I’ll have to ask Ma Wu about this.
When Ma Wu woke up, his mind was clearer. He planned to deduce the prescription again, but Li Banfeng told him that the Medicine Powder had been lost.
Ma Wu was filled with regret. "Li, how could you lose such precious Medicine Powder?"
"Forget about the Medicine Powder for now. Do you know what Blue Leaf Poplar is?"
"I do," Ma Wu nodded. "The most famous specialty of this New Land is the Blue Leaf Poplar. Originally, there was no village here. Many hunters came to the New Land to hunt Blue Leaf Poplar, living nearby year after year, and eventually, Blue Poplar Village was formed."
So, the name Blue Poplar Village came from the Blue Leaf Poplar.
Li Banfeng was delighted. "Ma, where can we find Blue Leaf Poplar? Let’s go cut one down."
"Cut one down?" Ma Wu laughed. "Li, you surely think big. Never mind a whole tree; do you know how hard it is to even pick a few leaves? The Blue Leaf Poplar was hunted to extinction thirty years ago. It’s said that someone has seen it deep in the New Land. However, whether this is true is debatable, and that place isn’t somewhere just anyone can go."
Li Banfeng pondered for a while. "How about we try our luck anyway?"
Ma Wu found the idea even more bewildering. "Li, why bother taking such a risk? We have no use for the Blue Leaf Poplar."
Li Banfeng asked, "What exactly is the Blue Leaf Poplar used for?"
Ma Wu found it hard to understand Li Banfeng’s intentions.
"Blue Leaf Poplar is used for crafting weapons. Grind its branches into powder and mix it with molten iron when forging blades, and the resulting weapons will be extremely tough. If you add the leaves, the weapon will also have inherent toxicity."
Li Banfeng had a great misunderstanding about the Blue Leaf Poplar.
Ma Junyang said, "Li, if you need a weapon, let’s just buy a ready-made one. Forget about the Blue Leaf Poplar for now. Craftsmen who know how to use it can’t even be found anymore."
After thinking for a while, Li Banfeng still decided to look for Blue Leaf Poplar. Ma Wu sighed. "Fine, I’ll pack up and go to the New Land with you to try our luck."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "You don’t need to come. Just stay here and watch the house. Provide me with some clues."
Ma Wu was worried about Li Banfeng, but after some thought, he realized he might indeed become a liability if he went.
He brought over a notebook containing his observations since arriving at Blue Poplar Village and picked out an entry to show Li Banfeng. "There are indeed rumors about the Blue Leaf Poplar, but most of them are nonsense. This one is credible. An old hunter told me half a month ago that he saw Blue Leaf Poplar in the Orange Grove in the New Land and even asked me about the going rate. This old hunter has some reputation in the village; I reckon he wouldn’t spout nonsense."
This old hunter was named Shen Xueyong. Li Banfeng went to the old hunter’s house that very day, gave him thirty Ocean Dollars, and inquired about the Blue Leaf Poplar.
Shen Xueyong took the money, counted it five times, and tucked it into his bosom. "You can find the Blue Leaf Poplar in the Orange Grove," he told Li Banfeng. "Leaving from the village entrance, it’s about a half-month’s journey."
"Half a month?" Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment; the distance was beyond his expectation.
"It takes half a month for ordinary people because the journey is long and difficult. However, a First-Layer Traveling Cultivator, by using Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster and running day and night without rest, could get there in five or six days. If their cultivation level is even higher, I wouldn’t know."
This distance was acceptable to Li Banfeng.
But the problem was that Li Banfeng couldn’t go at full speed, and he needed to bring this old hunter with him—he didn’t know where the Orange Grove was.
Unfortunately, the old hunter couldn’t be his guide. "Sir, I really wish I could join you on another trip to the New Land. You clearly know the value of things. A few days ago, I asked Young Master Wu about the price of Blue Leaf Poplar, and he told me he’d give a thousand Ocean Dollars for just one leaf."
The old hunter sighed deeply and shook his head. "It’s not exactly too little. If Song Jiason were in charge, he might not even be willing to pay three hundred Ocean Dollars. But this is Blue Leaf Poplar! Blue Leaf Poplar, sir! You might not be aware of what Blue Leaf Poplar is used for. A single leaf added to molten iron means you don’t need to apply any additional poison. The weapon itself will carry the poison and can be used for over ten years. If this were forty years ago, a single Blue Leaf Poplar leaf could sell for tens of thousands!"
