"Little Master, have another bite!"
Li Banfeng struggled to open his mouth.
The phonograph’s needle, skewering a piece of beef, fed it into Li Banfeng’s mouth.
After lying in the Portable Residence for two days, Li Banfeng could barely walk around.
This is the advantage of Home Cultivation; as long as one returns to their home, the recovery abilities of a Home Cultivator are far superior to those of other Taoist Sects.
The Phonograph’s condition was better than Li Banfeng’s; after two days, she had almost fully recovered.
"Little Master, don’t move. Little Servant will wipe your body."
"Little Master, bear with the pain. Little Servant will clean your wound."
"Little Master, don’t be anxious. Little Servant will soon come to wash your ’little master,’ serving you warmly and scrubbing vigorously."
"Little Master, have one more bite, just one more. Little Servant will sing a song for you."
Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "I don’t want to hear a song. I want to grease the machine."
"Little Master, your body hasn’t recovered. What will you use to grease the machine?"
"An oil brush."
"What fun is an oil brush? When Little Master’s body has recovered, you can use whatever you wish. Little Servant will indulge you. Quick, have another bite."
Li Banfeng glanced at the Red Lotus on the ground, his brows slightly furrowed. "I want to send her to the Fifth Room."
"Send her to the Fifth Room for what?"
"Looking at her upsets me."
CLANGOR! CLANGOR!
The Phonograph, striking its gongs and drums, chuckled, "Why bother with her, Little Master? I think it’s good to let her stay here. Let this wretch watch. Little Master, come, have another bite."
The Phonograph’s state was excellent. Ever since entering the Portable Residence, she was in better condition than ever before!
After resting for another half-day, Li Banfeng wanted to go out.
The Phonograph was not happy, "Little Master, your wounds haven’t healed. Why are you going out?"
"I want to get some fresh air."
The Phonograph pouted, "Really, Little Master! A proper Home Cultivator can stay cooped up at home for a year or half a year, but you can’t sit still after only two days?"
Li Banfeng scratched all over the phonograph case, "I’m an improper Home Cultivator! Always following you, my dear, how can I be proper?"
The Phonograph chuckled until she trembled, and Li Banfeng seized the opportunity to slip out the door.
Watching Li Banfeng’s retreating figure, Red Lotus spat.
WHOOSH!
A cloud of steam billowed over, scorching the Copper Lotus Flower until it glowed red-hot.
Red Lotus looked at the Phonograph and said angrily, "Wicked woman, don’t repay kindness with ingratitude!"
The Phonograph laughed, "Wretch, the enmity between us has deepened considerably. Now that Little Master is gone, let’s the two of us have a nice, long chat."
Li Banfeng took a deep breath in the wilderness.
...
He was a Traveling Cultivator and had plenty of accumulated time, but a traveler’s nature is unchangeable. Of course, there was something more important. He had lost two Magical Treasures in the valley: the Judge’s Pen and the Month Plate. The chances of finding them were slim, but he had to go and take a look. Both Magical Treasures had rendered great service in the battle against Qiu Luoye. As long as someone else hadn’t picked them up, there was still hope of recovery with the Silk-pulling Earrings. Before that, however, he needed to visit the territory first. There was also something even more important than the Magical Treasures.
Ma Wu was still searching for Li Banfeng, almost driven mad by the effort. He searched the stretch of road from the canyon to the territory seven or eight times a day. Shui Yongquan had told him multiple times that Li Banfeng wasn’t there, but Ma Wu refused to believe it.
That night, Shui Yongquan went to Ma Wu’s residence to discuss the matter of the Ten-Li Territory.
"I made a Contract Book with Li Qi," Shui Yongquan said. "If the battle was won, I was to give your group a territory ten li in radius. Now that Li Qi’s whereabouts are unknown, you should accept this territory on his behalf for now."
Ma Wu shook his head. "There’s no rush on this. Let’s wait for Old Qi to come back."
"If you’re not in a hurry, I am! The matters stipulated in the Contract Book are of utmost importance to me. You’d better select the territory quickly."
"I can’t be the one to decide this. We have to wait for Old Qi to return."
"Brother Ma Wu, let me remind you. When Li Qi and I established the Contract Book, it was clearly stated: if he didn’t choose a territory within two days, I would choose for him. My coming to ask you is already giving you considerable face."
Ma Wu grew impatient, "It’s no use asking me. It’s Old Qi’s territory; Old Qi must decide for himself! Chuanzi, show our guest out!"
Shui Yongquan smiled and vanished.
Ma Wu sat in the wooden house, drinking sullenly.
After Ma Wu finished a cup of wine, Li Banfeng poured him another.
Ma Wu took a sip, put down his cup, and stared at Li Banfeng for a long time.
Li Banfeng was still dressed in a black suit and wearing a top hat. The brim wasn’t pulled down too low because his face was covered in bandages.
Tears welled in Ma Wu’s eyes, "Where the hell did you go? I’ve been looking all over for you!"
Li Banfeng pointed to the bandages covering him, "I went to recuperate."
"Didn’t I bring you back to recuperate? Why did you run off!"
Li Banfeng smiled, "I didn’t run off. A highly skilled individual rescued me en route. If not for their superb medical skills, I wouldn’t have recovered this quickly."
"Which highly skilled individual?"
Li Banfeng shook his head, "That esteemed individual wishes to remain anonymous, so I cannot casually mention their name."
Since Li Qi had said so, Ma Wu wouldn’t ask further; this was their tacit understanding.
After a drink, Ma Wu’s emotions calmed somewhat. Li Banfeng said, "I lost two Magical Treasures in the valley. Call a few of our brothers to go look for them with me."
"No need to look," Ma Wu said, taking out the Judge’s Pen and the Month Plate. "Shui Yongquan found them for you. He even moved Waterfall Gate over. I’ll have someone send it to your territory shortly."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Though cunning by nature, Shui Yongquan turns out to be a man of his word."
Ma Wu agreed, "He came to me just now to discuss the matter of the Ten-Li Territory. I told him we’d talk about it when you returned."