Ma Wu stood before the Song Family’s Granary Gate, making a scene. "Boss Luo, you’re wealthy and influential; surely you don’t need to haggle with me over a few bucks."
The Granary Manager, Luo Sancai, chuckled. "Master Wu, listen to yourself. We buy peaches at a hundred bucks a pound. That’s a rule we can’t break."
"But you should at least consider the quality of these peaches! Are mine the same as theirs? Asking for an extra twenty isn’t too much, is it?"
Ma Wu wanted to sell his peaches for one hundred and twenty per pound.
However, the Head of the Song Family, Song Jiason, was sitting in the main courtyard and had given Luo Sancai a direct order: "One hundred bucks per pound, not a penny more!"
Luo Sancai tried to persuade him, "My Lord, it only amounts to a few thousand. Just give it to him."
Song Jiason’s face darkened. "I wondered what skills he possessed. Turns out he’s just using the Ma Family’s name to act like a scoundrel here! Damn it, who spoiled him into such a rotten brat!"
"My Lord, the critical thing is, he truly is a young master of the Ma Family."
Song Jiason scoffed, "So what? This is Blue Poplar Village. In this village, everyone follows my rules! Tell the weighman to be meticulous, account for every pound and tael. If he doesn’t want to sell, let him carry them back home himself and let them rot in his hands!"
Helpless, Luo Sancai could only calculate the payment according to the standard price.
"Just you wait! Wait until the day this young master makes a comeback! I’ll make you all understand what regret means!" Unable to get a better deal, Ma Wu took the money and left, cursing under his breath.
That very night, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu, carrying a bag of stinky fish, went to the New Land again. The butler had received word early on and promptly reported it to the Family Head, Song Jiason.
Hearing this, Song Jiason sneered, "So he knows it’s not profitable and is too cheap to hire help now. Let him go. If he manages to fish up any peaches, we’ll still buy them at market price. Heaven forbid anyone says we didn’t give him money for a meal."
Ma Wu and Li Banfeng moved swiftly through the forest, Ma Wu constantly confirming the direction with Li Banfeng.
"Brother Li, if it weren’t for you, I really wouldn’t dare cross this forest alone. Let’s hurry a bit more, try not to attract the peach trees."
"Brother Ma, I can go as fast as you want. The only concern is whether you can keep up."
"My constitution is too weak. How about you carry this bag?"
"That’s non-negotiable. You absolutely must carry the stinky fish."
At two o’clock in the morning, they traversed the forest and arrived at the edge of a lake.
The lake was not small, spanning over three miles in circumference. Its water was exceptionally murky; if you scooped some up, you couldn’t even see your palm through it.
Li Banfeng took out a fishing net and baited it with the Tiger Head Lice he had extracted from the peaches, then began to fish.
"Here in the New Land of Blue Poplar Village, Tiger Head Lice are the best bait for Snakehead Eel. With the bugs we have, we should be able to catch dozens," Ma Wu said confidently. However, after an hour of waiting, not a single fish had been caught.
"The fish aren’t biting quickly today, Brother Li. Be patient, let’s wait a bit longer."
Li Banfeng sniffed the air and looked at Ma Wu. "What’s that smell? So fishy."
Ma Wu’s face lit up with joy. "Brother Li, you smell that fishiness? The Snakehead Eel must be coming! This fish has an incredibly strong odor!"
Li Banfeng sniffed carefully for a moment then shook his head. "It’s not from this side. It’s from across the lake."
Ma Wu was astonished. He couldn’t smell anything at all. How could Li Banfeng possibly smell something from the other side of the lake?
Following Li Banfeng to the opposite side of the lake, they cast their net again. With one haul, two Black-Scaled Eels were pulled from the water.
The Snakehead Eel truly lived up to its name. This fish had a snake-like head, two sharp fangs like a serpent’s, and could even flick its tongue like a snake.
Ma Wu quickly intervened, "Brother Li, don’t touch it yet! This fish is highly venomous. One bite, and you’ll be dead within an hour."
He used gloves to put the fish into the bag, while Li Banfeng continued to bait the net and fish.
