Li Banfeng sat in the chair, the shadow of his hat obscuring his face.
The man before him, Luo Zhengnan, had spoken some truths and some lies.
The lies were easy to discern. He claimed to have brought only two subordinates, but in reality, there were more. Sun Xiao’an, the Second Helmsman of Medicine King Hall, was in the fortress selling sundries, a detail Luo Zhengnan had omitted.
The truths were harder to discern, but a few statements were indeed accurate.
If he could infiltrate Iron Gate Fort, others could too.
The House Spirit, Zhao Xiaowan, was clearly a magnet for trouble. Once her presence became known, Iron Gate Fort was doomed to become Blood Gate Fort.
It wouldn’t be difficult to dismiss Luo Zhengnan, nor the Jiang Xiang Gang. But Zhao Xiaowan was so formidable that even Li Banfeng’s wife might not be her match, and she was beyond Li Banfeng’s ability to handle as he pleased.
After a moment of silence, Li Banfeng said to Luo Zhengnan, "I’ll trouble you to come again in three days. By then, I will have an answer for you."
"I await your message," Luo Zhengnan replied, rising to take his leave.
Li Banfeng added a warning, "Take all your people with you, not just the two selling vegetables. If they don’t leave now, I’ll soon be sending them on their way myself."
Luo Zhengnan was startled, not expecting Li Banfeng to have discovered the others. He bowed again with clasped fists and exited the room first.
He walked a circuit of the street. The three men who had accompanied him understood his intention and individually departed Iron Gate Fort.
This was how astute individuals dealt with matters; once something was brought to light, there was no room for pretense.
Late at night, with the fort’s gates closed, Li Banfeng asked Wu Yongchao, "Do you know who Zhao Xiaowan is?"
"Of course! The Flying General Zhao Xiaowan, whose long spear secured the realm!" Wu Yongchao exclaimed, visibly excited when speaking of Zhao Xiaowan.
"From what era was she?"
"She was from ancient times, but as for which specific dynasty, that’s unconfirmed."
"How do you know of this General? Isn’t it from history books?"
"Well..." Wu Yongchao hesitated. That was hard to explain.
Wu Yongchao had attended school, but history wasn’t taught there.
There were no institutions in Puluo State for the systematic study of history. Most historical texts were hoarded by prominent families, and the few that occasionally appeared on the market were not only incredibly rare but also of dubious authenticity.
How did Wu Yongchao know of Zhao Xiaowan?
The origins were even more complicated.
Legend told of Zhao Xiaowan, a famous General from a certain dynasty in Puluo State, who led tens of thousands of troops to defeat the invading Demon Land People. Many stories about her had been passed down.
Storytellers included Zhao Xiaowan in their narratives, as did the scripts of large and small opera houses.
The masterpieces of celebrated dancers in ballrooms, the plaintive songs of girls from the brick-kilns, serialized novels in newspapers, and storybooks sold at street stalls—wherever there were stories, there was Zhao Xiaowan.
"Zhao Xiaowan was unrivaled in martial arts and stunningly beautiful. Any battlefront she graced, victory was assured without a fight," Wu Yongchao declared proudly.
Li Banfeng was startled. "Without a fight? How would she win?"
Wu Yongchao slapped the table, like a storyteller striking his gavel, and said with intense focus, "Half were charmed to death by Miss Zhao, and the other half frightened to death by General Zhao!"
Li Banfeng didn’t know what to say.
Seeing Li Banfeng’s skepticism, Wu Yongchao took offense.
To Wu Yongchao, Zhao Xiaowan was a sacrosanct figure.
"Fortress Lord, this isn’t something I’ve fabricated; I have evidence," he said.
Li Banfeng’s eyes brightened. "What kind of evidence do you have?"
"Just wait."
Wu Yongchao returned to his room and, a short while later, ran back carrying a wicker box.
"Fortress Lord, take a look."
He carefully opened the box, revealing sixteen novels and over fifty portraits, neatly categorized.
Li Banfeng unrolled a portrait and asked, "This is Zhao Xiaowan?"
Wu Yongchao nodded gravely.
Li Banfeng flipped through the more than fifty portraits. There were over fifty "Zhao Xiaowans," each with differing appearances, makeup, attire, and postures.
"Are these all the same person?"
Wu Yongchao didn’t respond; his expression was strange.
Li Banfeng didn’t press further, realizing he had misspoken.
