, whether from the Light Bulb or from something he hadn't swallowed and had spat out earlier, it was hard to tell. After swallowing several times, Cui Tike let out a long breath and looked at Li Banfeng: "Fungi and spores, what a wonderful feeling!"

Li Banfeng looked at the Light Bulb.

That night at the Dark Star Bureau, Light Bulb Light Bulb the whole time, and he stood for most of the train journey as well. Now, finally tired of standing, he lay down on the ground.

"Seventh Master, the sky in Pro State is so blue." The Light Bulb shed tears the moment he lay down. Candied Fruit and Begonia were very excited; they also thought the sky in Pro State was very blue.

Cui Tike was very excited. Not only was the sky very blue, but he also saw angels descending from the sky.

"Li Qi, my friend, look! An angel has descended to earth! This is a miracle!" Cui Tike excitedly rushed up the mountain path.

He didn't witness a miracle; he must have overdosed on fungi, leading to poisoning. Li Banfeng had seen similar cases at the Dark Star Bureau; many such incidents had occurred in Nanzhao Province. Seeing the direction Cui Tike was running, the child became anxious, calling out as he chased after him.

"Great, great, great!"

"There's a huge character for 'virtue' here! It seems even angels admire morality!" Cui Tike waved his hands and jumped off the cliff. The child screamed in fright, and a moment later, Li Qi flew up from below the cliff carrying Cui Tike.

As Cui Tike sang Amican songs, he waved his hands, imagining himself as an angel soaring through the sky.

The Light Bulb wasn't completely cured. As Cui Tike himself said, the number of fungi was too large for him to eat in one go.

The tricky part is that if you don't finish eating it all at once, the remaining fungi will multiply rapidly, and by the next morning, the Light Bulb will be standing at the cave entrance again.

"Manipulating microorganisms alone won't solve this tricky fungus," Cui Tike, also a bit of a headache. "I need to create a few friends and have a good fight with them." Although there were setbacks, Li Banfeng trusted Cui Tike: "Let's control their condition first, and I'll go check on the situation of those gangs."

.

Upon arriving at Virtue Praise Cliff, Li Banfeng was immediately taken to Virtue Sincerity Mountain, and hadn't even had a chance to visit the various villages. After speaking with Luo ZhengNan by phone, he went to Virtue Source Village first.

Both Cui Tike and Luo ZhengNan were deeply impressed by this village, because its Village Chief, Song Demei, was a key figure in the war. They arrived at the western entrance of the village, where a series of memorial archways stretched deep into the village, even more densely packed than the Pailou Street of Medicine King Gully. After wandering around the village entrance for a while, Luo ZhengNan arrived, Li Banfeng asked, "Who erected all these archways?"

"These memorial arches were all erected for the people of Virtue Source Village. There are loyal ministers, top scholars, filial sons, and virtuous women—all people of great virtue. There are over a hundred of these arches here." "A village that produced over a hundred people of great virtue?"

"That's not all. I've been asking around these past few days. Virtue Source Village claims to be the source of great virtue. Many people have been dead for years and are still waiting for memorial arches to be erected. Although the Village Chief has promised many people, there isn't enough land in the village."

Was this war started because there wasn't enough space to erect a memorial archway?

Li Banfeng asked, "Have you gathered enough information about the various gangs?"

Luo ZhengNan, known for his meticulousness, reported, "I've gathered all the information. A total of sixteen gangs, large and small, have come to Virtue Praise Cliff, including two gang Gang Leader who have come in person." Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Who invited them? They have such great influence?"

"They were mostly invited by Song Demei. Song Demei used to be involved in the martial arts world and made many friends. This time, she invested a lot of money. She ransacked all the villages under her control, even selling off their winter food supplies. She gave all the money to these disciples of the gang."

After understanding the situation, Li Banfeng also had a strategy. "Tell these gangs that we'll invite them to dinner tomorrow night."

Luo ZhengNan was somewhat troubled. "Seventh Master, this place is not easy to choose. If we choose another village, they may not be willing to go. If we choose Virtue Source Village, Song Demei may not be able to tolerate us."

Li Banfeng thought Virtue Source Village was a good place, "I think it's a good place to choose this Pailou Street. I want to see if Song Demei dares to stop us. If she really has the guts, things will be much easier."

Luo ZhengNan offered a word of advice. "Seventh Master, Doctor Cui is a master of killing, but why don't you do it yourself?"

