Greenwater Bay, Lu Family Mansion.
Lu Xiaolan was released from the dungeon and returned to her own bedroom.
To be honest, Lu Xiaolan didn’t know whether to consider this a good omen.
That night, Lu Dongliang came to see Lu Xiaolan. It was the first time she had seen her father since she returned to the Lu Family Mansion.
She greeted her father respectfully, and Lu Dongliang offered a kind, fatherly smile. "Sit down. You’re home now, no need for such formality.
"Xiao Lan, you’ve suffered these past few days. I truly had no choice; some things had to be done for the He family to see. I’ve heard from your mother about the He Jiaqing matter. I believe you. But regarding this Li Banfeng, I still have a few questions for you.
"I had someone investigate. Li Banfeng did indeed come to Puluo State. He got off the train in Medicine King Valley, and then all trace of him vanished. You say he went to the He Family Old House; I believe that too.
"But I’ve received word from Outside Provinces that this Li Banfeng is just a White Lamb—he has no cultivation level whatsoever. Even if he encountered a Peddler after getting off the train, he was just an unranked novice. How did he escape from the He Family Old House?"
Lu Xiaolan shook her head. "I told Mom, and I told Second Uncle too. I really don’t know how he got out."
Lu Dongliang fell silent for a long moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "Xiao Lan, there’s a House Spirit in the He Family Old House. Qiu Zhiheng told me it’s no ordinary House Spirit.
"If even you couldn’t get out, how could Li Banfeng possibly have the means to escape? Even if I believe this story, do you think the He family will believe it?"
"Whether the He family believes it or not doesn’t matter! Dad, don’t you even believe me? Do you know how much I suffered to get the Mysterious Red Life Lotus? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through these days? How could I possibly lie to you?" Lu Xiaolan’s voice rose.
Lu Dongliang blinked, his frown deepening.
"Xiao Lan, I’ll ask you one more time: did Li Banfeng die at your hands in the He Family Old House?"
"He’s not dead! He ran away!"
"Is the Mysterious Red Life Lotus in your hands?" Lu Dongliang’s tone became increasingly grave.
"It’s not with me! I don’t even know what the Mysterious Red Life Lotus is for. What would I do with it?"
As Lu Xiaolan’s voice grew louder, Lu Dongliang stopped his questioning.
Silence fell upon the room again. Lu Xiaolan sobbed quietly, feeling truly wronged.
Lu Dongliang suddenly stood up and left Lu Xiaolan’s bedroom.
He didn’t believe Lu Xiaolan.
Not only did he not believe her, but the sight of Lu Xiaolan crying and shouting filled him with intense disgust.
Late at night, Li Banfeng arrived at Paifang Street and saw that Feng’s Grocery Store once again had the phonograph displayed out front.
He hurried into the grocery store. Shopkeeper Feng was still awake and led him directly to the back room.
"Boss Li, the Elixirs were sold, but there’s something strange about it."
"What do you mean?"
"A customer came and bought twenty Snake-Patterned Pills, paying cash on the spot. Then he asked for twenty Mysterious Flame Pills. One Mysterious Flame Pill was priced at two hundred and fifty thousand; twenty would be five million. To propose such a large transaction on his first visit to my shop... In all my years of business, I’ve never seen such a customer."
Li Banfeng contemplated for a moment, then asked, "Shopkeeper Feng, do you have any dry rations here?"
"Yes."
"How about canned meat?"
"That too. Ingrid’s canned beef. How much do you want?"
"Give me two cases of canned beef and thirty pounds of dry rations."
Shopkeeper Feng knew what Li Banfeng planned to do. "Boss Li, I also have compressed biscuits. Would you like some?"
"Give me two boxes. Do you have maps?"
"I have maps of Puluo State and Medicine King Valley, and also of Greenwater Bay, Pants Pocket Hollow, Hai Chi Ridge, and Three-Head Fork. However, Puluo State gains new territory every year, so some maps aren’t very accurate."
"A general idea of the location is fine. Give me one of each."
Shopkeeper Feng immediately instructed Chunsheng to gather the supplies. He also took down two top hats and two false mustaches from a shelf.
