The Overlord of Puluo

It’s not guaranteed to work at critical moments.

Well, that’s not ideal.

Li Banfeng recalled his fight with Huang Guangshi. He had pierced Huang Guangshi’s cheek with the iron ruler. Huang Guangshi then tried to flee, but he failed.

He had likely wanted to use Traceless Quick Steps, but facing his impending death had rattled him.

This ability truly tests one’s mental state!

I have to use my intent to guide my steps.Let me steal a step.

Li Banfeng took a step forward, but it did not work.

Let me steal another step.

It still did not work.

Watching Li Banfeng hop forward step by step, Ma Wu frowned and said, ”Brother Li, you’re too ambitious. You’ve only been cultivating for a few months, yet you’re trying to use a level-two ability?”

”I am making some preparations first. Otherwise, when I reach that level in the future, I might not know where to start. Brother Ma, do you know about the level-three abilities too?”

”I don’t. The abilities of Daoist paths are generally not recorded in books, especially abilities for level three and above. There aren’t many cultivators that are above level two, so they will not reveal their abilities easily. Very few know what those abilities are. If there really were books with details on these abilities, they would be priceless. I doubt even the Ma Family’s library would have any.”

After arriving at the marsh, it didn’t take long for Li Banfeng and Ma Wu to find the lump of gluey clay they were looking for.

To the normal person, gluey clay was truly hard to spot. It looked almost identical to the mud found everywhere in the marsh. Knowing the traits of gluey clay, Ma Wu lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, ”Gluey clay has a black flared edge. Wherever there is water, you can see the black flared edge moving.”

Li Banfeng examined it closely. Along the edge of the black gluey clay, something was indeed trembling. Taken as a whole, the gluey clay resembled a rotting jellyfish.

”Brother Li, you must move gently. This gluey clay is an aberrant creature and has spirit essence. If you make too much noise, it will run. You hold the jar first. I will pick up the gluey clay.”

Ma Wu put on his gloves and stepped into the marsh. After two steps, he accidentally stepped into a mud pit, sinking his foot into it. He hurried to pull his foot out, but his other foot sank into the sludge as well.

Something’s wrong. This marsh has changed!

It was not the same as when he came previously. Ma Wu did not dare struggle further. He turned back and looked at Li Banfeng awkwardly.

With the iron jar in hand, Li Banfeng stood silently on the bank, watching as Ma Wu sank deeper and deeper into the marsh.

***

After pulling Ma Wu out of the marsh, Li Banfeng put on his gloves and walked toward the lump of gluey clay.

As a Wanderlust Cultivator, he had a natural advantage in the marsh. With every step he took, Li Banfeng could sense whether the next one was associated with good or bad luck, which greatly reduced the risk of him sinking into the mud.

He was still about five steps from the gluey clay when he made a splash. That last step made too much noise.

The gluey clay sensed something. Its black flared edge began trembling rapidly.

Ma Wu frowned. The gluey clay was about to flee. He did not dare urge Li Banfeng to grab it quickly, afraid that he might end up panicking and stepping in the wrong spot.

Li Banfeng swiftly took a step forward.

The gluey clay rolled abruptly, preparing to sink beneath the mud.

Li Banfeng had underestimated its speed. He took another step.

Half the gluey clay had already slipped into the mud.

Li Banfeng bent down and dug into the muddy water with one hand, pulling the entire lump of gluey clay out and dropping it into the iron jar.

”That was almost a wasted trip,” Li Banfeng said with a smile.

Ma Wu stared in shock. ”Brother Li, you just stole a step.”

”What do you mean, stole a step?” Li Banfeng asked, puzzled.

Ma Wu did not know how to explain it. Before the gluey clay slipped into the mud, Li Banfeng had still been three steps away, a distance of over two meters. Unless Li Banfeng lay flat in the water, there was no way he could have reached the gluey clay.

At the moment he bent down, he had stolen a step, a big step. He covered the distance that should have needed three steps in just a step and a half, allowing him to reach the gluey clay just in time before it sank into the mud completely.

When Li Banfeng stepped out of the marsh, Ma Wu could not hold back his curiosity. ”Brother Li, what level is your cultivation?”

