The Overlord of Puluo

Li Banfeng sat in Old Mister Yao’s courtyard, watching a group of stone men, each barely over a meter tall, carry bricks, mix sand and mortar, and build a wall.

A kiln had been set up outside the courtyard and several stone men were busy making bricks.

When Qiu Zhiheng came up the mountain, all he had brought was a sack of stones slung over his back. It looked like a perfectly ordinary sack, full of perfectly ordinary stones. But when two buckets of clean water were poured over it, the stones began to change. They shook, they stirred, and one by one, they turned into little craftsmen.

Some could lay bricks. Some could set tiles. Some could cut and shape wood. In fact, they looked as if they could build anything you asked of them.

”Big Bro Qiu, where did you buy this?”

Qiu Zhiheng said, ”I bought them from some high-level Artificer Cultivator. I have always liked the things Artificer Cultivators make. If I had not been forced onto the path of Hedonism Cultivation, I might really have become an Artificer Cultivator myself.”

Forced? Li Banfeng thought. Forced by Lu Dongliang?

Li Banfeng did not ask.

”Brother,” Qiu Zhiheng said, ”from now on, I will stay here and keep watch over Old Mister Yao. So long as nobody lets the secret slip, no outsider will know anything has happened to him. And if they do not know, they will not dare come poking their noses into Medicine King Gully.

”As for the medicinal trading house, you need not worry. It is a little far away, yes, but business is business. I can still manage it.”

Li Banfeng looked at him. ”What about Madam Qiu? Is she moving here with you?”

Qiu Zhiheng let out a small sigh. This was the troublesome part. He didn’t want his wife to follow him up the mountain and suffer, but as a Hedonism Cultivator, he would need his wife by his side.

”I will go back and talk it over with her,” Qiu Zhiheng said.

Li Banfeng nodded. ”Tell Madam Qiu not to rush. Wait a little while before moving here. When the time comes, the two of us can take turns guarding the mountain.”

”You? You want to stay here and keep watch?” Qiu Zhiheng said. ”That won’t do. You are a Wanderlust Cultivator. You are supposed to go here, there, and everywhere. How can a Wanderlust Cultivator sit in one place all day?”

”Anyway,” Li Banfeng said, ”I have a way.”

Over the past few days, Li Banfeng had been thinking about one thing. Who should look after Medicine King Gully? After thinking it over and over, he came to a conclusion. No land deity would be suitable.

Medicine King Gully did not have a particularly strong human presence. It certainly could not compare to Greenwater Bay. However, this was still a Proper Land in the Central Thirty Percent Region of Puluo Province.

To a land deity from the New Land, wouldn’t this be a juicy piece of meat? How could this not be a huge temptation? Even if Feng Daiku came by, who could say she wouldn’t start thinking little greedy thoughts of her own?

So there was only one thing to do. Li Banfeng decided that he would watch over Old Mister Yao until he woke up.

I will stay here for the first month, Li Banfeng thought. When there is nothing to do, I will wander around the nearby mountains, but I will not go too far. If I really cannot hold out, I will use pills to keep myself going. Qiu Zhiheng can take over next month.

A few days later, the house was finished, and Li Banfeng had learned the shape of the surrounding mountains. The mountains here were complicated. Paths crossed and twisted everywhere, and a person could get lost before he even realized he was lost.

Old Mister Yao’s courtyard stood in a very clever spot. The roads around it were convenient, yet the place itself was easy to defend and difficult to attack. A place like this was almost impossible to find by chance. It took the eye of a great commander to choose it.

More importantly, this courtyard was very much hidden. The more Li Banfeng looked around, the more he wondered how the Star of Misfortune had found his way here in the first place.

As long as word did not get out, Li Banfeng felt that no one should be able to find this place for years. But at noon that day, while he was strolling through the mountains, he saw an old man coming up the path.

The old man wore rough cloth clothes and had a towel wrapped around his head. A bamboo basket hung on his back, and he carried a sickle in one hand. By the look of him, he was here to gather herbs. But of all the mountains in the world, why did he have to come to this one?

He followed the little path upward, step by step. At the rate he was going, it would not be long before he stumbled straight upon Old Mister Yao’s courtyard.

Li Banfeng wanted to stop him. But if he did that, it would make the whole thing look suspicious.

I will just scare him off with a paper maiden, Li Banfeng thought. So back into the Pocket Dwelling he went, and out he came with the paper maiden. But when he looked again, the old man had already wandered onto another mountain path.

Li Banfeng let out a sigh of relief, turned around, and headed back to Old Mister Yao’s courtyard.

