Li Banfeng was manipulating the phonograph to play a record when he suddenly heard the Silk-pulling Earrings shout, "Be careful!"
Without any hesitation, Li Banfeng immediately used Short Step to move away from his original position. He saw a beautiful woman stabbing at him from behind with a long knife, missing his back by mere inches.
Li Banfeng retaliated by throwing his sickle at the woman.
CLANG!
A crisp sound rang out.
The sickle was deflected, leaving only a few scratches on the woman’s body.
Li Banfeng did not continue to attack the stone man but quickly moved away from his original location using Short Step.
He was very familiar with this kind of combat mode.
The Stone Beauty was tough in combat and could take a beating. Squaring off with her was not only pointless, but Li Banfeng would also fall into an ambush.
Steward He was a Home Cultivator, at least at the Fifth Layer, a higher cultivation level than Li Banfeng. No wonder the Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Skill didn’t detect his malice.
Li Banfeng pushed open a window, intending to leave the building immediately. But Steward He suddenly appeared, hanging upside down from above the window, thrusting a long knife towards Li Banfeng’s face.
The window was blocked, so Li Banfeng sprinted towards the door.
Just as he reached the doorway, another Stone Maiden emerged, slashing at Li Banfeng’s face with a long knife.
Li Banfeng narrowly dodged and cursed loudly, "This is too damn shameless! Putting someone in ambush right at the door! Have the guts to fight me openly and honorably if you dare!"
Most Home Cultivators are honest people, but their combat techniques are anything but.
The most innocent-minded Cultivators use the most ruthless tactics.
Shaking off the Stone Maiden, Li Banfeng ran towards the staircase.
He ran to the end of the corridor but didn’t find the staircase.
Li Banfeng turned around to see that all the windows in the corridor had vanished.
The corridor suddenly became much quieter.
The Stone Maiden was gone, and the other room doors had disappeared too.
A door opened at the end of the corridor, seemingly the only way out.
Near that door, Li Banfeng didn’t sense any danger.
Li Banfeng aimed at the wall and executed Short Step, crashing through it.
Once through, he found himself outside the building wall. Landing from the fifth floor, Li Banfeng stumbled.
Fortunately, with the agility of a Traveling Cultivator, he wasn’t injured. He looked back at the layout of the entire residence, pondering Steward He’s intentions.
Li Banfeng was about to leave the courtyard when a flurry of rocks flew up from the ground, blocking his way.
The rocks varied in size. Some were as big as fists, others slightly smaller than eggs, shooting towards Li Banfeng like machine-gun fire.
Li Banfeng, relying on his agile footwork, ducked behind a large tree.
The large tree’s branches twisted, tightly binding Li Banfeng. They spun him around and brought him closer to the barrage of rocks.
First, the layout of the building changed. Then, the stones in the courtyard turned into weapons.
Li Banfeng broke free from the tree and scrambled amidst the flying rocks. For a moment, he truly wanted to dive back into his Portable Residence.
Li Banfeng fled towards the front gate, with the rocks fiercely bombarding him.
Li Banfeng fled towards the back gate, and still the rocks bombarded him.
He ran towards the wall, and the rocks continued their assault.
There was only one place he could go where the rocks didn’t strike.
The eastern annex!
Old He just wanted Li Banfeng to go into that annex. He devised various methods and schemes, employing so many tactics, all to make Li Banfeng enter his residence.
Li Banfeng desperately dodged. Suddenly, the flying rocks stopped.
Neither.
A Bird Person lunged at Li Banfeng.
This wasn’t an insult; the person really did resemble a bird, with wings, tail feathers, and even a beak.
Cornered and interrogated by numerous Home Cultivators in the main hall, Ma Dingfu had panicked, transformed into a bird, and flown out.
As Ma Dingfu was the Fortress Lord, Steward He naturally couldn’t harm him, so the flying stones in the courtyard ceased.
If Ma Dingfu had chosen to flee immediately, that would have been the end of it. However, enraged, he decided to launch a sneak attack on Li Banfeng.
That was where he overestimated himself.
Li Banfeng neither hid nor dodged, but stood his ground, waiting for him.
As the distance between them rapidly closed, Li Banfeng suddenly drew his sickle and embedded it straight into Ma Dingfu’s forehead.
Within five meters, he never missed.
After landing the blow, Li Banfeng immediately moved from his spot, already guessing that Old He would attempt a sneak attack.
This guess stemmed from his understanding of Home Cultivators.
Sure enough, a Stone Maiden emerged behind Li Banfeng, attempting to stab him in the back, but she was a bit too slow.
Li Banfeng picked up Ma Dingfu from the ground. Ma Dingfu wasn’t dead; he was still struggling. Li Banfeng whispered in his ear, "You owe me five hundred. You have to pay it back. Now, be my shield."
With Li Banfeng casually holding Ma Dingfu, Old He’s attacks became constrained.
The flying rocks could no longer be used, and any sneak attack would have to be carefully timed.
A Stone Maiden appeared from behind the rockery, aiming to slash Li Banfeng with a long knife. Li Banfeng used Ma Dingfu as a shield, and the blade struck Ma Dingfu squarely in the chest.
Ma Dingfu let out a terrible scream, making Old He visibly flinch.
The Stone Maidens could no longer be used.