When I was chatting with Doctor Cui, I deliberately inquired a few things. It turns out that this incident was ordered by the Peddler; he can't just kill people randomly."Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow: "What does his inability to kill have to do with me? I didn't agree to the Peddler's request."

Luo ZhengNan shook his head and said, "That's the logic, but that's not how things are. The Peddler won't let Doctor Cui kill people indiscriminately, but if we go on a killing spree here, wouldn't that be deliberately embarrassing the Peddler? Why don't we discuss it and try to kill as few people as possible?"

After discussing it, the two sent invitations to various factions and groups. Luo ZhengNan even invited Song Demei. Just as Li Qi had predicted, Song Demei did not stop Luo ZhengNan, but she claimed that she was busy with village affairs and did not attend the banquet.

The members of all the major gangs did not refuse Li Qi's request. When the time came, everyone arrived. However, they had already agreed beforehand that while they could eat and drink, the members of each gang were not to be withdrawn.

At 7 p. m., the banquet started on time. Members of various gangs looked around, but none of them saw Li Qi.

Luo Tongkui, the Silver Seal member of the Three Heroes Gate, asked, "Lao Luo, what does this mean? We brothers are giving Seventh Master face, but Seventh Master doesn't seem to respect us. He invited us to dinner, but we didn't even show up. What does that mean?"

Luo Tongkui has a big head, a shiny scalp, and not a single hair on it. He injured his right eye in his younger years and wears an eye patch on his face. He looks a bit like a cancer patient.

Luo ZhengNan laughed and said, "Brother Kui, please don't be angry. Seventh Master has already arrived. This is my idea. Let's have a couple of drinks together, catch up, and get to know each other better."

"Why should I tell you? If Li Qi hadn't come, what would we have come for? Do you think we'd miss out on this meal?" Luo Tongkui got up to leave, but suddenly felt a tingling sensation, his body trembled for a moment, and then he sat back down in his chair.

An Outer State would have immediately realized they'd been electrocuted, but few Pro State have seen electricity. Luo Tongkui had seen electricity before, but he'd never seen anyone electrocuted, and it took him a while to process it. Luo Tongkui pointed at Luo ZhengNan and cursed, "You little bastard, you dare to lay a hand on me!"

Upon hearing Luo Tongkui's cursing, several henchmen rushed forward and protected Luo ZhengNan.

Luo Tongkui, unconvinced, summoned his men as well. "What? Let's see what you're capable of. We, the Three Heroes Gate, are not going to listen to your nonsense!"

Luo ZhengNan gestured for his men to step back and invited Luo Tongkui to sit down first. "Brother Kui, don't get so angry. I'm doing this for your own good. It's nothing for us to have a few disagreements. But if you keep talking like this when Seventh Master arrives, things will get much worse."

"I talk like this wherever I go. I want to see how serious things are. Li Qi doesn't want to see me, right? Then let him see our Big Gold Seal. He can talk to the Big Gold Seal. He has nothing to do with me!" Luo Tongkui got up and left.

Luo ZhengNan didn't stop them, but turned to the others and asked, "Everyone, is this what you all think too?"

Jiang Jingqi, the Hall Master of the White Crane Gang, spoke up, "Brother Luo, Seventh Master has been very kind to our gang, and we have a pretty good relationship. But we all know the rules of the underworld. Once we've agreed to settle a matter for someone, there's no reason to back out halfway."

I think Brother Kui is right. If Seventh Master didn't want to see us, he shouldn't have invited us in the first place. He should talk to our Gang Leader about what he needs to say.

Sha Jianfeng, the leader of the Sand Serpent Alliance, took a puff of his cigarette and sneered, "I won't say anything if Seventh Master looks down on the brothers of each branch, but I, Da Fengzi, am the top dog of the Sand Serpent Alliance. Can't Seventh Master even deign to come and meet me? This is too disrespectful to us!"

We believe that Seventh Master has the power to manipulate events in Pro State, but we don't accept it. I can't speak for others, but we in the Sand Serpent Alliance refuse to accept this. None of our brothers in the Sand Serpent Alliance are cowards who fear death!

"We refuse to submit, and our brothers are not afraid to die!"

Everyone stood up, ready to leave, when Luo ZhengNan called out, "Wait, the food is served."

Sha Jianfeng swayed her waist, her form-fitting brocade cheongsam clinging tightly to her body, highlighting her round and large waist, which was particularly pleasing to the eye. "Keep it for yourself. We're not going to freeload off you; we're not that poor!"