It was only one old man, after all. There was really no need to be so jumpy. Even if the fellow did see Old Mister Yao’s courtyard, so what? Puluo Province was full of wild mountains and lonely ridges. Finding a little household tucked away in the hills was not such a strange thing...

Wait a minute. Li Banfeng was almost at the courtyard when the Threaded Earring picked up a sound. It seemed like there was not just one old man. Another one had already entered Old Mister Yao’s house.

The moment Li Banfeng heard this old man’s voice, he recognized the voice and cold sweat broke out across his back.

”Old Yao, stop pretending,” the old man said. ”You think I don’t know what you are doing? You just don’t want to see me, do you?

”If you refuse to get up, then you cannot blame me for being rude. You have a house full of treasures here, and I am going to take them. This banner, this blade... where else would I find such fine things?”

Pan Dehai! It’s Pan Dehai’s voice! Why is he here? Li Banfeng muttered inwardly.

”Where did you hide your land contract?” Pan Dehai asked, grinning at Old Mister Yao. ”Not talking? Fine, then I will dig. I will dig through every inch of this house. I refuse to believe I cannot dig them out.”

Li Banfeng clenched his teeth. As a level-seven Wanderlust Cultivator and a level-six Homebound Cultivator, could he defeat Pan Dehai?

It would be impossible for him to fight Pan Dehai face to face. However, if he could drag him into the Pocket Dwelling, then things would be different.

Wifey alone had been able to deal with the Mountain-Uprooting Lord, Li Banfeng thought. If she joined forces with Hong Ying, the two of them should be able to handle Pan Dehai. I can help from the side. The enchanted artifacts can help too. The real problem is how to lure him into the Pocket Dwelling.

Li Banfeng was still trying to think of a way out when another voice suddenly sounded in the courtyard.

”Looks like we came too late.”

”Not at all,” another person replied. ”We came at just the right time.”

A sharp sense of danger swept over him, and Li Banfeng instinctively reached for his key.

No. Not yet. I can’t act rashly. If not, I might not even get the chance to hide my key, Li Banfeng thought.

I am a level-six Homebound Cultivator. With the ability of a Homebound Cultivator, I won’t be easily noticed. But what cultivation level are those two in the courtyard? They know that Pan Dehai is inside the house, yet they are still so calm. Did they notice me already?

Relying on his knowledge of the terrain, Li Banfeng found a hidden spot and crouched down. The view from there was not perfect, but it was good enough for him to make out what was happening in the courtyard.

And then, as if the old man had picked the worst possible moment on purpose, the herb gatherer started walking toward the courtyard.

Why now? Of all the paths in all the mountains, why does he have to choose this one? Li Banfeng muttered inwardly.

”Is anyone there?” the old man called from the gate, peering into the courtyard. ”I am just passing through. Could I trouble you for a sip of water?”

Inside the courtyard stood a beggar and a finely dressed man. The finely dressed man looked to be in his fifties. He glanced at the old man by the gate, then said to the beggar, ”Another one has come to throw his life away.”

The beggar shook his head. ”Leave him for now. He cannot see us anyway.”

It was true that ordinary people would not be able to see them. Li Banfeng had only been able to see them because he had reached level seven in Wanderlust Cultivation, level six in Homebound Cultivation, and possessed the Keen-Eyed Perception ability.

The beggar called toward the house, ”Great Moral Paragon, come out. It has been a long time since we last met.”

Pan Dehai stepped out of the house and looked at the two men in the courtyard. ”Well, well. It has been a long time. What fine fragrant wind has blown the two of you here today?”

The middle-aged man said, ”You talk like we are at your house. I was just about to ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?”

”I came to visit an old friend,” Pan Dehai said.

”Friend?” the man said. ”You? Since when did Old Yao ever acknowledge you as a friend?”

Pan Dehai raised an eyebrow. ”We grew up together. Of course we are good friends. Old Yao has no kids. Naturally, everything he owns should be mine. As for you, Lin Dexing, you are no friend of his. You know what you did!”

Lin Dexing! Li Banfeng gnashed his teeth as he muttered inwardly. This bastard! He’s the bastard that ruined Old Mister Yao’s entire life! He’s actually alive! And he’s at the Cloudborne Layer! I must find a way to kill him!

Lin Dexing looked at Pan Dehai and said, ”Stop wasting my time with that useless crap. I can barely stand the sight of you. Now, while I am still in a good mood, get lost.”

Pan Dehai’s expression turned serious. ”That is not quite fair, is it? I was here first.”

