Locals

Li Banfeng held the coins and practiced manipulating Copper Coin for more than three hours.

For more than three hours, Counting Family Treasures- skills, and Li Banfeng was completely exhausted, his face was pale, and he was sweating profusely.

The record player felt sorry for Li Banfeng, but didn't stop him. Li Banfeng rarely honed his skills. Counting Family Treasures was considered the Pillar Skill the House Cultivator and was also Li Banfeng's best skill. Even so, the record player still felt that the skill was lacking.

After three hours, it's hard to say that Li Banfeng has reached the pinnacle of his skills, but at least in the eyes of the record player, his skills are worthy of a cultivation level of the Third Layer Above the Clouds.

Money has completely yielded. Li Banfeng doesn't need to use any tricks; he can understand it simply by speaking to it.

"Stand up!"

Jinqian'er stood in Li Banfeng's palm.

"Let's dance!"

The money spun around in Li Banfeng's palm several times.

"Smile!"

Money pulled the Copper Coin over, and the two coins were stacked together. Money was the upper lip, and the Copper Coin was the lower lip. The two coins laughed for a long time.

Li Banfeng patted Jinqian'er on the shoulder. "So sensible!"

The money rubbed against Li Banfeng 'Li Banfeng fingertips and then slipped into his pocket.

There was one Copper Coin left, which Li Banfeng gave to his Wife.

The Wife sealed the coins with steam and said to Li Banfeng, "Husband, these Copper Coin are valuable. If you find any, please don't throw them away. Give them to Little Slave for safekeeping."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "This is considered a good thing?"

"As many genuine and good things as you can find, Little Slave will help you collect them."

"Okay, I'll go out and search around." Li Banfeng got up to leave.

The record player stopped Li Banfeng with a tender expression. "My dear husband, you should take this person away first. We're not hungry at home."

I almost forgot one thing: Zhu YuGui is still alive.

The glove just pulled two coins from his body. Zhu YuGui was slightly injured and fainted from the pain.

Li Banfeng glanced at Zhu YuGui: "Wife, this guest has already entered the house, there's no reason to let him leave. Why don't Wife eat his soul and I'll take the corpse out?"

The Wife gave a bitter smile, "If I suffer the pain of eating him, will they not have to touch their chopsticks? My husband, that doesn't make sense!"

"What does my Wife think we should do?"

After thinking for a moment, the phonograph said to Li Banfeng, "Husband, leave the blood behind, and leave the rest to Little Slave."

Li Banfeng left, handing the Blood-Containing Pendulum to the record player.

The pendulum trembled with fear, and the record player poked its cheek with the stylus. "Hey girl, wanna eat my soul?"

The pendulum shrank to the corner of the main room. "How dare I compete with the lady for food?"

"You don't dare? Then I'll lend you the courage! Eat with confidence!"

Zhu YuGui still reeked of a pungent odor, and Zhong Pen was covered in dew. He said in a trembling voice, "Madam, I cannot eat the soul."

Tsk~

A cloud of steam rushed in, and the pendulum let out a scream as its entire body was scalded red.

The record player chuckled and said, "Back in that old house in the desolate mountains, you controlled dozens, even hundreds, of souls. Now you're telling me you don't eat souls? Do you even believe that yourself?"

Zhong Bai glanced at Zhu YuGui again. "Madam, I really can't eat this."

The record player softened its tone. "Girl, you're almost pregnant, how can you gain weight if you keep picking and choosing your food like this?"

Upon realizing that his scheme had been exposed, the pendulum quickly begged for forgiveness, "Madam, I know I was wrong, please forgive me this time, Madam..."

The record player gently stroked the pendulum's cheek and said softly, "Silly girl, if you want my body, why don't you just tell me? Do you think I can stop you? Do you think you can keep it from me?"

"I'm making you eat this soul for your own good. Your soul is incomplete now, and even with a body, you can't control it. Hurry up and eat this soul!" Another cloud of steam rushed in, almost melting the pendulum.

Having said all that, the pendulum, feeling ashamed, dared not utter another word in argument. Sobbing, it swallowed the soul.

The record player was quite satisfied. "Good girl, chew carefully, eat slowly, and savor the taste. After you finish, Red Lotus can eat."

Swish!

Red Lotus closed the flowers and leaves in the second room, looking like a decoration, sitting on the ground without moving.

