Xiao Yeci had mentioned that there were checkpoints at the borders. After much consideration, Li Banfeng decided he could only try to slip through a checkpoint.
The map Shopkeeper Feng had sold him didn’t mark the location of any checkpoints.
The thought of entering the village always left Li Banfeng rather conflicted.
After weighing his options, Li Banfeng decided to take a trip into the village. The Lu Family hadn’t caught up with him here yet. Rather than continuing to waste time, it was better to figure things out sooner.
Upon reaching the village entrance, Li Banfeng didn’t see any road signs or stone tablets.
Upon entering the village, Li Banfeng had no intention of asking for directions directly, as that would be too suspicious. He planned to buy some food first.
The villagers clearly weren’t used to outsiders. As Li Banfeng entered, the farmers tilling the fields, women busy with housework, and children playing by the roadside all stopped what they were doing and stared at him intently.
Li Banfeng grew very nervous.
Li Banfeng didn’t dare venture deeper into the village. He thought he could find someone nearby, strike up a conversation, and ask about the checkpoint.
Seeing an old woman cooking, Li Banfeng approached and greeted her, "Granny, I’d like to buy some food."
The old woman was somewhat hard of hearing. She seemed a bit afraid when she saw Li Banfeng and, at first, didn’t understand what he was saying.
Li Banfeng pulled out a fifty-yuan banknote. This time, the old woman wasn’t as anxious.
She packed five bamboo tubes of rice for Li Banfeng, along with a jar of pickled fish and a jar of sweet potato liquor.
This granny seemed to be a very straightforward person. Li Banfeng felt she had given him too much and was about to offer more money when he saw the old woman’s expression turn to panic as she quickly ran back into her house.
She wasn’t frightened of Li Banfeng; she was frightened of the person behind him.
Standing behind Li Banfeng was a man in a Patrol Officer’s uniform.
The Patrol Officer sized Li Banfeng up and down, then asked, "Where are you from?"
Li Banfeng put down the food and liquor he was holding and replied naturally, "From Li Gou."
He put his things down to make it easier to grab his knife or draw his gun.
The Patrol Officer continued, "You’re from Li Gou? What are you doing here?"
"Here to visit relatives," Li Banfeng answered, still calm.
"Which relative?" the Patrol Officer pressed.
Li Banfeng’s brows furrowed slightly. "Do you have to ask that?"
"Can’t I ask?" The Patrol Officer snorted coldly. "I’ve been watching you since you came up the mountain. You’ve been wandering back and forth along the Border Line. Planning to sneak across, are you? If you tell me today which relative you’re here to see, I’ll personally take you there. There’s no one in this village I don’t know. If you can’t tell me, then come with me to the Patrol Arrest Office immediately."
Li Banfeng was naturally unwilling to go to the Patrol Arrest Office. He couldn’t clarify his identity, and even if he could, it would only lead to more trouble.
During the standoff, a woman’s voice suddenly cried out, "You heartless thing! You said you’d be here yesterday. Why have you only just arrived?"
Li Banfeng was taken aback. He turned his head to see a woman in a cheongsam approaching and clasping his arm.
"Officer Wu, this is my elder brother from Li Gou. He came to see me today."
"Elder brother?" This Officer Wu sized up the woman with a smirk. "A blood brother, or a sworn brother?"
The woman laughed. "Blood brother, sworn brother—aren’t they all brothers?"
The Patrol Officer snickered. "That’s not the same. A blood brother is born from the same womb; a sworn brother is one you share a bed with."
"Oh, the things you say!" The woman chuckled, playing along, and the Patrol Officer didn’t press further.
He looked at Li Banfeng. "Young man, you’re quite lucky. Just be a good ’sworn brother.’ Save your energy for the bedroom, and don’t go wandering around aimlessly when you have nothing to do."
After the Patrol Officer left, the woman quickly led Li Banfeng deeper into the village. When they reached the door of a bamboo building, she smiled. "Brother Bai Sha, what brings you here?"
Li Banfeng stared at the woman for a long moment. She looked familiar, yet he couldn’t recall where he had seen her.
The woman turned, her back to Li Banfeng, then glanced over her shoulder with a smile.
Li Banfeng scanned her from head to toe and exclaimed, "Peach!"
The mist on Kuwu Mountain had been thick, so his recollection of her face wasn’t clear, but he wouldn’t forget the shape of her ’Peach’.
The woman gave a bitter smile. "We’ve met before, and you only remember ’Peach.’ You could have at least remembered ’Oil Peach.’"
She had once received Li Banfeng’s kindness on Kuwu Mountain and had mentioned she lived in Hemp Bamboo Village. No wonder Li Banfeng found the place name familiar.
"Come, come sit in my house." You Xue Tao started to lead Li Banfeng into the bamboo building, but he hesitated, reluctant to enter.
You Xue Tao was a Lust Cultivator, and she had mentioned her partner was a Home Cultivator. Li Banfeng didn’t want to enter a Home Cultivator’s house.
You Xue Tao pulled Li Banfeng again. "Still don’t trust me? Hurry up. Wu Jinming is a suspicious man; he might come back."
Wu Jinming. That was the Patrol Officer from before.
You Xue Tao pulled Li Banfeng into the bamboo building. It had two stories. The First Layer was spacious, with a tea table and two chairs in the center, and bowl racks, clothes racks, and a standing cabinet against the wall.
The furnishings were simple, yet the house was very tidy—quite befitting the character of a Home Cultivator.
"Brother Bai Sha, what brings you to Hemp Bamboo Village?" You Xue Tao asked, pouring Li Banfeng a cup of tea.
"Just looking around, out for a stroll." Li Banfeng didn’t drink the tea. His shoes had picked up some mud on the way down the mountain, so he deliberately knocked them against the floor. The mud that fell to the ground vanished in an instant.
"Come to Hemp Bamboo Village for a stroll?" You Xue Tao was astonished. This wasn’t exactly a tourist destination. "Brother, tell your big sister the truth. Are you here to sneak across the border?"
Li Banfeng was pondering how to reply when he heard someone coughing continuously from upstairs.
COUGH, COUGH.
Judging by the sound, it was a woman.
You Xue Tao frowned and called towards the stairs, "Don’t worry, he’s a friend of mine!"
Li Banfeng understood. This Home Cultivator clearly didn’t welcome him.
That was understandable. Home Cultivators generally don’t like strangers entering their homes.
Li Banfeng got up. "Thank you for helping me out just now. It’s getting late, so I should be going."
You Xue Tao stood up and blocked Li Banfeng’s way. "Where are you going? I’m telling you, you can’t just barge across the Border Line. That’s a death sentence."
After thinking for a moment, Li Banfeng said to You Xue Tao, "I’m not trying to force my way through. I have a friend who needs to cross the border. Do you know where the checkpoint is?"
"The checkpoint?" You Xue Tao mused for a moment. "Are you talking about yesterday’s, or today’s?"