For a Home Cultivator like Wu Yongchao, some things were not to be questioned.
Li Banfeng carefully examined the portraits for a long time, finally finding a commonality among them.
Whether in her boudoir or on the battlefield, whether in military garb or gorgeous attire, every "Zhao Xiaowan" had a Red Tassel Spear beside her.
"This is Xiaowan’s Weapon," Wu Yongchao explained carefully. "The spear is twelve feet long, with a blade seven and seven-tenths inches long. The red tassel flutters with the wind—who can match the Flying General? As long as the Flying General is present, the red tassel is present; and as long as the red tassel is present, invaders tremble in fear. Zhao Xiaowan and her Red Tassel Spear were inseparable."
"What a catchy rhyme!" Li Banfeng complimented, impressed by Wu Yongchao’s rare display of eloquence.
Zhao Xiaowan and her Red Tassel Spear were inseparable.
Truth be told, among the fifty-plus paintings, only this long spear was depicted with any consistency.
The paintings were of limited use; determining Zhao Xiaowan’s actual appearance from them was far too difficult.
Li Banfeng looked at the dozen or so novels. "Could I borrow these books to read for a couple of days?"
Wu Yongchao looked troubled. "If the Fortress Lord wishes to borrow them, I shouldn’t refuse," he said, "but I’m afraid you might not handle them with care..."
"Don’t worry. If I so much as dog-ear a corner or tear a page, I’ll replace it with a new copy."
Wu Yongchao lowered his head. "These books are very hard to come by. It would be best if the Fortress Lord handles them carefully."
The books remained; Wu Yongchao left.
Li Banfeng opened the novels and began to read them one by one.
Undeniably, the authors possessed considerable literary skill. He sat reading in his room for several hours without feeling bored.
But the key information he sought wasn’t mentioned in these books.
Li Banfeng couldn’t ascertain the dynasty Zhao Xiaowan belonged to; he only knew she had fought for Puluo State.
At that time, Puluo State still had an Emperor, but he was only mentioned in passing in these novels.
Her enemies were called the Demon Land People. This was the part Li Banfeng cared about most.
If Zhao Xiaowan had been his wife’s mortal enemy in life, then his wife was very likely one of the Demon Land People.
But reading the novels’ descriptions of the Demon Land People, Li Banfeng found it hard to associate his wife with them.
"Ten feet tall, with a waist ten spans in circumference, possessing thick beards and hair, making it impossible to distinguish male from female..."
Li Banfeng shook away the dark thought and continued searching the books for Zhao Xiaowan’s fate.
Among these sixteen novels, Zhao Xiaowan had three different endings.
One ending was the most common: after defeating the Demon Land People, Zhao Xiaowan was adopted by the Emperor as his daughter, became a Princess, found a Prince Consort, and lived happily ever after.
Nine of the novels featured this ending, more than half.
The second ending involved the Demon Land People temporarily retreating. Zhao Xiaowan remained to guard the frontier, battling the Demon Land People for her entire life.
Six books used this ending. Li Banfeng surmised this was Wu Yongchao’s favorite. The inference was based on these six books being the most worn; Wu Yongchao likely favored this ending because it didn’t involve a Prince Consort.
The third ending was tragic. The pages bore many water stains, likely from Wu Yongchao’s tears.
Only one book featured this ending. It recounted how, after repelling the Demon Land People, Zhao Xiaowan’s great achievements aroused the Emperor’s suspicion. She was framed, falsely accused, and eventually thrown into prison, where she endured countless humiliations and tortures.
Later, when the Demon Land People invaded again, the Emperor shamelessly asked Zhao Xiaowan to fight once more. Putting the nation before herself, she went to battle again and ultimately died on the battlefield.
This ending was not a happy one, and Li Banfeng suspected it might be closest to Zhao Xiaowan’s true fate.
Putting the novels away, Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Residence.
Ultimately, the person who best knew Zhao Xiaowan’s identity was still his wife.
There were some things his wife was unwilling to discuss, but one matter had to be confirmed with her.
Li Banfeng entered the Portable Residence and, after a moment’s hesitation, asked, "Wife, have you ever heard the name Zhao Xiaowan?"
HISS... HISS...
The Phonograph was silent for a moment, then asked, "Husband, why do you suddenly ask about this person?"
Li Banfeng told the truth, "I suspect that the fierce House Spirit in the annex building is Zhao Xiaowan."
CLICK-CLACK-CLICK... TSK!
