Utilizing the Hundred Flavors Delicate method, Li Banfeng followed the trace of incense in the air and located Liu Liangyi.
Liu Liangyi was using this wisp of incense to manipulate the Ghost Servants.
He was right; a surprise attack offered the greatest returns.
Taking advantage of how easily Home Cultivation was overlooked, Li Banfeng first used the Portable Residence to cover some distance. Then, he stealthily approached Liu Liangyi from behind and stabbed him in the back of the head with a dagger.
Normally, that blow would have ended the fight with an ordinary opponent.
But Nightmare Cultivators were different. As long as Liu Liangyi was still breathing, he could counterattack with his Ghost Servants.
Ten Ghost Servants guarded his side, and now they all charged at Li Banfeng simultaneously.
This situation was troublesome. Li Banfeng could see the Ghosts, but he couldn’t harm them.
Meanwhile, Liu Liangyi seized the opportunity to break free from Li Banfeng and pulled the dagger from the back of his head.
He knew he might not survive, but if he was to die, he was going to take Li Banfeng with him.
A Ghost Servant swung its blade towards the back of Li Banfeng’s head, but the Blood-Thirsty Pendulum suddenly leaped out. It slashed the Ghost Servant several times, scattering its soul.
Having drunk Lu Dongliang’s blood, the Blood-Thirsty Pendulum had evolved; she could now harm Lost Souls.
Liu Liangyi, on the verge of losing consciousness, made a desperate final gamble. He spent all his remaining energy to summon all nearby Lost Souls, along with his Ghost Servants, to swarm Li Banfeng.
In Blue Poplar Village, a place of simple customs, bloodshed occurred daily, and Lost Souls were everywhere.
The Blood-Thirsty Pendulum was about to be overwhelmed when Li Banfeng opened the Portable Residence. His wife’s singing drifted out from the room.
"Red lanterns, green wine at night,
Around the stove, the day’s cold we fight,
Talking of love, joy without end,
Melodious songs and graceful dances blend,
Happiness, happiness, better than the gods of heaven,
..."
The Lost Souls, who had endured enough wretched days in the desolate wilderness, were captivated by the enticing song. They stepped in unison into the Portable Residence, eager to "talk of love" with the Phonograph.
Liu Liangyi’s Ghost Servants persisted for a few seconds before joining the throng of Wronged Souls inside the Portable Residence.
Liu Liangyi lit candles and burned Talisman Paper. He exhausted every method he knew, but he still couldn’t stop the Ghost Servants from leaving.
Li Banfeng watched Liu Liangyi with a smile. Now, things would be much simpler.
Liu Liangyi, dagger in hand, charged at Li Banfeng in a desperate attempt to fight to the death.
He was already injured. But even if he hadn’t been, a Fourth Layer Nightmare Cultivator stripped of his Ghost Servants was no match for a Third Layer Home Cultivator combined with a Second Layer Travel Cultivator.
Li Banfeng dodged the dagger, grabbed Liu Liangyi by the hair, and smoothly threw him into the Portable Residence.
WHOOSH.
The Phonograph chuckled. "Oh, another one? This one isn’t very fresh, but Little Servant has been hungry for so long, I can’t afford to be picky."
The Copper Lotus Flower seemed displeased, beads of dew forming all over its surface.
In the entire room, Liu Liangyi was the only edible one.
Liu Changyu, Liu Liangyi’s son, had his face peeled off by Chu Er. Consumed by hatred and a desire for revenge, he hadn’t dared to confront Chu Er, so he had taken his anger out on Ma Wu instead.
Who would have thought that Liu Changyu, despite having his face peeled off, was actually the fortunate one?
Now, Liu Liangyi was still conscious, his Soul being meticulously flayed by the Phonograph. Amidst the agonizing pain, a thought surfaced in his mind.
Once Liu Liangyi entered the Portable Residence, he lost control of all his Ghost Servants.
In the Mengchun Garden Ballroom, the Ghost Servants were bewildered, and the paper figures froze in place, motionless.
Ma Wu seized the chance, leading everyone with Xiao Genzi as they rushed out of the ballroom.
Xiao Chuanzi ground his teeth and said, "Young Master, what about the ballroom? We just opened today. Are we just going to abandon it?"
"If we have to abandon it, so be it," Ma Wu replied. "There will be other days and plenty more opportunities. Follow me to the Granary; we’ll hide there for a while." Although Ma Wu possessed no Magical Treasures, the Granary housed numerous Spiritual Objects that might offer them some protection for a while.
The group entered the Granary and began searching for useful items. After about ten minutes, Xiao Genzi suddenly stuck his head outside.
"Young Master, listen! There’s a commotion in the ballroom."
"What kind of commotion?" Ma Wu worried that the paper figures would set the building on fire. It wouldn’t be a great loss if only the ballroom burned, but the surrounding taverns, inns, and the Ji Qing Group would all be caught in the disaster.
Pressing his ear to the window for a while, Ma Wu heard music.
"Last night in my dreams,
Peach blossoms still welcomed the spring breeze,
Lovers’ sentiments merged as one,
I awoke to find it all but a dream."
This song, "Last Night in My Dreams," was Ma Wu’s favorite.
It was Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng placed the record his wife had carved onto the Windmill Phonograph.
The Ghost Servants broke free from the paper figures one by one and gathered around the Phonograph, quietly listening to the beautiful song.
Despite the seemingly harmonious scene, the situation was extremely dangerous.
With the death of the Fourth Layer Nightmare Cultivator, the Ghost Servants would become uncontrollable and could potentially turn into Evil Spirits.
A room full of uncontrolled Ghost Servants—the slightest mishap could cost Li Banfeng his life.
The song was just over three minutes long. As the music was about to end, Li Banfeng quietly opened the door of the Portable Residence.
The music in the ballroom stopped. All the Ghost Servants turned to Li Banfeng, their expressions furious.
Li Banfeng wiped the sweat from his forehead, desperately hoping his wife would quickly take over.
The singing from inside the Portable Residence resumed.
"Could it be you’re both silly and naive,
Could it be you don’t understand romance,
Do you love me or not,
Why do you make me wait in vain..."
Lured by his wife’s voice, the Ghost Servants scrambled into the Portable Residence.
Li Banfeng breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear his wife shout loudly, "Hey, Husband, hurry up and close the door! This place stinks to high heaven!"
...
Pushing open the large doors of the ballroom, Li Banfeng put on his top hat and walked over to the side of the granary. He said to Ma Wu, who was by the window, "Have someone clean it up."
Ma Wu couldn’t believe it.
He wanted to ask another question but saw Li Banfeng lower the brim of his top hat and quickly disappear into the night.