Lai Baifan

The young man lay in the snow, slowly opened his eyes, and whispered, "My hand hurts, it hurts."

Li Banfeng handed his hand back to the young man. "Here's your hand. Rub it if it hurts."

Below his left shoulder, there was nothing there. The young man cried out, "Who are you people?"

"Businessman, I've come to do business with you. Here's a silver dollar as a deposit, how about it?" Li Banfeng took out a silver dollar.

The young man shuddered when he saw the bloodstains on the silver dollar.

Li Banfeng wiped the blood away. "My sister was applying lipstick just now, and she accidentally got some on her face. Please take the money first, and let's talk about where to go next."

The young man cried, "Where are you taking me?"

The Light Bulb chuckled, "What are you talking about? Aren't we all following you? Where are you taking us?"

The young man sobbed for a long time before saying, "There's a quarry up ahead. If you work there with sincerity, you can become a proper body cultivator. The more sincere you are, the better you'll turn out."

Tangyuan asked, "What does it mean to grow up well?"

"If you have 100% sincerity, you can grow into a decent creature like a cow, horse, chicken, or duck. If you only have 60% sincerity, you will become a lowly creature like a spider or an ant."

The Light Bulb asked, "What if it turned into Three-Headed People?"

The young man shook his head and said, "This quarry was opened by the Grandmaster of Body Cultivation. As long as you work sincerely under the Grandmaster, you definitely won't turn into Three-Headed People. Those who turned into Three-Headed People were all insincere!"

The Light Bulb pointed at Li Qi and said, "Seventh Master, this is a sure-fire way to make money, that's what it means to be a savvy businessman."

Li Banfeng then asked the young man, "How much did the Grandmaster Body Cultivation pay you for sending someone to the quarry?"

"Eighty per person."

Tangyuan angrily retorted, "You sold him out for only eighty yuan?"

The Light Bulb said, "He didn't find this person; the old lady did. He doesn't need to do anything after that; the quarry can handle everything. He just needs to guide us for this part of the way. Eighty is a good amount."

He also charged us a silver dollar, which was a good deal for him to make money from both sides. However, he really lost money on this particular deal.

Li Banfeng left the young man in the snow and took the Tangyuan and Light Bulb to the quarry.

The quarry is very large, with more than 300 workers quarrying stones at the Radish Mountain.

These stones aren't for building houses. Although the sunlight on Radish Mountain isn't very dense, it's still a place with Three Heads Junction. The mountain is exposed to sunlight year after year. The stones that are collected are ground into powder, and drinking the powder with water can accumulate Dao Affinity.

The medicinal herbs used to accumulate Dao Affinity are not cheap. In Medicine King Gully, Li Banfeng had heard that some families had spent all their savings just to accumulate Dao Affinity in order to cultivate a cultivator.

Li Banfeng looked up at the quarry. What they were mining wasn't stones, but gold!

These workers are paid for their services, and this hillside was rented from someone—it's a very lucrative business.

That's strange, why are there Three-Headed People working here?

For body cultivators, having two extra heads means failing to enter the path. If you've already failed, why bother working for the Grandmaster?

A Three-Headed People was carrying a rock down the hillside. The rock had many sharp edges, and the Three-Headed People's shoulders were covered in bloodstains.

Tangyuan frowned as he watched the Three-Headed People stagger along with difficulty.

There's a mountain path on the hillside; if only we had a wheelbarrow, this job wouldn't be so grueling.

The Three-Headed People had just carried the stone down the hillside when a foreman, carrying a leather whip, went up and lashed it twice. "How long are you planning to dawdle? Haven't you eaten? Get running!"

The whip was as thick as two fingers. The Three-Headed People was dressed in thin clothes, and with one lash, his clothes were torn and his skin was broken.

Carrying stones, the Three-Headed People stumbled forward, the overseer whipping them from behind. "I told you to run! Didn't you understand? You're not happy about it? Let me tell you, if you don't want to work, get out! There are plenty of people waiting to take your place!"

The three people watched silently from a distance. Tangyuan gritted his teeth, Light Bulb was expressionless, and Li Banfeng's hat brim was pulled down so low that no one could see his face.