Seeing that the pendulum had finished devouring the souls, the record player sneered, "If Red Lotus isn't going to eat, then you can share it. Choose for yourselves!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Ying glanced at Ninth Girl.

Ninth Girl stepped forward and pressed down on Red Lotus, while Hong Ying pried open the petals of Red Lotus.

After leaving Portable Abode, Li Banfeng found Tan Jinxiao: "Old Tan, I know you never back down from a task. Today I'm going to help you retrieve the mark. Do you dare?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Tan Jinxiao said without hesitation. "Seventh Master, if I can get this thing out, even if I die here, I'll die cleanly. I can walk straight on the Road to the Underworld to the underworld!"

This man is a true hero. Li Banfeng took out Music Box and played a piece of music for Tan Jinxiao.

With Tan Jinxiao's cultivation level, the Music Box couldn't knock him down, but Li Banfeng told Tan Jinxiao, "Old Tan, you have to sleep. If you don't sleep, I can't get this mark out."

Following Li Banfeng's advice, Tan Jinxiao lay on the bed, listened to the tunes from the Music Box, and fell asleep.

Li Banfeng used the beggar's bowl to reach the Dark Dimension Space, and the glove pulled out the Copper Coin.

Out of curiosity, Li Banfeng used the bowl to probe for a while, only to find that the Dark Dimension Space in Tan Jinxiao's body had disappeared.

The Dark Dimension Space doesn't disappear into thin air, so why can't we sense it after the Copper Coin is taken away?

After thinking for a long time, Li Banfeng made a reasonably reasonable guess.

This Dark Dimension Space wasn't originally on Old Tan. After Old Tan was marked, the Dark Dimension Space itself came to Old Tan and took the Copper Coin inside.

This process is not easy to understand. Is it Work Method or some other technique?

Li Banfeng twirled the Copper Coin between his fingers, thinking that this was something his Wife really needed to study carefully.

Buildings, Copper Coin, Dark Dimension Space... Master Kong Fang is not only good at fighting, but also uses extraordinary magic.

When Tan Jinxiao woke up, he looked at the Copper Coin in Li Banfeng's hand and asked in astonishment, "This is the mark?"

Li Banfeng nodded slightly.

Tan Jinxiao looked at the Copper Coin, his hand trembling slightly.

He thought he would never be able to get rid of this mark in his life, but he never expected that one day someone would actually be able to take this thing out.

"Seventh Master, can we throw this away...?" Tan Jinxiao didn't dare hold it for too long. He was afraid that the Copper Coin would crawl into his body again. He was really scared.

"Don't throw it away, I still need it." Li Banfeng put the Copper Coin away.

"Seventh Master, quite a few of my brothers also have marks on their bodies, could you..." Tan Jinxiao knew this matter would definitely not be easy, and he was hesitant to speak. He started to say something, but then wanted to swallow it back.

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "I can help them get the mark out, but we have to find a suitable time. We can't let them know about this, otherwise the news will definitely reach the boss's ears."

Tan Jinxiao nodded repeatedly. He trusted his brother, but such a big matter could easily be leaked if he wasn't careful.

He felt uneasy sitting in front of Li Banfeng, unsure how to express his gratitude.

Want to kowtow?

Seventh Master forbade kneeling or kowtowing.

Invite Seventh Master for a drink?

This is something that can't be repaid with just a drink.

Or maybe I should just...

Before Tan Jinxiao could come up with a plan, he saw Li Banfeng leave with the Copper Coin: "Find out the master's whereabouts carefully, and tell me as soon as you have any news."

After waiting for three whole days, there was still no word from the employer; he didn't Human Market.

Tan Jinxiao also felt that this was abnormal. "It's strange. The boss has changed his temper. He has lost all his reputation in the Human Market, but he still doesn't show his face."

However, I estimate he won't be able to wait much longer. The Human Market is the most profitable place, and he definitely can't let go of this business. Let's wait a couple more days."

Li Banfeng glanced at the railway tracks on the road. "Let's not wait any longer, let's go straight to Earth Market."

The tracks were empty all day; no Small Train came to collect goods today.

This means that the owner has taken action and has cut off the economic lifeline of the Human Market.

If the factory can't ship goods, it has no source of income; if the factory closes down, the workers will have no means of livelihood.