As Li Banfeng went over the movements he’d made while digging up the gluey clay, he also realized something was strange about the distance.

”That is why I said you have to prepare in advance,” Li Banfeng explained calmly. ”Guess I advanced at some point without realizing it.”

Ma Wu did not ask any further.

He had never asked much about matters relating to Li Banfeng... like why was he able to kill opponents at the first level or even the second? How was it that he could dispose of bodies without leaving behind a single trace? Why did he suddenly run to Greenwater City to buy a gramophone? And after buying the gramophones, why did he throw them away? How did he escape from Madam Bagworm Moth? After he ate noodles from that scam of a noodle shop, why did the shopkeeper not charge him for the noodles?

Ma Wu had never asked any of those questions. He knew those were questions he should not ask. However, he just couldn’t hold back from asking about Li Banfeng’s stolen step.

He and Li Banfeng had found the Peddler and begun their journey on a Daoist path on the same day. Yet, he had only just passed the threshold for the first level, while Li Banfeng had already reached the second?

That’s impossible. Even if he ate Speckled-Snake Pills every day, he could not achieve that. It’s impossible even if he took one Mystic Blazing Pill a day, let alone Speckled-Snake Pills!

So what’s the reason for it? Could it be because Heavenly Light shone on him? He survived after Heavenly Light shone on him... Could it be that he’s truly exceptionally gifted?

”Brother Li, what method did you use to cultivate? Could you give me some guidance?” Ma Wu asked sincerely.

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and replied, ”Cultivation mainly depends on your frame of mind. Once your mindset reaches the right place, your cultivation will follow.”

Mindset? Ma Wu was not familiar with the word. It should be similar to one’s mental state, right? Have I not been dedicated enough in my cultivation?

Maybe when he left Medicine King Gully for Greenwater Bay, he wasn’t just fleeing from the Lu Family. He was cultivating! Crossing the border must have exposed him to countless dangers. Wanderlust Cultivators accumulate more cultivation time in perilous environments, so he must have done all that for cultivation.

He is much more dedicated than me. It might seem like I’m obsessed with Hedonist Cultivation, but could I truly be as dedicated as he is with Wanderlust Cultivation? I can’t afford to slack off anymore.

***

Li Banfeng and Ma Wu walked back to Blue Poplar Village. Not long after they reached the village entrance, the Song Family’s chief steward Tang Tianjin approached them.

Three men followed behind him. Ma Wu recognized them; they were the Song family’s bruisers.

What are they trying to do? Are they here to cause trouble?

Tang Tianjin stroked his beard and smiled at Ma Wu. ”Young Master Wu, did you go hunting in the New Land again? What good things did you catch?”

Ma Wu pointed at the stinky fish slung over his shoulder. ”I went to lure out the peach tree. Bad luck today. The peach tree did not show up.”

Tang Tianjin laughed. ”You didn’t put out enough fish. Of course, the peach tree’s unwilling to come.”

Ma Wu wore a bitter smile. ”It’s just the two of us. Even if we wanted to bring more stinky fish, we could not carry them.”

Tang Tianjin nodded. ”Young Master Wu has had it hard. Seeing how much effort you put in, our master feels bad about it. How about this, we’ll send a few more men to help you tomorrow?”

”There’s no need for that. I do not have that kind of good fortune. I just want to pick a few peaches to earn a meal. I would not dare trouble Eldest Master Song.”

”How is that troubling him? It is business. Some things must be discussed. I must trouble the two of you to come with me. Our master is waiting at the main warehouse.”

Ma Wu sensed things had gone bad. He glanced at Li Banfeng first, signaling him to prepare to run, then turned to Tang Tianjin with a smile. ”Steward Tang, please tell Eldest Master Song that we brothers only want to earn enough to live. If we have offended him in any way, we will visit his residence another day to apologize.”

”You don’t want to see him?” Tang Tianjin’s expression darkened. ”Today, you will go see him whether you want to or not.”

As soon as he heard that, Ma Wu turned to leave. But although he had turned around, his legs refused to move.

A thought churned repeatedly in his mind: Go with him. Go with him!

That thought slowly took control of Ma Wu’s mind. Ma Wu stepped toward Tang Tianjin, taking one step at a time.