”So what if you were here first?” Lin Dexing said. ”If you want to die, just say so.”

The beggar finally spoke. ”Come now, let us all talk nicely. There is no need to ruin the peace. Since Old Pan arrived first, let him catch up with his old friend.”

The beggar’s voice sounded very familiar and Li Banfeng was sure that he had heard it somewhere before. However, from his hiding place, the angle was all wrong, and he could not see the beggar clearly.

Pan Dehai glanced at the beggar, and his tone became much more polite. ”Little Bro Greenwater, you are a founding cultivator. You are different from this birdbrain Lin Dexing.”

Little Bro Greenwater? Greenwater Beggar? The moment Li Banfeng realized this, he felt his prickling sensation crawling all over his skin.

This is troublesome. How can I fight the Greenwater Beggar?

It really was the Greenwater Beggar. He looked at Pan Dehai with a grin. ”Tell me, then. How am I different from Brother Lin?”

Pan Dehai said, ”You have status. You have standing. Why lower yourself by being lumped together with stray cats and dogs like him?”

The Greenwater Beggar chuckled. ”I am a beggar, and yet you think so highly of me?”

Pan Dehai waved a hand. ”A hero is not judged by where he came from. You and I, Little Bro Greenwater, are heroes who recognize each other.”

The Greenwater Beggar laughed until the sores on his face crinkled. ”You even call me a hero?”

Pan Dehai nodded. ”I have always respected you as a hero. But since you are a hero, you should be reasonable. I am older than you, so by age, I am your older brother. In terms of cultivation, I am your senior. If we are speaking of principle, should we not respect our elders and honor the worthy? If we are speaking of order, should we not follow first come, first served? And if we are speaking of courtesy, if I show you respect, you should show me even more in return. Tell me, is there anything wrong with that?”

The Greenwater Beggar looked at Lin Dexing. ”You know, he does have a point.”

”This Pan Dehai is the most shameless bastard alive. Don’t waste your words with him!” Lin Dexing shouted and charged straight at Pan Dehai.

His body moved neatly. His feet landed cleanly. There was no flapping about, no wobbling, no wasted little twitch of the hand or foot. Every move was clean, sharp, and terribly precise. He was clearly a Martial Cultivator.

Pan Dehai frowned. ”Young Master Lin, now that is not very proper, is it? How can you gang up on me?”

Lin Dexing suddenly felt as if he had stepped onto a wad of cotton. His legs went soft. His steps went crooked. He staggered all the way up to Pan Dehai, only to realize that his martial arts would not come out properly. Without his advantage, there was no point forcing the attack. And so, he retreated.

It was a Moralism Cultivator ability, Seeing Virtue and Aligning With It.

Lin Dexing looked at the Greenwater Beggar, waiting for him to attack together.

The Greenwater Beggar looked at Pan Dehai. ”I did not even make a move just now. Does that still count as ganging up on you?”

Pan Dehai said, ”A gentleman does not bend to fix his shoe in a melon patch, nor straighten his hat beneath a plum tree. Since you are standing there watching, how can others not suspect you?”

The Greenwater Beggar’s vision blurred for a moment. Pan Dehai’s ability had affected him.

The Greenwater Beggar smiled and nodded in response. ”How’s this? What if I just don’t watch?”

With that, the Greenwater Beggar closed his eyes.

Lin Dexing was startled. Something about the Greenwater Beggar’s attitude felt wrong. It seemed the old beggar had no intention of putting in any real effort.

If the Greenwater Beggar would not act, then Lin Dexing would have to do it himself. Medicine King Gully was important to him. He wanted to use the human auras in this land to keep his cultivation up.

And so, he tried to attack Pan Dehai again.

Pan Dehai spoke slowly and calmly. ”Courtesy is the root of virtue. To attack without declaring battle is to act without courtesy. For such discourtesy, one virtue must be lost. And the weight of one virtue would be heavier than a mountain!”

Lin Dexing’s steps grew slower and slower, as if a mountain had been dropped onto his back.

This was the Moralism Cultivator ability, Carrying All Things with Great Virtue.

Lin Dexing lost his temper. ”You filthy dog! What virtue are you talking about? Do you even remember how many wicked things you have done over the years?”

”Rude words,” Pan Dehai said. ”You have lost another measure of virtue.”

Lin Dexing’s back bent sharply, and he nearly pitched face-first into the ground. He turned to the Greenwater Beggar for help, but the Greenwater Beggar closed his eyes and didn’t bother.