Golden House Concealing Beauties was indeed a specialty of Home Cultivators, and Old He’s execution of the technique was refined. However, the Spiritual Wisdom of these constructs was ultimately limited. To subdue Li Banfeng, Old He would have to rely on his own methods.
The Stone Maidens retreated one by one, and silence returned to the courtyard.
Li Banfeng patted the Wine Gourd. It understood and quietly opened its mouth.
A crowd of Home Cultivators rushed out from the main hall, looking to settle scores with Ma Dingfu. Li Banfeng shouted, "Everyone, get out of here!"
This courtyard was too treacherous; they needed to leave quickly. If anyone lingered, they risked being wiped out by Old He in one fell swoop.
Wu Yongchao, heeding the Peddler’s words, urged everyone to head outside immediately.
As the crowd scrambled towards the courtyard exit in disarray, Old He materialized silently in the courtyard, preparing to take action himself.
Old He had clear objectives: kill Li Banfeng, rescue Ma Dingfu, subdue all the other Home Cultivators, and then await Ma Dingfu’s decision on how to deal with them.
Just as he approached Li Banfeng, Old He suddenly felt a burning pain in his eyes.
Old He’s cultivation level was higher than Li Banfeng’s. If he got close, Li Banfeng likely wouldn’t detect him.
Not only would Li Banfeng likely not detect him, but neither would his Tang Sword, Clock Pendulum, Wine Gourd, or even the Silk-pulling Earrings.
Li Banfeng had instructed the Wine Gourd to create a layer of alcohol mist around him, extending from one foot to three feet out.
Within the dense alcohol mist, Old He’s eyes began to sting intensely, and his breathing grew ragged. This finally alerted Li Banfeng to his presence.
"You old fiend! Let’s take this outside!"
Li Banfeng grabbed Old He and dragged him towards the courtyard gate.
Old He’s eyes were bleeding as he screamed, "No, no..."
He suddenly activated the Arrow Homing Skill, his strength becoming immense.
Just one more second, and he could have broken free from Li Banfeng’s grip.
Unfortunately for him, the courtyard wasn’t that large. Li Banfeng, being a Fourth Layer Traveling Cultivator, rushed out the gate in the blink of an eye.
Old He’s cultivation level was so high, and his combat experience so rich, yet Zhou Anju never took him outside the residence.
This proved that Old He couldn’t leave easily. Once he left the residence, his combat prowess would inevitably take a massive hit.
Based on this deduction, Li Banfeng’s strategy for dealing with Old He was to drag him out of the residence.
As Li Banfeng was pondering countermeasures, he suddenly heard a woman’s voice screaming from within the residence, "Where are you going? Don’t you want me anymore? Don’t leave!"
Old He also heard the voice.
He immediately struggled free from Li Banfeng’s grip, trying to run back into the residence, but it was too late.
His skin burst open, layer by layer, blood splattering everywhere.
His skeleton rapidly collapsed, his internal organs spilling onto the ground.
Old He indeed couldn’t leave the residence.
Upon leaving the residence, it wasn’t that his combat strength would diminish—he would simply die.
Astonished, Li Banfeng observed carefully with Golden Gaze Autumn Hair. He noticed a Light Halo rising from the mess of flesh and blood, hovering uncertainly.
His soul was trying to flee Iron Gate Fort.
From the Fortress Lord’s residence, specifically the eastern annex, countless vine-like strands of light rushed forth, tightly ensnaring Old He’s soul.
"Don’t go! Don’t leave! You can’t abandon me! You can’t..."
WHOOSH...
A cold wind blew, and both the luminous tendrils and the soul disappeared into the annex.
Golden Gaze Autumn Hair was a special Technique Li Banfeng’s wife had given him. Other Home Cultivators didn’t possess such an ability; they merely saw Old He die suddenly and incredibly gruesomely.
Li Banfeng shouted to the crowd, "Without my permission, no one enters this courtyard!"
The Home Cultivators looked at each other; a few of them nodded towards Li Banfeng.
Ma Dingfu was still alive.
Despite the sickle embedded in his forehead, he wasn’t dead yet.
He had his eyes closed, feigning death. Li Banfeng leaned down, hauled him up, and pulled the sickle from his head.
With that tug, Ma Dingfu convulsed in pain and could no longer feign death.
Li Banfeng smiled. "You owe me five hundred. Time to pay up."
Ma Dingfu said with difficulty, "Just now... didn’t that count as repayment?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Taking a hit for me counts as repayment? It’s not that easy. Don’t just stand there watching! Someone come and help me tie him up!"
Wu Yongchao was the first to step forward, pinning Ma Dingfu down.
Others brought ropes and bound Ma Dingfu securely.
Li Banfeng made another cut on Ma Dingfu’s face with the sickle and reminded him, not so kindly, "My sickle is poisoned. You’ve already been hit twice. You’d better start talking, and quickly."
"First, tell me, what’s your exact relationship with Flying Eagle Mountain? Don’t say there’s no connection, or you’ll get another taste of this."
Ma Dingfu answered truthfully, "I was originally an undercover agent for Flying Eagle Mountain, responsible for patrolling, scouting locations, and gathering information at the foot of the mountain. Apart from our Head of the family, not many people on the mountain know about me."
Li Banfeng found this answer satisfactory and then asked, "What’s Zhou Anju’s position in Flying Eagle Mountain?"
Ma Dingfu shook his head. "I can’t say for sure. Only our Head of the family knows that."
PS: Old He’s House Spirit will be very useful!