The foreman walked over, looked at the three men, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Li Banfeng chuckled sheepishly, "I've come to find the Grandmaster of body cultivation to ask for a dose of introductory medicinal powder."

The foreman was called Ge Yugen, but everyone else called him Ge Head. He was considered a person of some status in this quarry.

He thought Li Banfeng's hat was nice and reached out to take it off. Li Banfeng moved slightly, looking unhappy, but Ge Yugen couldn't reach it no matter what he did.

"Why are you hiding?" Ge Yugen said angrily. "Can't I even look at your hat?"

Li Banfeng reiterated his purpose. "I've come to find the Patriarch of Body Cultivation."

"With your attitude, what kind of patriarch do you think you can see? Those who sincerely come to find the patriarch are all risking their lives here. You're just trying to get a hat from me, and you're all dodging and weaving. With your limited vision, you think you can enter the Daoist path?"

As they were talking, Ge Yugen tried to take Li Banfeng's hat off again, but he couldn't reach it no matter how many times he tried.

Ge Yugen got anxious, pushed off the ground, and jumped up. Judging from his jumping posture, he must have been a grasshopper.

He jumped more than two meters high, Ge Yugen on top of Li Banfeng. He then bent down, trying to take off his hat.

He reached out several times in the air, but couldn't reach it. After landing, the Light Bulb spilled some oil on the ground, and Ge Yugen lost his balance and fell directly into the snowdrift.

"Oh dear!" Ge Yugen exclaimed anxiously, "Someone come here! This is causing trouble!"

There were over fifty foremen in the quarry, and more than thirty of them, carrying tools, walked over. "What's wrong, Ge Head?"

Ge Yugen pointed at the three men and shouted, "These three, under the guise of worshipping the patriarch, spoke filthy to me and even laid hands on me!"

The quarry workers were stunned. Who was so bold as to lay a hand on Ge Head?

Several workers, wanting to watch the spectacle, were whipped several times by the foreman beside them. "What are you looking at? Have you finished your work? Do you still want to see the patriarch? Do you still want to enter the Daoist path? Do you still want to eat tonight?"

Ge Yugen raised his whip and struck Li Banfeng, yelling, "Are you all blind? How dare you cause trouble? The Grandmaster isn't here today, so I'll teach you some manners on Grandmaster behalf!"

This man is incredibly confident. He knows Li Banfeng is a skilled fighter, yet he shows no fear whatsoever.

After several missed lashes, Ge Yugen shouted at the crowd, "Go! Beat them to death! I'll take responsibility if they die! If they leave the quarry looking good today, I, Ge Yugen, will crawl on my knees in front of you from now on!"

Everyone at the quarry admired him. Although Ge Head was usually ruthless and wicked, he was truly tough when it came to standing up for himself.

A group of people rushed up and attacked Li Banfeng, Li Banfeng was too lazy to fight back. Ge Yugen was only that strong, so how much better could the others be?

Tangyuan used the skill of Ink Counting and Line Following to summon a piece of text and knock down the group of overseers.

Once they fell to the ground, it was difficult for them to get up again. Oil from the Light Bulb spilled all over the ground, and dozens of people kicked and rolled around on the ground.

They couldn't stand up, but the Light Bulb stood firmly on the oil. He took the knife and bled them one by one, with Tangyuan helping out. The words hovered in mid-air, unaffected by the oil on the ground.

Look at these supervisors, they all have some cultivation, but most of them are only at the first level. They are powerless against the five-layered Tangyuan and the three-layered Light Bulb.

In less than two minutes, the group of people were completely subdued by the Light Bulb and the Tangyuan ball, and lay on the ground, too afraid to get up.

The Light Bulb walked up to Ge Yugen and asked, "Who just said they were going to crawl?"

Ge Yugen's face turned pale, but he didn't back down. "You lot, if you're so capable, don't leave! When our head manager arrives, we'll skin you all alive!"

Li Banfeng looked at Ge Yugen and asked, "Who is your head manager? Is he the Grandmaster?"