Li Banfeng frowned.
The old hunter gave a bitter smile. "Actually, it’s not really Fifth Young Master’s fault. The Blue Leaf Poplar has become extinct, and so have the craftsmen who could use it. With no market demand, Fifth Young Master really can’t offer a high price. When I saw the Blue Leaf Poplar, I was overjoyed, thinking I’d make a great fortune. But the price Fifth Young Master offered chilled my heart. I went to the New Land again three days ago, hoping to try my luck in the Emerald Bamboo Forest. I thought maybe I’d run into the Hundred Bamboo Immortal and make a big score. Indeed, I encountered the Hundred Bamboo Immortal. Unfortunately, I made a mistake. I didn’t catch it and ended up with a Hundred Bamboo Heart Piercing."
Having said that, the old hunter lifted his clothes, pointing at a series of transparent holes in his chest. "I haven’t counted carefully, but there are definitely not a hundred holes—twenty to thirty, perhaps."
Li Banfeng counted carefully: a total of twenty-eight.
Twenty-six of the holes went straight through his chest, allowing one to see the back wall.
One hole was halfway healed, the other half revealing wriggling flesh inside.
The last hole was almost completely healed.
The key point Li Banfeng couldn’t understand was how the old hunter had managed to survive until now.
"If I may ask, which Taoist Sect are you from?" Li Banfeng handed over another ten Ocean Dollars. Inquiring about one’s sect was taboo; one shouldn’t expect an answer without compensation.
The old hunter accepted the Ocean Dollars and laughed. "You flatter me. I’m a Second-Layer Body Cultivation practitioner. I’m a mere earthworm."
An earthworm, indeed.
Although he couldn’t go to the New Land, the old hunter did not take Li Banfeng’s money for nothing; he drew a map for Li Banfeng.
As an illiterate hunter, his map naturally couldn’t be precise, but the message it conveyed was very clear.
"This mountain path is called Gourd Valley. It starts wide, gets narrower, and then widens again. There are a lot of mosquitoes along the way, especially at the Gourd Waist. The mosquitoes there are so thick they pile up and make it hard to even open your eyes. You must move quickly through this place. If you linger, all the blood in your body might just be drained.
"Past Gourd Valley is Red Mud Mound, a marshland. You can’t hurry through there; you have to be very careful with every step. I once saw someone sink into Red Mud Mound and disappear completely in less time than it takes to smoke half a cigarette. I’m not afraid, as I can crawl out. But if you don’t have that ability, you’ll need a good walking stick to carefully probe your way forward.
"Then there’s the Iron Thread River. If you want to cross it, you absolutely must not go into the water...
"There’s also the Little Yellow River. That road is deadly and particularly long. You need to pay close attention to the wind direction when walking there...
"Once you’re past the Little Yellow River, you’ll reach the Orange Grove. It’s a good place. The oranges are edible, but you have to follow the rules. Whether you encounter the Blue Leaf Poplar there is up to fate..."
The old hunter explained every location along the way and specifically emphasized the matter of food supplies.
"You shouldn’t bring too much food. The journey is filled with hardships; it’s better to go hungry than to burden yourself. Once you get to the Orange Grove, you’ll have something to eat."
Li Banfeng was curious. "Going by your description, a round trip would take a month. If you don’t carry enough food, what do you eat on the way?"
The old hunter smiled. "I can eat dirt. Different kinds of soil have different tastes. The mud at Red Mud Mound tastes the richest, like it’s been marinated in soy sauce—you even save on salt."
Li Banfeng was impressed. He bid farewell and returned to the warehouse to prepare.
Ma Wu advised Li Banfeng, "Li, the Blue Leaf Poplar has no market value anymore. It’s not worth risking your life for it."
Li Banfeng wouldn’t listen. Ma Wu said helplessly, "If you won’t let me go with you, at least have Zuo Wugang accompany you for some support on the road."
"If he follows me, what will you do?" Li Banfeng had hired Zuo Wugang because Ma Wu was too weak.