These two top hats had wide brims, perfect for concealing one’s face.
As for the false mustaches, their purpose was clear to both of them.
"Boss Li, take these. They’ll be useful on the road. And also, take the Elixirs you left here with you."
Li Banfeng accepted the top hats and mustaches and said to Shopkeeper Feng, "Keep the Elixirs here. Sell as many as you can. If I don’t make it back, consider them a gift."
Shopkeeper Feng’s eyes flickered. After so many years in business, he felt this man before him had shown true camaraderie.
Li Banfeng genuinely wanted to give the Elixirs to Shopkeeper Feng.
It wasn’t for any other reason. Da Boyins had paid so readily before. If Shopkeeper Feng had been so inclined, he could have betrayed Li Banfeng at any time.
But he hadn’t. That loyalty deserved Li Banfeng’s reciprocation.
Just as Chunsheng finished preparing the goods, they heard a noise from the front counter.
"Shopkeeper Feng, have the Elixirs I ordered arrived yet?"
Hearing that voice, Li Banfeng’s hair almost stood on end.
Shopkeeper Feng signaled Li Banfeng to stay in the back room and not come out. He put on a smile and went to the front of the shop to greet the customer.
"Esteemed customer, why have you come so late?"
Da Boyins smiled. "I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d ask about the Elixirs. Shall we go to the back room to discuss this in detail?"
Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "There’s no need to go to the back room. The items you ordered haven’t arrived yet. Please come back in a couple of days."
"No news yet?" Da Boyins sounded quite surprised. "But my friend is in urgent need of the medicine. Whatever stock you have, let’s go to the back room and discuss the price."
Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "You’ve come at an unfortunate time; I’m completely out of stock."
"Such bad luck? No Mysterious Flame Pills left? But surely you have some Snake-Patterned Pills, right? Why don’t we go to the back room and negotiate a deal for the Snake-Patterned Pills?"
Shopkeeper Feng looked at Chunsheng and asked, "Do we have any Snake-Patterned Pills left?"
Chunsheng scratched his scalp. "Shopkeeper, we ran out of Snake-Patterned Pills yesterday."
"Out of Snake-Patterned Pills too?" Da Boyins became even more surprised. "Then what Elixirs do you have? Let’s go to the back room and talk specifics."
Da Boyins kept insisting on the back room; he clearly knew Li Banfeng was there.
Given the situation, Shopkeeper Feng wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer.
Li Banfeng, in the back room, heard everything clearly through his Silk-pulling Earrings.
He stored the canned food, dry rations, and biscuits in his Portable Residence, then tossed the key out the window.
At the front counter, Shopkeeper Feng’s expression changed, his smile vanishing. "Sir, I’m out of Elixirs. Please come back another day."
"All Elixirs are out of stock? Shopkeeper Feng, did you give them all to someone else?"
Shopkeeper Feng chuckled. "That’s not something you should ask, as it doesn’t concern you."
Da Boyins shook his head. "I don’t think you’re being sincere. I’d like to go to the back room and see for myself if there are any Elixirs left."
As he spoke, Da Boyins moved around the counter, intending to head for the back room. Chunsheng stepped forward, blocking his path. "What do you think you’re doing? Were you invited in? And you just barge in?"
Da Boyins smiled. "Young man, are you trying to pick a fight with me?"
"A fight? You think I’m scared of a fake foreign devil like you?!" Chunsheng glared, grabbing a nearby feather duster.
Anyone else would have scoffed at Chunsheng for overestimating his abilities.
But Da Boyins didn’t laugh. Despite Chunsheng holding only a feather duster, his stance was different.
Da Boyins realized that Chunsheng was indeed a Martial Cultivator.
A Martial Cultivator can skillfully wield any weapon, even a common feather duster, maximizing its advantages.
The primary offensive capability of the feather duster lay in its wooden shaft, which could be used to jab, sweep, and strike. However, this didn’t mean the feathers were useless.
The colorful feathers could distract an enemy’s vision. Especially with a feather duster used for many years, the accumulated dust, if dislodged, could also be used to attack an opponent’s eyes.