As for Zhu YuGui's treasury, it does contain a considerable amount of money, enough to sustain him for a while simply by distributing cash.

Should we wait a little longer?

This really can't wait.

A treasury can support wealth, but it cannot support people's hearts. Many bosses are already standing at the factory gate with their workers, craning their necks to wait for the Small Train to appear.

Tan Jinxiao hesitated, "Seventh Master, I'm not being cowardly, I just wanted to suggest that we skip Earth Market and go to Sea Market first?"

Why not go to Earth Market?

"Bai Miaosheng, the leader of the Earth Market herdsmen, is a tough nut to crack. You've probably heard of him. When the Daoist sect of Farming Cultivator reaches the clouds, they're practically demons; they can grow anything."

Moreover, the people living in Earth Market didn't dare to challenge the landlord; their livelihoods were entirely in the landlord's hands. They had to take over Sea Market first to secure a way out for Earth Market.

Li Banfeng didn't understand Tan Jinxiao's meaning, and Tan Jinxiao couldn't explain it clearly either, "Seventh Master, let's go to Sea Market together and you'll understand."

The Sea Market is not close to the Human Market. There is a road in between, separated by the Earth Market. The road is full of oxcarts and horse-drawn carts hauling soil, making it difficult to move.

If it were anywhere else, Li Banfeng would have already taken a detour, but the Underground City is special. The roads from Earth Market to Sea Market are mostly narrow tunnels, with no way to detour.

Li Banfeng looked at the drivers and, judging from their clothing, they were all farmers.

This was within Li Banfeng's expectations. The Human Market rely on manpower for a living, and most of the Human Market are workers. The people in the Earth Market on land for a living, and the residents should be farmers.

But what are these farmers doing hauling so much soil to the Sea Market?

"They went to change the soil," Tan Jinxiao explained. "The soil in the Earth Market is dug out from between the rocks. It's okay for planting in areas with sunlight, but it's not fertile enough for planting in areas without sunlight."

Seeds with light refer to normal crops, or, in Outer State terms, plants that grow using photosynthesis.

Seeds without light, some do not perform photosynthesis, while others perform photosynthesis in a special way, and are not the same as plants in the traditional sense.

The plants that grow in the new land are lightless species. The growth of these plants depends on the fertility of the soil. The definition of fertility is not quite the same as that in Outer State, and few people can explain the specific differences.

Tan Jinxiao pointed to the carriageway used for transporting soil. "This soil has been used for planting for a year and has been completely depleted. Isn't it already spring? Farmers need to hurry up and replace the soil, otherwise nothing will grow in the fields next year."

Where can we get this soil replaced?

Just as Li Banfeng was about to ask for clarification, he suddenly heard Xiao Yeci say, "My Benefactor, that donkey eats coal!"

The donkey Xiao Yeci mentioned was not far from Li Banfeng. It had gray fur, long ears, and a big face, and from its appearance, it was indeed a donkey.

The old man driving the donkey shoveled a shovelful of coal from a sack on the cart and put it to the donkey's mouth.

The donkey chewed on the food and then brayed several times.

It was chilly outside, but the cave was crowded and stuffy.

Every time the donkey brayed, it exhaled a thick mist.

Not only this donkey, but all the other animals pulling the cart had a common characteristic: they would exhale large amounts of white mist with each breath.

This is clearly not livestock breathing; it's a steam engine spewing steam.

"These are livestock from Inner State, aren't they? They look like livestock, but they're actually machines."

Tan Jinxiao shook his head and said, "They can't really be considered from Inner State. Like Old Chen's wife, it's unclear where they're from."

Some say they grew in the ground, some say they were born in the water, some say they transformed from insects, and some say they've existed since the day people first appeared in Three Heads Junction.

When the Inner State attacked, they didn't interact with the Inner State; when people from Pro State came, they didn't get close to the Pro State people.

People from Outer State wanted to take them out for research, but once they left Three Heads Junction, they wouldn't go far before their bodies were shattered and their souls were lost.

Li Banfeng patted the cow beside him.

The cow glanced at Li Banfeng, looking somewhat angry, wary, and fearful. It bellowed and hid beside its master.

Seeing the cow's disgusted look, Li Banfeng chuckled dryly, "They have quite a peculiar temperament."

Tan Jinxiao nodded and said, "It is indeed different. They only get close to the people of Three Heads Junction. People who have families in Three Heads Junction are willing to live with them as long as they take a liking to them."

