Li Banfeng stomped Zhong Desong into the boiling water with one foot.
Steam billowed, scalding Li Banfeng, who quickly withdrew his foot.
Li Banfeng was a Second Layer Home Cultivation and a First Layer Traveling Cultivator. Even with his current cultivation level, a brief scald was unbearably painful for him. It was far worse for Zhong Desong, whose entire body was soaking in the hot water.
Zhong Desong struggled to raise his head, but Li Banfeng took out the Iron Ruler and stabbed it at the top of Zhong Desong’s head, pushing him back into the water.
The Iron Ruler was heated red-hot, so Li Banfeng hurriedly retracted it and then delivered another kick to Zhong Desong’s head.
Zhong Desong swam to another wall, trying to surface for air.
Li Banfeng leaped to the opposite wall and delivered another kick to his head.
Zhong Desong tried several times to escape the pool of hot tea, but Li Banfeng never gave him the chance.
He was soaked in the hot water for almost five minutes.
A Bitter Cultivator could withstand pain unimaginable to ordinary people.
But this level of pain was unbearable even for a Second Layer Bitter Cultivator.
Li Banfeng held the Teapot in his hand, unsure how to wield this Magical Treasure, so he could only wait.
Only when the spout stopped spraying water did the tea, hotter than molten iron, slowly recede.
Zhong Desong lay on the ground, his skin entirely sloughed off, his flesh cooked through, yet bizarrely, there was not a drop of blood to be seen.
Li Banfeng sighed lightly and said to Zhong Desong, "There’s a saying: ’One must endure the bitterest of the bitter, only then can one endure the bitterness within bitterness itself.’ This suffering isn’t for nothing. Clench your teeth, hold on a little longer, and you’ll soon meet Old Lady Han."
Li Banfeng picked up the Teapot and prepared to take Zhong Desong back to the Portable Residence to prepare a hotpot meal for his lady.
Before he could open the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng suddenly noticed sparks flickering in Zhong Desong’s embrace.
Startled, Li Banfeng immediately threw Zhong Desong far away.
There were no explosives on him, but there were two Signal Firecrackers. Wrapped in an oily film, they hadn’t gotten wet. With the last of his strength, Zhong Desong managed to ignite the Signal Firecrackers.
In Puluo State, explosives sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t.
This time, Zhong Desong was lucky; one of the two Signal Firecrackers actually went off.
BANG! WHOOSH!
The Signal Firecracker shot into the air and exploded into a burst of golden sparks.
Li Banfeng rushed forward and dragged Zhong Desong into the Portable Residence.
Zhong Desong’s eyes had been seared shut; he couldn’t see anything. Nor did he know where he was or what Li Banfeng planned to do to him.
Using his nearly broken body, he desperately clung to Li Banfeng and cried out hoarsely, "Little thief, you can’t escape! You can’t go anywhere! Do you think the incident at Xianle Dance Hall is over? Do you think Du Hongxi and Zhou Yujuan’s matter has passed? Little thief, I’ve sent word to the Helm Master! The Helm Master will be here soon! By offending Jiang Xiang Gang, you’ve already stepped one foot into the underworld!"
Li Banfeng kicked Zhong Desong away and said to the Phonograph, "My dear, time to dine."
HISS. HISS.
The Phonograph sobbed twice. "My lord, after starving your little servant for so many days, you finally give me a bite to eat! Oh, bliss!"
Li Banfeng scolded, "In front of outsiders, don’t talk like that, as if I’ve starved you!"
A cloud of steam swept over, and Zhong Desong’s soul was torn apart bit by bit.
Li Banfeng sat on the edge of the bed, pondering Zhong Desong’s words.
Li Banfeng thought it was very likely to be true.
From the explosion at Xianle Dance Hall to Jiang Xiang Gang backing down and using Jia Quansheng as a scapegoat, it all happened within a single day.
Jiang Xiang Gang acted too quickly. Even in Yuezhou, handling similar matters wouldn’t be possible with such efficiency.
Li Banfeng touched the Phonograph’s ticklish spot. "My dear, do you think what your husband is pondering is correct?"
HISS. HISS. HISS.
The Phonograph laughed from being tickled. "What my lord says, is it ever wrong?"
"I’m thinking about matters outside."
"Your little servant never steps out the main gate, nor crosses the threshold of the second door; how would I know about matters outside?"
Li Banfeng sat silently on the bed, suddenly feeling a warmth in his arms.
He took out the Teapot, which was calling out, "Are you cold? Quickly, tell me if you’re cold."
The Teapot grew hotter, prompting Li Banfeng to toss it aside swiftly.
HISS. HISS.
The Phonograph wrapped the Teapot in steam, and the voice inside the Teapot grew fainter until it disappeared.
"Oh, my lord, where did this Teapot come from?"
Li Banfeng looked at Zhong Desong on the ground. "I took it from him."