Damn it. He’s a Mentalism Cultivator. He’s controlling me with mental force.

Ma Wu was still resisting unconsciously, but it was useless. His dominant thought had been seized.

Everyone had countless thoughts in their mind, but there was always one dominant thought, and that thought determined one’s actions. A Mentalism Cultivator could control the dominant thought in a person’s mind and, through that, control the person’s actions.

Tang Tianjin smirked at Ma Wu, then he turned to look at Li Banfeng. He did not know who this person was. He knew Ma Wu had a helper, but because Li Banfeng was a Homebound Cultivator, he had always dismissed him.

Strange. Ma Wu has already walked over, so why is this guy still just standing there? Could his cultivation level be high enough to break free of my mental force? If his cultivation level is that high, why would he endure all that hardship alongside Ma Wu?

What is he doing over there? It seems like he’s talking?

Li Banfeng was indeed talking, but Tang Tianjin could not make out what he was saying.

Nevertheless, it did not matter because Li Banfeng was not speaking to him.

”He asked you to go over. Why are you not going?”

”Why would I go over there? I don’t even know him.”

”But I feel like we should go.”

”Then if you want to go, you go.”

”You’re standing still. How am I supposed to go?”

”How long are the two of you planning to argue? There is a fight about to break out, can you not see?”

Tang Tianjin was stunned. He could not understand what was happening with Li Banfeng.

Just like any ordinary person, Li Banfeng had many thoughts. But Tang Tianjin could not find the dominant one.

Tang Tianjin had never encountered such a situation, but he trusted his ability. He was a level-two Mentalism Cultivator. He refused to believe he could not handle a young man like this.

He applied his ability with greater force, only to feel a sudden splitting headache. Countless thoughts in Li Banfeng’s mind were all on full blast, fighting each other. The voices overpowered Tang Tian’s mental force and seeped into his mind.

This man truly is unusual. He has no dominant thought.

The thoughts in Li Banfeng’s mind had no hierarchy. They all stood on equal footing.

Tang Tianjin was just about to deactivate his ability when Li Banfeng suddenly appeared right in front of him.

A quick step? A level-two Wanderlust Cultivator...

Before Tang Tianjin could react, Li Banfeng slashed his neck with a sickle.

The three bruisers charged forward. The Tang Saber flashed out of its sheath, taking the men down one by one with one strike each. Two of them were cut down immediately.

The last one turned to flee, but Ma Wu suddenly lifted his head and shot him a glance. Having passed the threshold of the first level, Ma Wu had already learned the Confusion ability. The bruiser shuddered, lost his footing, and stumbled. Li Banfeng raised his hand, hooking his sickle straight into the man’s skull.

Li Banfeng said, ”Brother Ma, look around and see if there are any more people waiting in ambush.”

Ma Wu knew that Li Banfeng did not want anyone watching while he disposed of the bodies, so he quickly went off to scout the area.

Li Banfeng sent the four corpses into the Pocket Dwelling.

The Gramophone yawned and sang, ”My dear husband, you’ve worked so hard. I will prepare the ingredients right away. These ones must be handled quickly. I think they are almost at their limit.”

Li Banfeng said, ”Should I get them some herbs?”

”No need for such trouble. I will simply eat faster.”

Li Banfeng stepped out of the Pocket Dwelling, found Ma Wu, and prepared to head back to the wooden house.

Ma Wu said to him, ”Brother Li, we need to pack up as soon as we get back. We cannot stay in Blue Poplar Village anymore. The Song Family will not spare us. We need to go somewhere else.”

”Do we have anywhere else to go?”

”There are plenty of places. The Lu Family is in chaos now, and they are not paying attention to you. We can find a peaceful town near Greenwater City and stay there for a while. The only issue is that those places are far from the New Land, so our line of work will have to change.”

Li Banfeng thought for a moment, then he shook his head. ”This is great work. I really can’t bear to give it up. Why don’t we pick up one last job? That old man mentioned the Song Family’s main warehouse. What kind of place is that?”

Ma Wu’s eyes went wide. ”Brother Li, what are you planning?”

Li Banfeng looked perfectly calm. ”I am just asking whether his warehouse has anything good.”