Li Banfeng asked, "Has anyone caught your eye?"

Tan Jinxiao lowered his head and said softly, "If there really were such a person, my child would be old enough to run errands by now."

Li Banfeng lifted the brim of his hat, his eyes wide with astonishment. "What did you just say? They can have children?"

Tan Jinxiao nodded and said, "Sure! Some are born human, some are born looking similar to them, and some are born with their own distinct lineage, unlike either side!"

Li Banfeng was speechless.

He looked at the cow again, unsure of what to call such a creature.

Calling them machines is definitely not appropriate.

Call them robots?

That doesn't seem appropriate either.

What do you usually call them?

Tan Jinxiao said, "We usually call them locals because they never leave Three Heads Junction."

Native?

Where do the locals come from?

This name gave Li Banfeng some ideas.

"Has no local ever left Three Heads Junction?"

Tan Jinxiao thought for a long time, "Yes, there are, but I can't remember things from too far back. Let's talk about what's right now."

A few years ago, there was a young man who went into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs. He saved up a lot of money and left Three Heads Junction. It is said that a local man who was as close as a brother to him also left with him.

As for what the local man looked like, there are many versions. Some say he was a cat, some say a bird, some say a horse, and others say it was his usual gun. That's what the rumors say, but whether it's true or not, I'm not sure.

The two chatted as they walked along with the flow of people.

After walking for a whole day, Li Banfeng smelled a damp, fishy odor.

This was the distinctive fishy smell of rivers and lakes. Li Banfeng walked a little further and heard the sound of waves crashing against the rocks!

The sound of the tide!

Li Banfeng followed the flow of people forward, walking faster and faster, while the flow of people grew even faster.

Before long, the narrow tunnel came to an end, and the crowd dispersed. The open space ahead gave the farmers, who had been traveling all the way, plenty of room to move around.

Li Banfeng stood on the beach, gazing into the distance.

He saw stone pillars extending from the ceiling to the water's surface, and stalagmites extending from underwater to the ceiling. He also saw ethereal mist swirling and entwining in the darkness.

The scenery was indeed spectacular, but that's not the point.

The key point is that Li Banfeng saw the sea.

In the extremely oppressive cave, he saw an endless sea.

This is inexplicable; the cave walls have disappeared here, or perhaps they've moved out of Li Banfeng's sight.

But Li Banfeng could still clearly see the mottled rock ceiling and the surging sea below it.

Call!

The waves surged ashore, and the deafening roar of the tide echoed repeatedly in the cave.

Li Banfeng scooped up some seawater and held it in his palm. The water was cool and clear, and importantly, it didn't have the salty taste of seawater from Outer State. He turned to Tan Jinxiao and asked, "Is it drinkable?"

"Yes!" Tan Jinxiao nodded. "This place is different from Outer State. The seawater here is fresh, and it's much cleaner than the water outside!"

Li Banfeng was about to take a sip to taste the flavor when he suddenly heard people fighting next to him.

"You didn't give me enough soil. I just unloaded the truck, and the mounds of soil are still there. How much did you give me? Let's compare them and see which mound is taller."

"What you're saying is useless. We'll look at the scale, not the pile. We'll exchange one pound for one pound. If you don't want it, you can take it away."

"Your scale is definitely wrong. The price of soil has gone up this year, and you're not even giving me enough weight! You're ripping me off!"

A farmer and a boat owner got into a fight.

Tan Jinxiao lowered his voice and said, "Seventh Master, this is called soil replacement, exchanging Old Land for new soil, and it costs extra."

It's not easy for farmers to earn money. Sixty percent of their grain goes to rent, and of the remaining forty percent, two-tenths is kept for their own consumption, one-tenth is sold at the market, and the remaining tenth is used to buy new soil.

Li Banfeng asked, "Where did this fresh soil come from?"

Tan Jinxiao looked into the distance and said, "They came from Soil-Nourishing Island. That island is quite far. It takes three to five days to go there and back by boat. The farmers from Earth Market bring their Old Land to Sea Market, pay for it, and then take the new soil back."

Ships from the Sea Market haul away Old Land to Soil-Nourishing Island, unload it, reload it with new soil, and return. This is the annual soil replacement, a major undertaking for both the Earth Market and the Sea Market.