Two hours later, they had caught a total of thirty-one Snakehead Eels.
With enough fish, Li Banfeng shouldered the Snakehead Eels, and Ma Wu carried the stinky fish. The two of them headed back to Blue Poplar Village.
The Song Family’s head steward, Tang Tianjin, saw Ma Wu and deliberately went over to greet him. "Young Master Wu, back so early? Oh dear, you’ve brought the stinky fish back again? Didn’t catch any peaches last night?"
Ma Wu snorted coldly and said nothing.
Tang Tianjin remained enthusiastic. "Young Master Wu, don’t be upset, please don’t be sad. Try again tonight. If you catch any peaches, we’ll be waiting to buy them from you."
During the day, Ma Wu slept downstairs. Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Residence and said to the Phonograph, "Wife, I’m covered in fish stench. Could you boil some hot water so I can wash up?"
SS-SS.
The Phonograph retorted angrily, "Hot water, hot water! Why don’t you just buy a boiler and bring it home? Do you have any idea how many days I’ve gone without eating?"
It was true. Since arriving in Blue Poplar Village, apart from those few highwaymen, Li Banfeng really hadn’t provided any food for his "wife."
"Wife, don’t worry. In a day or two, I’ll definitely treat you to a proper meal," he assured her.
The Phonograph shouted angrily, "If you don’t bring back groceries in the next two days, I’ll eat you!"
Li Banfeng retorted, "What kind of talk is that? Are you plotting to murder your own husband?"
SS-SS.
"So what if I am? Once I’m rid of you, I’ll remarry someone more capable! Then I won’t have to live hand-to-mouth, enduring these miserable days!"
Despite her words, the Phonograph still boiled a basin of hot water for Li Banfeng. After a refreshingly thorough wash, he was just about to sleep when the Tang Sword appeared before him, proclaiming boldly, "Ten steps, one kill; a thousand miles without a trace! The time for the decisive battle has come!"
"What decisive battle?" Li Banfeng was startled, looking at the Tang Sword in bewilderment.
"If you dare not fight me, I will no longer be at your command," the Tang Sword declared, standing before Li Banfeng just as it had when they first met.
HISS, HISS.
The Phonograph sneered from the side. "Well, well, hubby, I’ve told you before, we might as well not keep this Magical Treasure. It can only be used three times, and each time it can only strike once. After three strikes, you’re strangers again, and you have to subdue it all over."
Li Banfeng looked at the Tang Sword. "So, after three strikes, I have to fight you? Isn’t that rule a bit much?"
The Tang Sword replied with conviction, "This is the Way of our swordsmanship!"
Li Banfeng grew more dissatisfied. "You’re clearly a saber, so why do you always go on about swords?"
The Tang Sword stood up straight. "As long as the spirit is right, that’s all that matters. Now, tell me, where shall we duel?"
Noticing the Tang Sword’s rather exaggerated movements, Li Banfeng observed a detail: its scabbard was fitted extremely tight, as if secured to the blade by some means.
Li Banfeng said, "Today, we fight in the outer room."
"Excellent!"
The Tang Sword followed Li Banfeng to the outer room. The Phonograph let out two cold laughs but said nothing.
In the outer room, man and sword stood ready. Li Banfeng asked, "Aren’t we supposed to have a decisive battle? Why haven’t you unsheathed yet?"
HUMPH, HUMPH, HUMPH. The Tang Sword sneered. "Once unsheathed, wouldn’t I be threatened by your elixirs again? The difference in our martial power is vast. Even without unsheathing, I can still kill you!"
The Tang Sword wasn’t bragging. The disparity in combat power between it and Li Banfeng was indeed immense. Unsheathed, it was like a wooden stick, but even that stick could kill Li Banfeng.
The Tang Sword still maintained the air of a martial artist, shouting at Li Banfeng, "Make your move!"
Li Banfeng turned to the Copper Lotus Flower and ordered, "Subdue it."
SSS, SSS, SSS.
The Copper Lotus Flower had been waiting for this day for a long time. It also hadn’t eaten in quite a while.