Ge Yugen shook his head. "Our Grandmaster is usually not around, so our head manager is in charge here. I'll go find him right now. If you want to back down, apologize to me now, and this matter will be over. If you don't back down, and our head manager really comes, you'll regret it!"

Li Banfeng and Ge Yugen discussed it for a moment and said, "How about this, you send someone to find the head manager, and you show us around here."

Ge Yugen pursed his lips. "Only I can invite the head manager over; no one else can!"

A group of foremen volunteered. "We can do it, we can all call the head manager over."

This group of people really didn't want to get beaten up again.

"Don't listen to them..." Before Ge Yugen could finish speaking, he was pressed to the ground by the Light Bulb, which wrapped around his neck, tied a rope, and held him by the rope.

Light Bulb kicked Ge Yugen to the ground. "Let's go, show us around first."

Ge Yugen lay on the ground, still arguing, "I'll advise you one more time, it's not too late to leave now."

The man with the Light Bulb brandished his whip and lashed it a few times at Ge Yugen: "Enough with the talk, hurry up!"

Ge Yugen gritted his teeth and walked forward. When he reached the hillside, he secretly glanced back at the Light Bulb.

Kid, you just wait.

When the head manager arrives, I'll cut out your tongue first, then chop off your hands.

It's fine if I don't chop him up; the kid's quite handsome. I'll give him to the head manager later...

Snap!

Two cracks of the whip shattered Ge Yugen's reverie.

The Light Bulb brandished its whip and shouted, "Haven't you eaten? Run!"

Ge Yugen led the three of them around the quarry, where Li Banfeng saw many Three-Headed People working.

He found one of them and asked, "What are you all still doing here? Waiting for the beginner's powder?"

The Three-Headed People nodded in unison, and the middle head said, "Our Grandmaster said that our opportunity has not yet been severed. As long as we are sincere, we still have the chance to enter the Daoist path."

Once you become Three-Headed People, you can no longer become a body cultivator; this is something that everyone in Pro State knows perfectly well.

But this Three-Headed People still held onto a last glimmer of hope, willing to suffer here, hoping that he could become a proper body cultivator.

Do the other Three-Headed People think the same way? Isn't one of them able to figure it out?

Many people can understand this. There are quite a few Three-Headed People who know that they can never enter the Daoist sect in this lifetime. But where else can they go? Unless they voluntarily go to the Sinner City and become prisoners for life, Three-Headed People are not welcome anywhere.

Light Bulb led Ge Yugen down the hillside, enduring whippings all the way. Ge Yugen gave in and answered Li Banfeng's questions.

He said their head manager was called Iron Baldy, and he was a big shot in Three Heads Junction.

Li Banfeng felt that Ge Yugen was telling the truth; Iron Baldy) was a name that sounded impressive.

What is the relationship between Iron Baldy and the Patriarch of Body Cultivation?

"Our First Boss is a disciple of the Grandmaster, and our boss takes care of the Grandmaster's business in Radish Mountain."

It seems that this Grandmaster's business wasn't limited to just one place.

The Light Bulb was about to go and see where the workers lived when it suddenly saw that all the workers on the mountain had picked up their tools and were working hard, and no one dared to watch anymore.

Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

The supervisors, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly became eager and energetic.

Looking into the distance, the Light Bulb saw that the head manager Iron Baldy, was leading about thirty men into the quarry.

Iron Baldy was indeed bald, his bald head standing out brightly in the snow. He looked at Ge Yugen, who was being led by the hand, and then at the Light Bulb: "Walking blindly without a lantern, not even looking where you've entered."

Light Bulb didn't know how to answer. Seeing that the person opposite him was a martial arts expert, Light Bulb clasped his hands in a salute to him.

Iron Baldy glared at him. "Who the hell are you cursing?"

The Light Bulb looked back at Li Banfeng, not understanding how clasping hands in a salute could be considered an insult.

Li Banfeng said, "This man must have been a bandit. In some places, bandits avoid clasping their hands in a fist salute because it looks like they're wearing handcuffs, which is considered unlucky in their line of work. This kind of old custom is rarely seen even in Pro State."