It is indeed a big job, especially for farmers in Earth Market.

An old farmer had just loaded a cart with soil. Li Banfeng looked at the quantity and asked, "How much land can this cover? Is it even half an acre?"

"Half an acre?" Tan Jinxiao shook his head and said, "Seventh Master, you're joking. Ten cartloads of soil wouldn't even cover one acre of land!"

Replacing the soil isn't something that can be done overnight. It starts right after the autumn harvest. Except for a two-day break during the Lunar New Year, there's no time to travel back and forth all winter. Even with this strenuous work, by spring, the soil still isn't finished!

Li Banfeng watched as many people in the distance drove livestock and hauled soil towards the shore. The crowd flowed continuously through the narrow cave, like...

It's like a train traveling through a tunnel.

"Why not use a train to transport the soil?" Li Banfeng was pondering this. "Wouldn't it be much faster to bring the Old Land over by train than by oxcart or horse-drawn carriage?"

And we don't need so many farmers to come here; we can just hire a group of loader workers!

Tan Jinxiao sighed, "That makes sense, but the boss said we can't build so many railways."

"Why can't we build it? Doesn't the Human Market have plenty of railways?"

"Seventh Master, the railway in that Human Market is for transporting goods! Transporting goods is for the business of the Underground City, this is a very important matter!"

Li Qi felt there was something even more wrong with that statement. "Changing the soil is for farming, farming is for eating, isn't eating important?"

Tan Jinxiao was speechless; it wasn't his decision to make this.

Li Banfeng, however, saw through the scheme. "Spring planting, autumn harvest, and then winter soil replacement—they keep everyone busy all year round, don't they?"

Tan Jinxiao nodded. "It's because we can't be idle. If we're idle, we're afraid we'll start thinking. Seventh Master, the reason we didn't let you go to the Earth Market before was for the same reason."

Soil is the lifeblood of farmers. If we go to the Earth Market to exchange soil, and the landlord blocks the road to the Sea Market, the soil cannot be exchanged, and there will be no harvest for a year. How can farmers make a living?

Therefore, to take over Earth Market, we must first take over Sea Market.

"You think the Sea Market is so easy to take?" A boatman next to them, dressed in black trousers, a blue jacket, and a straw hat, smiled at the two men.

Tan Jinxiao glanced at the boatman. "Guan Huodong, you've come at just the right time."

Guan Huodong shook his head and said, "This is hardly a coincidence. You guys were making too much noise, so I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now."

This is Guan Huodong, the leader of Sea Market. He is a spy in the Guan Huodong, and his hooks are everywhere, from the coast to the sea. Even if House Cultivator has the characteristic of not being easily noticed, it is still difficult to escape his ears.

Li Banfeng looked Guan Huodong up and down, then asked seriously, "Is there any story behind your name?"

Guan Huodong frowned and said, "What does this have to do with you?"

Tan Jinxiao, standing nearby, explained, "He chose the name himself; it means 'seeing through everything!'"

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "I hadn't thought of that!"

Tan Jinxiao exclaimed in admiration, "Most people wouldn't think that the name 'Guan Huodong' ) is so elegant; the person who wrote it must have been educated!"

The two chatted and laughed, as if nothing was a big deal.

Guan Huodong laughed, "Old Tan, you're about to die and you're still trying to fool me. Let me give you a heads-up: in your next life, when you come to Sea Market, don't make such a racket. It makes you look stupid, dumb, and like you've never learned your lesson!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Guan Huodong's eyes shifted, and he fixed his gaze on Li Qi, clenching his right hand into a fist.

The words were directed at Tan Jinxiao, but the methods were aimed at Li Qi. He used all his strength this time. Even if he couldn't kill Li Qi, he would make Li Qi a cripple.

Before Tan Jinxiao could react, Li Qi clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground as if suffering a heart attack.

What's going on...?

Tan Jinxiao was stunned. Li Qi was able to remove the mark for him, so why hadn't he removed the mark from his own body?

"Don't worry about him, now it's your turn." Guan Huodong smiled and looked at Tan Jinxiao. Just as he was about to clench his fist, he suddenly felt someone standing behind him.

Li Banfeng stood behind him and smiled slightly, "I think you're the one who's in a hurry. It's just your turn now, not his yet."

P. S.: Where is the end of the underground sea?