Pan Dehai said, ”You are too weak to fight me yourself, yet you still want help from others. Such behavior is shameful. Another virtue lost.”

Lin Dexing wanted to charge forward and stake everything on one desperate attack, but he then heard Pan Dehai say, ”Overestimating oneself is a loss of virtue.”

Lin Dexing could no longer hold himself up. As he tried to retreat, Pan Dehai said, ”Running away from battle is a loss of virtue.”

***

Each time Pan Dehai declared that Lin Dexing had lost a measure of virtue, Lin Dexing would feel another mountain of weight crashing down on his body. Before Lin Dexing could even find a chance to attack, he had already been crushed flat against the ground.

Pan Dehai looked down at him. ”I spent quite a bit of effort trying to gain this little advantage from Old Yao. Medicine King Gully is very close to the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. As the old saying goes, the pavilion nearest the water gets the moonlight first. This place should belong to me. I advise you not to fight me for it.”

From the side, the Greenwater Beggar said, ”If we are talking about distance, then Greenwater Bay is even closer to Medicine King Gully.”

”All the more reason you should keep your hands off it,” Pan Dehai said. ”As the old saying goes, a rabbit does not eat the grass beside its own burrow. Pick another place.”

As Pan Dehai spoke, he secretly fed more power into his ability. The pressure crushing Lin Dexing grew heavier and heavier until he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The Greenwater Beggar frowned. ”As the old saying goes, before you beat a dog, you should see who its master is.”

Pan Dehai smiled. ”The old sayings also say that killing the chicken is the best way to scare the monkey.”

As they spoke, Pan Dehai once again fed more power into his ability. He wanted to kill Lin Dexing first, then take his time dealing with the Greenwater Beggar.

The Greenwater Beggar sighed and said, ”Old Pan, do you really want to take the Medicine King Gully?”

”I am taking Medicine King Gully no matter what.”

”Even though I am right in front of you, you still dare act so tough. Who gave you the audacity to act this way!” the Greenwater Beggar said as he wiped the sweat from his brow and flicked it at Pan Dehai.

Pan Dehai dodged in a hurry, and his ability slipped out of control.

Freed from the crushing weight, Lin Dexing rushed straight toward Old Mister Yao’s house. His plan was simple. Let the Greenwater Beggar deal with Pan Dehai while he dug up Old Mister Yao’s contracts.

Li Banfeng was just about to make his move when Pan Dehai suddenly blocked the doorway and started fighting with Lin Dexing.

If the two of them were more than two seven meters apart, the Moralism Cultivator would have the advantage. But now, they were only about one and a half meters away from each other. At such close range, how could a Moralism Cultivator possibly beat a Martial Cultivator?

After three fierce exchanges, Pan Dehai’s face was covered in blood, and his round glasses had been smashed to pieces. Thankfully, he had a lot of enchanted artifacts. One of the enchanted artifacts, a long sword, managed to force Lin Dexing back.

”I am taking this place today!” Pan Dehai said. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spat on the ground. ”No one is taking it from me!”

Li Banfeng froze for a moment. He couldn’t understand why Pan Dehai was behaving with such guts today.

Why does he want the Medicine King Gully that badly? Li Banfeng thought. Did something happen to the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs?

The Greenwater Beggar opened his eyes and took two steps forward. ”You are taking this place no matter what? On what grounds? I will go in right now and dig up Old Yao’s contract myself! Let’s see if you dare lay a hand on me.”

Pan Dehai was afraid. He really didn’t dare to touch the Greenwater Beggar. One touch and it would all be over. However, Pan Dehai didn’t move. He still stood at the doorway.

Li Banfeng was ready. He was going to launch a sneak attack on the Greenwater Beggar.

In the blink of an eye, the Greenwater Beggar appeared right in front of Pan Dehai.

”Go on,” he said. ”Try touching me.”

”What makes you so arrogant? What, are you untouchable?”

A voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard. Everyone turned and saw that the old man who had come asking for water was still there.

That old man could actually see the three in the courtyard, but how could he see them?

As the old man walked into the courtyard, the Greenwater Beggar asked, ”Who are you?”

”Don’t bother with finding out who I am,” the old man said. With the wave of his hand, a young man suddenly appeared beside him.

Li Banfeng was shocked as he knew this young man.

The old man said to the young man that just appeared, ”Little Gen, give me the bucket.”

Hearing this, Little Gen handed the bucket over.

The old man took the bucket, looked at the Green Beggar, and said, ”I am going to lay my hand on you today.”

Author’s Note:

PS: What is the background of this old man?