Luo ZhengNan inwardly praised her. The Sand Serpent Alliance was a mid-tier gang; putting aside their other skills, Da Fengzi's looks and figure were truly impeccable. "Girl, since you're already here, you should at least try this first dish before leaving. Waiter, open the pot!"

Luo ZhengNan ordered the pot to be opened, and a young man brought over a pot. As soon as the lid was opened, a fragrant aroma wafted out with the steam. Everyone looked into the pot and saw a large Bald Head stewing inside, with an eye patch over his right eye.

This head belongs to Luo Tongkui, the seal holder of the Three Heroes Gate.

He had barely left, not even a cigarette's time, and his head was already churning here. Sha Jianfeng twisted his waist again, turned around, and sat back down in his chair.

The others also took their seats, heads bowed, and remained silent.

Luo ZhengNan lit a cigarette and sighed softly, "You're not familiar with Seventh Master, so take my advice. Sometimes not seeing Seventh Master isn't necessarily a bad thing. Look at Kui Ye, he insisted on seeing Seventh Master, and now he's in trouble. Everyone, don't just sit there, start eating and let's chat while we eat."

How do you eat it? Do you eat Luo Tongkui's head?

Everyone fell silent. Luo ZhengNan tapped his cigarette ash and sighed, "It seems this dish isn't to my liking."

"It's alright if it's not to your liking," Li Qi pulled up a chair and sat down next to Luo ZhengNan. "Pack it up and give it to Shen Jinzhong." Everyone shuddered; they didn't know who this person was or when he had arrived.

The Three Heroes Gate is the largest gang, and judging from this man's attitude towards Shen Jinzhong, the Three Heroes Gate's Big Gold Seal, everyone present deduced his identity. Luo ZhengNan smiled, "Didn't you all want to see Seventh Master? Now you've seen him!"

Everyone's faces turned ashen; they dared not look up or speak, and no one dared to glance at Li Qi.

Li Banfeng scanned the crowd and said, "Don't be shy, eat and drink as you please. If this dish doesn't suit your taste, I'll get you another one!" Except for Li Qi and Luo ZhengNan, everyone present shuddered involuntarily.

Li Qi continued, "After we finish this meal, it's time for everyone to get going."

Everyone shuddered again. Li Banfeng laughed and said, "Don't misunderstand, everyone. I mean you should all go home now. You are all courageous people, and your brothers are not afraid to die, but that doesn't mean you are not afraid to die, right?"

Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent; what Li Qi said did indeed make sense.

Li Banfeng specifically asked Sha Jianfeng, "Leader Sha, are you going back tomorrow?"

"Go back!" Sha Jianfeng nodded repeatedly. "No need for tomorrow, I'll go back tonight."

Li Qi praised, "Alliance Leader Sha is a smart man. Our Lao Luo always praises you, saying that out of all the big shots in Pro State, you are the one he admires the most."

Luo ZhengNan's cheeks flushed slightly, Sha Jianfeng quickly said, "Brother Luo and I are very close friends. How about this, I won't leave tonight. I'll have a couple more drinks with Brother Luo and catch up."

That evening, each gang quickly gathered its members, packed their belongings, and prepared to go home.

Sha Jianfeng instructed her subordinates on these matters, and that very night she went to Lao Luo's place to catch up. "Brother Luo, I'm a bit impulsive and don't know how to speak properly, so please don't take it to heart." As she spoke, Sha Jianfeng twisted her waist and sat on Luo ZhengNan's lap.

Luo ZhengNan sighed softly, "I don't take it to heart, but you really do!"

The next morning, all the major gangs, with their men and luggage, headed towards the west entrance of the village. They crossed the archway and went directly onto the main road; it wouldn't take half a day to reach the Train Station. Song Demei stood beneath her father's archway, clasped her hands in a fist salute to the crowd, and said, "Brothers, I haven't mistreated you, have I? Have you really just abandoned me?" Ma Songquan, the Gang Leader of the Soup Porridge Gang, draped a towel over his shoulder, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Old sister, we've encountered some trouble..."

"No need to say anything more," Song Demei sighed. "Little Ma, back when you were selling porridge on the street in Sea Eat Ridge, your stall was overturned and you were beaten half to death by the people from Yao Family Stronghold. Who spoke up for you and saved you? You haven't forgotten that, have you?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Songquan recalled the past, his nose tingled, and he wiped away his tears with the handkerchief on his shoulder.