「Early the next morning」
Having packed his luggage, Li Banfeng set off, heading south towards Gourd Valley.
The mosquitoes here were truly numerous; a massive swarm began honing in on his face even when he was still several miles from Gourd Valley.
The hardships the old hunter had faced were due to his limited resources. Backed by the entirety of Blue Poplar Village’s resources and armed with the old hunter’s accumulated experience, Li Banfeng had a much richer array of methods to cope.
He took out a jar from his backpack, poured out the grease inside, and smeared it on his body.
This was oil rendered from a nine-footed toad. This kind of toad loved to eat mosquitoes, capable of consuming tens of thousands daily. Mosquitoes, smelling this scent, would immediately detour. Taking advantage of the oil not yet drying, Li Banfeng sprinted, covering the nearly ten-mile-long canyon in less than half an hour.
After leaving Gourd Valley and arriving at Red Mud Mound, Li Banfeng dared not act recklessly. He slowed his pace, using his Tang Sword as a walking stick, and moved forward cautiously, relying on his Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster ability.
"The strumming, suppressed, each note a thought, as if lamenting a life of unfulfilled ambitions. Master, I am a renowned blade of my time! Is it appropriate for you to jab me into the muck like this?"
Li Banfeng probed the path ahead with the Tang Sword and responded, "The artistic conception is what matters."
The Tang Sword shook off the mud covering it. "What artistic conception? What artistic conception could there possibly be in sludge? Master, you are humiliating me!"
Li Banfeng spent over five hours crossing the nearly five-mile swamp.
After traversing Red Mud Mound, he arrived at the Iron Thread River—a dark river surface more than thirty meters wide, flowing from west to east.
Cultivators who could fly would fly over. Those who couldn’t fly had to find a way to cross using Magical Treasures or Spiritual Objects.
But one should never think about swimming across; not even Water Cultivators could do it.
Because there wasn’t any water in this river at all.
What rushed and flowed in the river wasn’t water, but a dense mass of Iron Thread Worms.
Compelled by some unknown force, these Iron Thread Worms moved in a fixed direction. If anyone stepped into the "river," countless Iron Thread Worms would burrow into their flesh. Where there were openings, they would enter. Where there were none, they would create them to bore inside, turning the entire body into a nest for the Iron Thread Worms. The Iron Thread Worms didn’t just want to live inside; they also wanted to breed and spread their offspring.
Li Banfeng couldn’t fly, nor did he possess any flying Magical Treasures.
His method of crossing the river was rather straightforward: he took out his key, opened his Portable Residence, threw the key to the opposite shore, and then emerged from the Portable Residence.
After crossing the Iron Thread River, another wasteland lay before him. There was nothing special here; he just had to run.
After sixteen whole hours of travel, Li Banfeng had covered nearly half the journey.
He moved so swiftly for two reasons. Firstly, Li Banfeng didn’t need to scout the path, as the old hunter had given him a ready-made route. Secondly, the speed of a Second-Layer Traveling Cultivator was indeed impressive. Moreover, Li Banfeng was well-prepared and unencumbered by luggage since everything was stored in his Portable Residence, readily available when needed.
Continuing at this rate, Li Banfeng wouldn’t even need three days. If he kept running, he should reach the Orange Grove by around two or three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.
But he decided not to run any further. The journey had taken a great toll, and Li Banfeng’s legs were trembling uncontrollably.
Returning home to rest overnight is the foundation of Home Cultivation and a basic quality of a homebody.
Inside his Portable Residence, Li Banfeng stripped off his mud-soaked clothes and sat beside the Phonograph.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
The Phonograph asked with concern, "My lord, you’re covered in dust. You must have been out buying groceries, I presume."
"My lady, don’t be so anxious. Tomorrow, surely tomorrow I will bring back top-quality produce." Li Banfeng ate two cans of food and a box of biscuits, then fell into a deep sleep.
The Phonograph was quite dissatisfied. While using Steam to clean Li Banfeng’s clothes, it complained, "Tomorrow, tomorrow, it’s always tomorrow! I gave him a Third-Layer cultivation level, but in the end, he still lets me go hungry!"
「P.S. Li Banfeng wasn’t boasting. Tomorrow he has to pass the Little Yellow River, which is indeed a good place to ’buy groceries’.」