Its petals unfurled, the Lotus Heart within shimmering with light.
A whirlwind erupted, pulling the Tang Sword towards the Lotus Heart.
The Tang Sword cried out hoarsely, "A one-on-one duel, a fair victory! What kind of hero calls for help?"
Li Banfeng replied, "Our previous duel was an agreement between us. This time, it’s just your wishful thinking."
As the Tang Sword was pulled closer to the Lotus Heart, it struggled furiously. "You win dishonorably! I will never submit to you!"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don’t need your submission. I find this sword too troublesome. I’m thinking of reforging it."
The Tang Sword looked at the approaching Red Lotus. It didn’t know the origin of this thing, but it could sense its own impending obliteration. "If you put me inside that thing, I’m afraid I won’t come out as a Magical Treasure anymore."
Li Banfeng nodded. "It doesn’t matter. Even if it refines into two elixirs, they’d be more useful than you."
With no strength left to struggle, the Tang Sword shouted at the top of its voice, "Your subordinate has wandered all his life and finally found an enlightened master! I am willing to serve with the loyalty of a horse or dog..."
Li Banfeng had the Copper Lotus Flower pause, then began to negotiate properly with the Tang Sword.
"This rule where you fight me after every three strikes—I really don’t like it. From today onwards, that rule has to change."
The Tang Sword explained, "I am a Magical Treasure. My rules are the foundation of my existence. If they are changed, my Spirit Attribute will have nothing to depend on. Therefore, this rule absolutely cannot be..."
Li Banfeng turned his head. "Ah Lian, are you hungry?"
The Tang Sword immediately changed its tune. "The rule cannot be changed, but the method can be flexible. In the future, whenever I engage in a decisive battle with Master, we won’t actually fight. I will simply concede defeat."
Li Banfeng nodded. "That’s a good attitude. Also, you can only strike three times. Isn’t that too few?"
The Tang Sword shook its body vehemently. "Master, this rule cannot be changed. This is the extent of my abilities."
"Who says this rule can’t be changed? Next time I send you into battle, you strike three times, then we ’fight,’ you concede, and then can’t you strike another three times?"
The Tang Sword explained, "Master is wise, but this method is truly not feasible. After I make three strikes, I must rest for several days before I can fight again."
In other words, the Tang Sword only had the strength for three strikes. If it wasn’t allowed to rest sufficiently, it couldn’t assist Li Banfeng in battle.
This time, no matter how Li Banfeng pressed, the Tang Sword had no solution. Seeing its sincere attitude, Li Banfeng decided not to make things difficult for it any longer.
That evening, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu once again carried the stinky fish and headed to the New Land. This time, they passed through the forest from the west, not going towards the lake but arriving at a stretch of desert.
The night wind swept across, sending yellow sand swirling. It was hard to imagine that such a desert could exist right next to a dense forest.
Ma Wu tossed the stinky fish aside.
Li Banfeng took out the Snakehead Eel and placed it beneath a cluster of cacti.
In the vast desert, apart from cacti, there was hardly any other vegetation. Ma Wu began to count them. "One, two, three..."
There were a total of twelve cacti in this patch. After counting, the two men lay down on the sand, their backs to the cacti, and started chatting idly.
Li Banfeng said to Ma Wu, "Actually, we didn’t need to return to the village last night. We could have just waited here in the New Land."
Ma Wu shook his head. "No, that wouldn’t work. Song Jiason would become suspicious. In Blue Poplar Village, acquiring treasures from the New Land isn’t difficult. The real challenge is to avoid the eyes of the Song Family.
"Take the Swallowthorn Pearl we’re after. A top-quality pearl would only fetch twenty thousand from the Song Family. But if we sell it in Greenwater City ourselves, it could go for two to three hundred thousand.
"To make money in Blue Poplar Village, the difficulty isn’t in the method, but in the Blinding Technique, in..."
As he spoke, Ma Wu glanced back. "One, two, three..."
He counted them again.
"Twelve, thirteen," Ma Wu said with a laugh. "It’s here!"
The cactus had arrived.