It's really rare to see this now. Li Banfeng learned this old custom when he was reading books at the Ink Fragrance Shop. The customs of Three Heads Junction are not only very different from those of Outer State, but also quite different from those of other places in Pro State.

Iron Baldy chuckled and said to Li Banfeng, "An expert? Those two smooth-talking brokers by the roadside, were they your doing?"

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "I made it. Can we please not speak in a foreign language?"

Iron Baldy's face darkened. "You report to the enemy first."

Li Banfeng laughed and said, "Is it alright if we don't report it?"

"You come here to cause trouble, and you're talking so arrogantly. You'd better release my men first."

Li Banfeng's smile remained unchanged, "Is it alright if we don't let you go?"

Iron Baldy said, "You can't understand human language. I'll give you two choices. One is to release me, kneel down and kowtow a hundred times, and you can take this young lady with you. I don't want her. But you can leave this pretty boy with me, and then this matter will be over."

The Light Bulb paused, looked at the Tangyuan, and asked, "Why do you insist on keeping me here?"

"Why are you looking at me? I don't know either!" Tangyuan didn't know why she was angry.

Iron Baldy continued, "The second option is for me to skin the three of you alive and hang your skins at the entrance of the quarry as a sign. You can choose."

Li Banfeng asked, "What about the third way?"

Iron Baldy pointed at Li Banfeng and said, "There is no third option."

Li Banfeng held Iron Baldy's index finger and asked, "Think about it again carefully."

When Iron Baldy saw that he was missing a finger, he shuddered in fright. "You, what happened to you...?"

"I'm asking you how to get to the third way?" Li Banfeng grabbed Iron Baldy's ear and casually tossed it into the snow.

Iron Baldy wiped his sideburns, and his ear was gone.

Just as he was about to call for his men to fight, he opened his mouth and spat out a large blood bubble.

The blood blisters didn't come out of the mouth, they came out of the nostrils.

Li Banfeng grabbed Iron Baldy's nose and casually threw it into the snow.

Iron Baldy let out a wail, terrified and wetting his pants.

Not only was he terrified, but all the more than one hundred supervisors lying on the ground were also terrified and urinated, as were the quarry workers.

This is Iron Baldy, a disciple of the Grandmaster of body cultivation.

In their eyes, this person's status was equivalent to Lu Dongliang's status in Green Water City back then.

Now, this guy in the black suit, I don't know what method he used, has cut off Iron Baldy's ears and nose.

Is this true?

This is clearly a dream!

Iron Baldy was still wailing when Li Banfeng walked up to him and patted his head. "I'll show you the third way. Go lie down to the side, put the rope around your neck yourself, and let my brother lead you."

Iron Baldy actually obeyed, took a rope, put it around his neck, and squatted down next to Ge Yugen.

Seeing Iron Baldy's appearance, Ge Yugen All Thoughts Reduced to Ashes and obediently squatted down next to the Light Bulb.

The other supervisors dared not speak, and the men that Iron Baldy had brought were also terrified.

Li Banfeng glanced at the people behind Iron Baldy and asked, "Does anyone know where the Grandmaster is? Could you please deliver an invitation to me?"

A group of people raised their hands, all saying they knew and would do anything to get out of this place.

Li Banfeng actually wrote an invitation and asked Iron Baldy, "Which of them is reliable?"

Iron Baldy remained silent.

Li Banfeng touched his bald head. "If I don't see your Grandmaster by tomorrow, you'll lose your head."

Iron Baldy chose a middle-aged man in his forties. "This man has been with me for over twenty years, we have a real bond."

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "Friendship alone isn't enough. Can we get them here in a day?"

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "Don't hurt our master. I'll risk my life to bring our Grandmaster here."

This is quite a deep bond; no wonder Iron Baldy has taken a liking to the Light Bulb.

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man stretched out his hands and kicked his feet, transforming them into four hooves, and lay down on the ground.

He swayed his neck, flicked his ears, and shouted, "Ugh~"

The middle-aged man turned and walked away.

It turned out to be a donkey.

Light Bulb, leading Iron Baldy and Ge Yugen, led Li Banfeng to the accountant, who brought out the roster and ledgers and paid the workers present.

