Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang had settled on the deal and were preparing to go to Kuwu Mountain to gather Snake-Patterned Chrysanthemums.
That very night, Qin Xiaopang went back to pack his bags. He invited Li Banfeng to stay at his place for the night, but Li Banfeng declined.
As a House Cultivator, one must spend at least two hours in their residence each day. This was the most basic rule of cultivation, and with the example of Qiao Yuesheng before him, Li Banfeng dared not break it.
The two agreed to meet at the noodle shop at eight o’clock the next day. However, Li Banfeng had no watch nor any timekeeping tool; by the time he reached the noodle shop, it was nearly noon.
You couldn’t blame Li Banfeng for oversleeping—in the Portable Residence, where day and night were indistinguishable, the quality of sleep was just too good.
Qin Xiaopang was anxious. "Brother Li, why have you only just arrived? We need to hurry. Let’s head to Li Gou first."
"What are we going to Li Gou for?"
"To buy some handy tools."
Li Banfeng didn’t understand. "Aren’t we just going up the mountain to gather herbs? Isn’t a shovel and a sack enough? Do we really need to go to Li Gou to buy those things?"
Qin Xiaopang shook his head. "There’s no time to explain now. I’ll tell you once we get there."
Qin Xiaopang treated Li Banfeng to two bowls of plain noodles and ate eight bowls himself to build up energy. Then, they both rushed to Li Gou together.
Li Banfeng used only a third of his strength, yet Qin XiaPang barely managed to keep up. Once well-fed, a Food Cultivator’s speed and endurance far surpassed that of ordinary people, enabling him to somewhat keep pace with a Traveling Cultivator.
Previously, it had taken Li Banfeng most of the day to walk leisurely from Li Gou. Running back this time, it took less than two hours to reach Li Gou.
Out of breath, Qin Xiaopang led Li Banfeng straight to Paifang Street.
Upon reaching the street, Li Banfeng felt a bit nervous. The He Family Old House was nearby, and Lu Xiaolan was still inside.
Unaware of the He Family Old House, Qin Xiaopang’s destination was Feng’s Grocery Store.
The grocery store owner was dusting the shelves with a feather duster. When they entered, he eagerly welcomed them with a smile. "Boss Qin, it’s been a while since we last saw you! And you, sir, it’s a pleasure to see you again."
He recognized Qin Xiaopang and also Li Banfeng, who was still wearing the top hat he had bought from the store.
Qin Xiaopang was in no mood for pleasantries and cut to the chase. "Shopkeeper Feng, do you have any good tools? I’m heading out for some business."
Qin Xiaopang’s business seemed unsuitable for discussion over the counter. So, Shopkeeper Feng asked an assistant to mind the store and invited Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang to the back room for tea.
Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang followed Shopkeeper Feng to the back room. It was so full of shelves and stacked goods that it felt more like a warehouse than a sitting room. If not for the tea table in the center, it would have been purely a storage space.
All three sat by the tea table. Shopkeeper Feng poured the tea before asking in a hushed voice, "Please excuse my nosiness, but may I ask, what kind of business are you gentlemen planning to conduct?"
"Kuwu Mountain, picking flowers," Qin Xiaopang answered bluntly.
After a moment’s thought, Shopkeeper Feng took a small sickle from a shelf.
The blade of the sickle was no more than ten centimeters long, and the handle was even shorter, just fitting in one hand.
Qin Xiaopang stared at the delicate sickle and said after a long pause, "Shopkeeper Feng, why are you giving me this sickle? This thing isn’t even good enough for reaping wheat."
Shopkeeper Feng was just as surprised. "Boss Qin, aren’t you going to Kuwu Mountain to pick flowers? This sickle is perfect for that."
Qin Xiaopang frowned. "I don’t consider you an outsider, but are you treating me like a fool? If I needed a sickle, would I have to come to your store for it?"
Helpless, Shopkeeper Feng said, "Boss Qin, you said you were going to pick flowers, so I offered you the right tool for the job. What did I do wrong?"
Qin Xiaopang grew impatient. "Do you really not get it, or are you pretending not to? Are the flowers on Kuwu Mountain something one can just casually pick?"
Shopkeeper Feng shook his head repeatedly. "This time, I really don’t understand. If you want the sickle, take it; if not, then forget it."
As the two argued, Li Banfeng began to see what was going on. Li Banfeng had grown up in an orphanage and worked his way through college. He had met many people and experienced many things. He could tell at a glance:
Li Banfeng quickly intervened, turning to Qin Xiaopang and saying, "Brother, I don’t understand either. What exactly are you looking to buy?"
Qin Xiaopang furrowed his brows. "Weapons!"
"Weapons? For what?"
Qin Xiaopang offered only a single sentence of explanation: "The flowers are easy to pick, but the mountain is hard to leave."
This single sentence made the hidden meaning clear. The Snake-Patterned Chrysanthemums were precious, and many people likely wanted to harvest them. Just as many would probably want to steal them. Qin Xiaopang intended to buy a weapon for self-defense.
Shopkeeper Feng naturally understood Qin Xiaopang’s intent and responded, "Carrying a sickle makes it easy to descend the mountain. But with a Green Dragon Saber, the journey becomes difficult."
Li Banfeng inquired, "What do you mean by that?"
Shopkeeper Feng smiled. "A farmer with a sickle walks quietly. At most, he might encounter a fur thief or two. One slash with the sickle, and the matter is settled."
"Lord Guan, when walking with the Green Dragon Saber, has to pass five barriers and slay six generals. Without Lord Guan’s skills, how could one possibly make it down the mountain?"
As he spoke, the shopkeeper ran his finger along the sickle’s edge. Li Banfeng, who knew a thing or two, recognized it as a fine blade.
Li Banfeng said, "How much for this sickle? I’ll buy it."
Qin Xiaopang stared, wide-eyed. "What’s the use of buying that? Let’s check other places. I have plenty of connections."
Without trying to retain them, Shopkeeper Feng said, "Boss Qin, please look elsewhere then. I don’t have the weapons you’re looking for."
Li Banfeng thought.
Li Banfeng insisted on buying the sickle. Shopkeeper Feng asked for five hundred, and Li Banfeng didn’t bargain, planning to borrow five hundred yuan from Qin Xiaopang.