His wife played a slow tempo on the Phonograph and sang softly, "Oh, Husband, what do you intend to do with that House Spirit?"
Li Banfeng said, "I want to subdue that House Spirit."
"Subdue her? How do you plan to subdue her, Husband?"
"I plan to call out her name in her presence," Li Banfeng revealed his plan. "I am a Home Cultivator. If I speak her name to her face and she doesn’t resist, it’s tantamount to forming a contract with me. As long as the residence itself doesn’t object, she will become my House Spirit."
HISS... HISS...
His wife laughed. "Husband, are you tired of me? Do you want to acknowledge her as your House Spirit?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Once I make her my House Spirit and bring her back to our residence, we, husband and wife, can surely kill her together."
"Why do you want to kill her, Husband?"
Li Banfeng said, "Because she is your enemy, Wife. This grudge must be avenged. While I’m still at Iron Gate Fort, I want to help you fulfill this wish."
HISS... HISS...
The fire within blazed fiercely, Steam swirling, as the Phonograph turned its Big Horn towards Li Banfeng, observing him.
She was observing whether Li Banfeng was telling the truth. Indeed, he was.
He wanted to subdue Zhao Xiaowan for two reasons: on one hand, he didn’t want this House Spirit to bring disaster; on the other hand, he genuinely wanted to avenge his wife.
No matter how much his wife appeared to have moved on, vengeance for a mortal wound had to be exacted.
His wife remained silent for a long time, her Big Horn swaying from side to side.
The needle was placed on the record, and a tender rendition of "Sweetheart" slowly began to play.
As she sang, she spoke (the Phonograph had two trays):
"My beloved husband, your Little Servant is deeply grateful for your sentiment. I entrust my life to you and am willing to serve you devotedly for all my days. However, seeking revenge now is truly not the right time. That House Spirit is blind and deaf. Even if you call out her name, how could she possibly hear it? Moreover, for a House Spirit to acknowledge a master, there must be mutual consent. That spirit harbors immense resentment. The slightest misstep, the smallest offense, and you, my husband, might not escape unscathed."
Li Banfeng said, "That House Spirit just lost her master. While her heart is empty, isn’t this the perfect time for me to take her in?"
HISS... HISS...
The Phonograph laughed. "Husband, your words make this Little Servant quite jealous. Even if that wretch were to agree, you haven’t yet bonded with that annex building. You might not even be able to bring that wretch out. Husband, you are my Sweetheart. If any mishap befalls you, this Little Servant would not wish to live on alone. Let us set this matter aside for now."
Li Banfeng sighed and left the Portable Residence.
"HAHAHAHA!" Sudden, hearty laughter erupted from Liu Fang.
"Wretch, what are you laughing at?" the Phonograph cursed angrily.
Red Lotus laughed until her whole body trembled, shimmering with dewdrops.
The Jiang Xiang Gang couldn’t let it go, but Luo Zhengnan could.
He wasn’t as stubborn as Xiao Zhenggong.
His thinking was straightforward: if the Fortress Lord was willing to sell Zhao Xiaowan, he would pay to acquire her. If the Fortress Lord was unwilling, he would drop the matter and consider the trip wasted.
He was an open-minded man: try your best, but never risk your life.
But He Jiaqing wasn’t so open-minded.
The fortune teller had sent him a message: Luo Zhengnan had already infiltrated Iron Gate Fort.
"This is bad! Luo Zhengnan is capable of succeeding!" He Jiaqing tensed up immediately. "We can’t wait any longer! Old Wan, go to Donggang Stockade and find a man named Han Juncheng. He’s a Sixth Layer Home Cultivator. Find a way to get him into Iron Gate Fort and bring Zhao Xiaowan out."
The fortune teller was somewhat worried. "Zhao Xiaowan is no ordinary figure. Relying solely on a Sixth Layer Home Cultivator might not be safe enough."
He Jiaqing said, "I know it’s not entirely safe, which is why I haven’t had him make a move yet. But the situation is urgent now; we can’t afford to be too cautious. Han Juncheng is arrogant, unpleasant to deal with, and lacks experience. You’ll need to indulge him a bit. He’s a hidden asset I’ve cultivated for many years, destined for greater things. Don’t argue with him over trivialities; guide him in important matters. After it’s done, take the prize and leave Puluo State immediately. He will remain in Iron Gate Fort."
PS: What exactly is Red Lotus laughing about?