The workers at the quarry had worked for anywhere from a few days to over a decade without ever receiving wages. This unexpected event had truly terrified them.

Li Banfeng had the Light Bulb tell everyone that he didn't care about the rules before, but from today onwards, they would work here for a day and receive a day's pay. As long as they collected enough stones, they would receive fifty Huan Country Notes every day.

The workers' eyes widened in disbelief. Fifty yuan a day?

The overseers were terrified. This was Three Heads Junction, and these overseers only earned two hundred Huan Country Notes a month.

Li Banfeng set the rules, and that's how the money was distributed.

Iron Baldy sneered but didn't say anything.

The accountant, wanting to curry favor, approached Li Banfeng and whispered, "Sir, if you do this, this business won't be able to continue."

Li Banfeng asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"There are about three hundred people here. You only pay them 15,000 yuan a day, which is 450,000 yuan a month, and about 5 million yuan a year. How much can this quarry earn in total?"

Li Banfeng picked up a stone and weighed it in his hand. "These are all medicinal herbs for beginners. The money I can earn from collecting stones here for a month is enough to pay the workers' wages."

The accountant shook his head and said, "That's the price outside. When doing business in Three Heads Junction, you have to follow the rules of Three Heads Junction."

There's a saying in the Outer State that no business is allowed in Santoucha. If Three Heads Junction wants to open, it has to give a sum of money to the Guanfang Envoy. If it's even a penny less, it will shut you down tomorrow!

These stones can only be shipped to designated buyers at very low prices. Moreover, this is a business under the Grandmaster's name, Big Head the lion's share must go to Grandmaster. If the remaining money is used to pay labor costs, you won't make any profit, and we'll lose our hope as well.

These people all came seeking the medicinal powder. They sincerely follow the Grandmaster and didn't ask for wages. It's not that we're heartless and won't pay them, it's just that this business..."

"This business is going to change," Li Banfeng said, checking the ledgers one by one. "This business will be mine from now on. I won't give it to the Guanfang Envoy or the Grandmaster anymore. I can choose who to ship the goods to. If anyone disagrees, they can come to me for judgment."

That night, both the Light Bulb and the Tangyuan got a wooden cabin and slept soundly.

Li Banfeng called the supervisors together and asked them some business-related questions.

Business at Three Heads Junction is not easy. The accountant was right. There are all sorts of rules, and they all require real money.

Li Banfeng has the legal right to operate in Three Heads Junction, which is unique in Pro State. He contacted Ma Wu using Simple Phone: "Lao Wu, how's business in Three Heads Junction?"

"Seventh Brother, we can't do business here. It's too complicated, there are too many local bullies, and too much trouble. We'll discuss it slowly after you come back."

No wonder the business at Three Heads Junction has been slow to open; even a shrewd businessman like Ma Wu is hesitant to get involved.

The next day at dawn, the workers got up early and went to work at the quarry.

More than 200 of the 300-plus workers ran away, leaving more than 100.

These runaway workers fall into two categories: those who are smart, who know they've been tricked, and who don't want to stay and risk their lives there.

Another type is the fools, the hopelessly foolish. They are still waiting for the Grandmaster to give them medicine. Now that the quarry has changed, they are afraid of being implicated, so they go out and hide for a while.

The remaining hundred-plus people were quite enthusiastic about their work, and even without a supervisor, they didn't slack off.

They carried the stones they had quarried down the mountain, piled them up, and planned to show them to their new employer in the evening to see if the work was worth the wages.

The Light Bulb came over and took a look. He roughly calculated the workload of everyone. There was a lot of stones in one pile. He wondered who was responsible for this task. But then he saw all the workers suddenly kneel on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the ground, their bodies motionless.

A man arrived at the quarry. He was an old man, about 1.6 meters tall, and weighed about 250 or 260 kilograms. He was round and his face was pockmarked.

Looking at his walking posture, he walks with a very pronounced pigeon-toed gait, kicking his legs hard with each step.

This is clearly a body cultivator who can transform into a toad. Whether he is Transformed Body Cultivator or Evolved Body Cultivator is hard to say. Judging from how respectful this group of people are, the Light Bulb can naturally deduce that this person must be the Grandmaster of body cultivators.