Shopkeeper Feng interjected from the side, "As the saying goes, friendship remains even if business fails. I’ll continue to look out for those Elixirs for you. Let’s not allow a small matter to spoil the harmony between us."
His words were simple and unremarkable, yet Da Boyins found them profoundly reasonable.
"Shopkeeper, are you a Literature Cultivator?"
Shopkeeper Feng smiled. "You can consider me one, if you like."
Da Boyins, unable to determine Shopkeeper Feng’s Taoist Sect affiliation, nodded in admiration. "This grocery store is truly a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
Just as tensions reached a breaking point and both sides were about to clash, Da Boyins’s eyes twitched. He suddenly changed his mind. "I apologize for my presumptuousness. My friend is anxiously awaiting this medicine, so I was a bit impatient. Please don’t take offense. I’ll take my leave."
Da Boyins exited the grocery store. Shopkeeper Feng immediately told Chunsheng to close up shop and then went to the back room to find Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng had already vanished. The window in the back room was open, apparently the route of his escape. But the window was barred, leaving Shopkeeper Feng to wonder how Li Banfeng had managed to get out.
Li Banfeng had thrown the key out the window and escaped using his Portable Residence.
He sprinted down the dark alley, intent on leaving Ligou immediately.
As he rushed out of Paifang Street, he suddenly sensed something unusual behind him.
It was very faint, but Li Banfeng could feel it—like a single thread drifting behind him.
Li Banfeng was aghast. He whirled around and snapped the spider silk, but it was too late.
The sound of a harmonica reached his ears. Da Boyins had caught up.
He had deployed spider silk around Feng’s Grocery Store. It was precisely because he sensed a thread vibrate that he had left the shop; otherwise, he would have forced his way in. Shopkeeper Feng and Chunsheng together would likely have been no match for him.
"A mere grocery store possessing so many superior Elixirs—I found that peculiar. I heard that an out-of-province customer frequently visited this grocery store, and you were the first person who came to mind.
"I waited for you near the grocery store for two days, and you finally showed up. That’s the skill of a detective.
"Li Banfeng, my friend, I know your name. Although we’ve met, you probably don’t recognize me. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Da Boyins, private detective.
"I told you our paths were destined to cross again. We could have had a pleasant reunion at Jiangyue Mountain’s New Land, but I didn’t expect you to lead the Straw Moth Lady to me.
"I suffered greatly that day. You probably have no idea what I endured. But don’t worry. Everything I went through that night, I’ll make sure you experience firsthand."
"Tell me, what did you go through that night? I’m quite curious." Li Banfeng stalled for time, looking for an opportunity to escape, but suddenly sensed danger all around him.
Da Boyins chuckled. "A Traveling Cultivator, are you? Sensed the danger? This entire area is covered in my webs. If you want to run, go right ahead. If you stumble into my webs, it’ll save me some trouble."
As his words fell, Da Boyins waved his hand, and two streams of spider silk shot out from his sleeves.
Li Banfeng dodged frantically, evading one stream only for another to follow. In an instant, he was cornered.
The sheer difference in their strength was suffocating, leaving Li Banfeng struggling for breath.
Although cultivation levels weren’t visible, Da Boyins made no effort to conceal his malice, making Li Banfeng realize he didn’t stand a chance.
Da Boyins bared two sharp fangs and advanced on Li Banfeng. "Give up your futile struggle. There’s no escape for you."
Li Banfeng touched the Tang Sword at his belt, preparing to gamble on whether he could sever the spider silk.
Suddenly, a man’s voice came from nearby. "Sir, you told me to go to Andetang Pharmacy. I went, but their doctors are useless! They couldn’t cure my herpes at all."
Da Boyins froze, turning to see the Foreigner, the one covered in herpes.
Cui Tiq looked at Da Boyins and smiled. "You sent me on a fool’s errand, and I’ve suffered considerably for it. As compensation, you can hand this man over to me."
PS: To all the readers who have reached this point on Starting Point, thank you for your trust in Shala, your support for Shala, and for thinking highly of Shala. Shala is sincerely grateful to you all!
There’s another Chapter at five o’clock tonight!