He had served in the Sanying Sect in his early years and had reached the second level of cultivation. Not wanting to risk his life, he left the sect and set up a stall at the first ridge of Haichi Ridge. He sold noodles and porridge, working from dawn till dusk, earning a meager living that was enough to support his family.

That day, Song Demei went to visit Pan Dehai and stopped by the local gang Yao Family Stronghold in Sea Eat Ridge. She happened to run into Ma Songquan, who was having a bad day. Before leaving, Song Demei wanted to eat a bowl of porridge and happened to be at Ma Songquan's stall.

When Dexiu eats porridge, he has to eat it with some decorum. Song Demei first complained that the rice wasn't right, then the water, and then the cooking time was wrong. In short, she was dissatisfied with the porridge. Ma Songquan, having also made his way up in the martial arts world, still had a bit of a temper, and he argued with Song Demei for a bit.

The young chieftain of Yao Family Stronghold was present and ordered his men to overturn the soup stall and beat Ma Songquan half to death. Ma Songquan, who possessed cultivation, couldn't swallow this insult and wanted to fight the people of Yao Family Stronghold to the death.

Seeing this situation, Song Demei quickly tried to smooth things over by saying a few words to appease the situation. Was this considered a favor?

How to interpret the score?

If Ma Songquan had just let it go in such a cowardly manner, the matter would have been forgotten, and Song Demei would not have remembered this kindness.

But after this incident, Ma Songquan didn't want to live a life of being bullied anymore. He started over, formed a gang, which is now the Soup Porridge Gang. Wherever he went, he always carried a towel with him, so he still looked like a porridge seller.

He had built up his gang and his own cultivation had also improved. When Ma Songquan arrived at Yao Family Stronghold, he pressed the former young chieftain to the ground, stomped on his face, and demanded that Yao Family Stronghold pay twenty silver dollars to ransom him, or else he would take his life.

Song Demei stepped in again, said some nice things to both sides, and got Yao Family Stronghold to pay 100,000 silver dollars to save the young chieftain. After this incident, Song Demei left another favor in Yao Family Stronghold.

The story spread throughout the martial arts world, and so did the stories of these two acts of kindness.

Upon seeing Ma Songquan, Song Demei was bound to recount what had happened back then. Ma Songquan, with tears in his eyes, said, "Sister, with your words today, our Soup Porridge Gang will never leave this place! Brothers, let's go back!"

The head of the household is a man of his word! Ma Songquan said he would never leave the village from the west entrance, and he meant what he said! He led his men out from the east entrance of the village.

As he walked along the road, Ma Songquan muttered to himself, "Old sister, I sincerely wish for you: if these old bones of mine are gone, next year I will bring you a bowl of porridge at your grave. You can see if the porridge is cooked to perfection."

With everyone from the village gone, Song Demei sat on the road at the village entrance, pondering a solution. She called her three sons over to help her come up with ideas.

The eldest son felt that the matter should be stopped. "Mother, let's not fight over the Local Earth God. You have your own territory outside, why do you have to keep thinking about Virtue Praise Cliff?"

Wang Zhengde's contract is buried somewhere, and many surrounding villages don't respect us. The Peddler doesn't like us either, and they sent a foreigner to cause us trouble. Now Li Qi has also interfered. If this continues, we won't get anything good, and our savings will soon be gone.

Song Demei remained silent. She had indeed asked her three sons to come and offer suggestions, but she didn't like the eldest son's idea. Seeing this, the second son didn't rush to speak, "Mother, let me think about this more carefully."

The third brother, young and hot-blooded, said, "Who does Li Qi think he is? Daring to cause trouble in front of our door?"

The eldest brother glared at the third brother. "If you don't know who Li Qi is, you should at least go out and ask around. This guy is not someone to mess with."

The third brother sneered, "Do you think I haven't heard of him? Isn't he just the new number one figure in Green Water City? We can't control what tricks he has up his sleeve in Green Water City, but he has no right to be arrogant in Virtue Praise Cliff!"

Those people in the world are scared out of their wits, so we won't beg them. I'll go and call the old people from the surrounding villages. We'll invite Li Qi to have a drink tonight. If he doesn't dare to come, he's just a useless person without eggs. If he dares to come, we'll take him away from the wine table. "

Song Demei didn't speak, but a smile appeared on her face. She clearly liked what the third brother said.

The second brother, having grasped Song Demei's thoughts, quickly followed up, saying, "We don't necessarily have to resort to violence. The disciples of Dexiu believe in winning people over with virtue. If Li Qi listens to our advice and understands the pros and cons of advancing and retreating, it wouldn't hurt to spare his life."