"This Magical Treasure is no ordinary item. Its level is already high, and it has been spoiled by indulgence. If you use it once, my lord, it will make you suffer once. With even a slight mishap, I’m afraid you might lose your life."
Use it once, suffer once.
Then he thought about the capabilities of this Magical Treasure: it could create an extremely adverse combat environment, showing no partiality between its master and enemy.
Li Banfeng’s expectations for the Teapot dropped significantly, as the Phonograph sang slowly, "My lord, this Magical Treasure is a precious find for those in Bitter Cultivation, but it’s of little use to someone in Home Cultivation. In my humble opinion, we might as well destroy it."
Li Banfeng shook his head.
HISS. HISS.
"If my lord cannot bear to part with it, I still have two methods to deal with it. First, give it directly to Red Lotus and let her refine it anew. But that Red Lotus is a conniving one with an unpredictable temper. After she refines it, whether it remains a Magical Treasure is uncertain; it could just as well turn into two Elixirs. Second, just keep it aside for now, and perhaps you can control it, my lord, once your cultivation level increases."
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "Then let’s just put it aside for now."
"Your little servant will follow my lord’s wish."
Just as the Phonograph was about to seal the Teapot with steam, Li Banfeng shouted, "My dear, wait a moment. I still need to use this thing."
"When do you need to use it?"
"Right now."
"So soon?" HISS. HISS. The Phonograph said with some worry, "My lord, after using it, hurry home and hand it over to your little servant. You must absolutely not linger in battle."
Li Banfeng nodded his head. "How do I use this Teapot?"
"Rub it repeatedly until the water inside boils. Then pour out the tea water to use it.
"As long as you keep rubbing it, my lord, water will continuously flow from the spout, and the tea on the ground will keep gushing.
"You must remember, my lord, the water will rise higher and higher. Be very careful not to scald yourself.
"If you stop rubbing, my lord, wait about five or six minutes. The spout will stop pouring, and the tea water on the ground will disperse.
"After the tea water disappears, the Teapot will ask if you are cold. You must not say you are cold, my lord, nor should you delay. Come home immediately."
「 」
In the depths of the narrow alley, Second Helmsman Shi Boyu of the Medicine King Hall from Jiang Xiang Gang, along with Hong Gun Xiang Guicheng, rushed to the small alley.
They arrived promptly after seeing the Signal Firecracker, but the alley was empty, with only wet marks on the ground as if a heavy rain had just fallen.
Grinding his teeth, Xiang Guicheng said, "Old Zhong is in trouble! It must be that Tomboy and Fatty Qin’s gang again."
His confidant, Sun Xiao’an, carrying a Water Smoke Pot, said, "We can’t jump to conclusions just yet. We must speak carefully."
Xiang Guicheng retorted angrily, "Can’t jump to conclusions? Old Zhong went to Fu Wang Baozi Shop tonight to drink and celebrate Fatty Qin advancing to the next layer. Zhang Liuzi invited him. Now something’s happened before he even returned. How could Fatty Qin not be involved?"
Sun Xiao’an shook his head. "I’m not sure what Fatty Qin is thinking, but Zhang Liuzi has been in the Jianghu for decades. He definitely wouldn’t do something this stupid. He invited Old Zhong to the banquet; he would never harm Old Zhong. It would not only bring trouble upon himself but also disgrace the Three Heroes Gang."
Xiang Guicheng sneered. "Zhang Liuzi might not be as thorough as you think. He’s a simpleton too. Instead of wild guesses here, we might as well go ask him."
Shi Boyu nodded, ready to take his men to find Zhang Liuzi.
Sun Xiao’an stepped forward to stop the Helm Master and whispered, "We can’t go looking for Zhang Liuzi tonight."
Shi Boyu asked in surprise, "I’m just going to ask him some questions. Why can’t I go?"
"Asking questions is fine, but making accusations is not. And this is not the time for questions."
Shi Boyu kept silent. Sun Xiao’an continued, "Old Zhong is missing now, so we can’t definitively say something has happened to him. The priority is to find Old Zhong first. Helm Master, you should head back to the helm platform and wait for news. Brother Xiang, I’ll gather the brothers with you, and let’s start searching right away."
Xiang Guicheng was clearly dissatisfied, but before he could speak up, Shi Boyu preempted him, "Let’s do just that."
As Shi Boyu left, Xiang Guicheng could only reluctantly follow Sun Xiao’an to gather their forces.
"So fussy, not like a real man at all! What kind of Helm Master is he? We should never have spared those bastards in the first place!" Xiang Guicheng complained all the way.
Taking a puff from the Water Smoke Pot, Sun Xiao’an said, "Brother Xiang, our Helm Master never intended to spare them. It’s just that things need to be done with propriety and according to a plan."
From across the alley, Li Banfeng clearly heard everything with his Silk-pulling Earrings.
PS: Dear readers, have a pleasant weekend. Shala is writing happily on the weekend. Seeing your comments, Shala can’t stop even if she wants to.