The old man was accompanied by twelve attendants of varying heights, builds, and physiques.

The Light Bulb looked at the old man, and the old man also noticed the Light Bulb. Among so many people on the hillside, only the Light Bulb did not kneel down.

The old man looked at the Light Bulb and smiled, "Please tell your master that Lai Baifan come to see him."

The Light Bulb hurried to find Li Banfeng, Li Banfeng was already standing outside the wooden house.

He told the Light Bulb and the Tangyuan to find a place to hide, "If things don't look good, you two should leave right away."

"Seventh Master, what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. Three Heads Junction is the territory of body cultivators. Even if the Grandmaster of body cultivation comes, I might not be able to gain an advantage. Besides, he has brought a lot of experts with him. When I get away, you two better not become a burden to me."

The Light Bulb and the Tangyuan quickly hid. Li Banfeng stood at the door for a while, and Lai Baifan came closer.

Looking at his name and appearance together, this guy is almost certainly a toad.

Li Banfeng greeted him first, "Boss Lai, is it appropriate for me to clasp my hands in greeting?"

Lai Baifan smiled, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "When in Rome, do as the host does. I am the guest, and you are the host. I will follow your lead in terms of etiquette."

Li Banfeng returned the greeting, invited Lai Baifan into the house, poured tea, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then the host and guest took their seats.

Lai Baifan, holding his teacup, looked at Li Banfeng for a moment, then lowered his voice and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, you are Li Qi, right?"

This Grandmaster is quite knowledgeable. Three Heads Junction so remote, yet he had never met Li Banfeng before, but he was able to recognize him by his appearance and clothing.

"It's me," Li Banfeng said without denying it.

Two groans came from outside the window. Iron Bald Head was still tied to the bottom of the window. He had finally seen his Grandmaster arrive and was waiting for his Grandmaster to save his life.

Lai Baifan cursed out the window, "Disgraceful thing, you still have the nerve to yell? Do you even know who you've offended? You should just stick your eyes out and stomp them to pieces."

Bald Iron didn't dare to utter a sound.

Lai Baifan laughed and said, "Brother Li Qi, what is the reason for your sudden arrival at this quarry and the ensuing fight? Is it because I have offended you in the past?"

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "We're complete strangers, there's no offense involved. I've taken a liking to the quarry business and wanted to discuss with Boss Lai whether he could give me the quarry."

Lai Baifan sighed, "This business isn't easy to do."

"Business is all about making a profit or loss. I really want this quarry. Name your price first."

Lai Baifan shook his head. "I'm an elder, after all. It would be a laughing stock for me to talk about money with a young man like you."

Li Banfeng said, "Business is business, you don't need to be polite about this."

"Our relationship goes beyond business; there's something more between us."

"Where does fate begin?"

Lai Baifan recalled carefully, "If you think about it, it's been almost three years. When you first came to Pro State, the Bitter Granny told me that if I encountered Li Qi, I should take good care of him. She said Li Qi had taken her things."

You came by train, but you didn't get off at Three Heads Junction. I wanted to help you, but I couldn't.

Does this Lai Baifan have any dealings with Bitter Granny?

But what he said sounded a bit strange...

Lai Baifan continued, "Later, the Peddler also came to me, saying that there was a brother named Li Qi who needed my help."

I'll definitely give the Peddler face, but if you don't come to Three Heads Junction, and I don't usually go out, we still won't run into each other.

Later I heard you went to Elbow Mountain, but the Peddler didn't tell me, so in the end we didn't meet.

Did the Peddler have a connection with him?

Lai Baifan then said, "There's another master who hasn't appeared in many years. He also sent word that he asked me to take care of you. Can you guess who this master is?"

Who could this be?

City Lord Sun?

Face Not Big?

A-Yi?

Li Banfeng listened attentively.

Lai Baifan lowered his voice and said, "This expert is...?"

He opened his mouth wide and swallowed Li Banfeng's head.

With a tight contraction of its belly, it sucked Li Banfeng into its mouth and swallowed him whole.

This is Food Cultivator art, Gluttonous Sea Stuffing.