After hearing this, the old lady was even happier.

The eldest son is really getting old. As people get older, they inevitably become a bit stubborn. Even though he knows his mother doesn't want to hear it, he still insists on saying it.

"Third brother, you know that Li Qi killed Xiao Zhengong at the banquet hosted by Jiang Xiang Gang, right? Do you think you're so clever? Do you think Li Qi hasn't experienced this before?"

The third brother snorted and said, "Who is Xiao Zhengong? Can he compare to us?"

The old man said, "That was the leader of the Jiang Xiang Gang. The Jiang Xiang Gang was wiped out by Li Qi just like that!" Song Demei's face grew even more unpleasant.

The second brother quickly smoothed things over. "Big brother, Jiang Xiang Gang was caught off guard and Li Qi pulled a fast one, while we were fully prepared to capture Li Qi. How can that be the same? Besides, what is Xiao Zhengong's cultivation level, and what is Mother's? They shouldn't even be compared!"

The eldest brother was still worried. "But what if those foreigners come along too?"

The second brother was also a little worried about this. If Li Qi came with that foreigner, Song Demei might not be able to handle it.

The third brother had a plan. "If the foreigners come together, we'll act according to the situation. If we can take them both in, we'll try to do so. If we really can't, then we'll just not take any action."

"Let's treat them to a meal, have a peaceful meal, and the matter will be over, right? That's the perfect solution!" The eldest brother still felt uneasy. "But the key is..."

Snap!

Song Demei slapped the eldest son across the face. "The ancestors of the Song family are all watching from above. When you speak, think about your own Bloodline Seed." The eldest son lowered his head and looked at the memorial archway above him.

This memorial archway does indeed belong to the Song family patriarch, but the eldest son still wants to say something: his own Bloodline Seed has little to do with the Song family's ancestors; he doesn't even bear the surname Song. However, he certainly can't say this aloud, or it would be more than just a slap in the face.

Moreover, what the third brother said made some sense. If Cui Tike came along, they could invite them to a meal, leaving them room to maneuver and preventing any major incidents. Having decided on a plan, the third brother went to invite the village elders, the second brother arranged the banquet, and the eldest brother had the most arduous task: he had to go to Virtue Sincerity Mountain to deliver an invitation to Li Qi. The eldest brother didn't want to go, but Song Demei insisted that this was a good opportunity to test his courage.

The banquet was scheduled for the next day. The eldest brother delivered the invitations to the mountain at dusk, and Li Banfeng actually accepted them.

Seeing that the eldest brother had returned safely, the third brother laughed and said, "Big brother, I wasn't wrong, was I? This was the perfect plan. We either win or break even, but we definitely won't lose!"

Although the plan was well thought out, there could be no mistakes in the details. Song Demei was a meticulous person. She spent the whole night preparing with her three sons, thinking through everything she could think of.

What should I do if Li Qi changes his mind halfway through? What if he backs down? What if he remains ambiguous and doesn't give a clear answer?

When to speak, when to drink, when to use a knife, which words are key, what level of restraint to use, which words are coded, and who will make the first move—all these require careful planning.

The banquet was set up the following evening. Hearing that Li Banfeng planned to attend alone and that Cui Tike wouldn't be coming, Song Demei was overjoyed and prepared to eliminate Li Qi. The eldest brother was ready, the second brother was ready, but what about the third brother?

"Mother!" The second son rushed into the house in a panic. "Something's happened to the third son! He's on Paifang Road!" Song Demei hurried to Paifang Road and saw the third son hanging on Old Master Song's memorial archway. By the time they took him down, the third son was already dead.

Song Demei collapsed to the ground, speechless for a long time. The eldest brother didn't know what to say either, and just wiped away his tears.

The second brother recalled what the third brother had said earlier. The third brother repeatedly said that this was a foolproof plan.

The plan seemed foolproof, but who could have imagined that Li Qi wouldn't follow it at all? On Virtue Sincerity Mountain, Li Banfeng was eating Fried Sauce Noodles made by Cui Tike.

Looking down the mountain, Cui Tike asked Li Banfeng, "Is this appropriate?"

"There's nothing wrong with it," Li Banfeng served Lao Luo a bowl of noodles. "Lao Luo told me that there are a lot of people in Virtue Source Village waiting in line to have their memorial arches erected. I think their third son is pretty good, so I hung his name on the archway to help him cut in line."