Xiao Yeci?
It had been so long since he’d last seen her that Li Banfeng had almost forgotten Xiao Yeci’s appearance, but he certainly hadn’t forgotten her distinctive way of speaking.
"Benefactor, please come with me, quickly! Don’t stay in this village. If the Saint finds you, it will be terrible!"
Xiao Yeci pulled Li Banfeng into a mountain hollow and inside a cave, where Li Banfeng saw Xiao Yeci’s daughter, Lu Chunying.
Besides Lu Chunying, he saw several other children, ranging in age from four or five to twelve or thirteen, all of various sizes.
"Benefactor, how did you come to this place?"
Li Banfeng said, "Never mind me for now. How did the two of you end up here?"
Xiao Yeci lowered her head, her face flushing, and said, "It’s embarrassing to admit, Benefactor, but I brought Nannan here to study."
Li Banfeng actually laughed. "You came to a place like this to study? When we first met, I remember you being quite insightful. How could you do something so absurd?"
Before Xiao Yeci could reply, Lu Chunying interjected from the side, "Isn’t that just like a Mouth Cultivator? All talk and no substance!"
Xiao Yeci said angrily, "You disrespectful brat! Speaking so rudely! Benefactor, I came here hoping Nannan could learn some real skills. Since we parted ways at Medicine King Valley, my daughter and I have been through a great deal. Some things... it’s not convenient to tell you..."
"If it’s not convenient, then don’t mention it. Just get to the point: how did you end up here?"
"My daughter and I were wandering to escape our enemies, living in constant fear. Ultimately, it was because our cultivation levels were insufficient. No matter where we went, we were pitiful creatures, easily crushed by anyone. Then, I heard about a place, an exceptional location for cultivation, where one could rapidly advance their cultivation level in any Taoist Sect. I got this information from a friend, someone I thought was quite reliable..."
Lu Chunying snorted coldly and interjected, "Yes, ’quite reliable.’ That friend of my mother’s was from the Jiang Xiang Gang. She swindled us out of two hundred Ocean Dollars and tricked us into coming here."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "You had dealings with the Jiang Xiang Gang?"
Ever since his first day in Puluo State, Li Banfeng had an extremely negative impression of the Jiang Xiang Gang.
Xiao Yeci glared at Lu Chunying. "Don’t talk such nonsense! Benefactor, I truly didn’t know she was from the Jiang Xiang Gang. Otherwise, I would never have fallen for her trick! After she lured us here, and I heard all the legends about the Saint, I initially believed I’d come to the right place. But Nannan learned nothing and even got beaten frequently. When I realized things weren’t right, I quickly fled the village with Nannan."
Lu Chunying looked at Xiao Yeci and said, "Mother, stop trying to make yourself look good. Did you get beaten any less than I did? If I hadn’t been quick on my feet, you might not have escaped at all."
"You disrespectful brat, stop talking back to me!"
Li Banfeng looked at the other children and asked, "Did all these children escape with you?"
Xiao Yeci nodded. "Some, like us, were tricked into coming. Others were sent by their parents. But none of them are locals. The local children don’t run. They don’t dare to, and they don’t want to."
Li Banfeng was bewildered; the composition of people here was surprisingly complex.
"First, tell me, what is this place called?"
"Benefactor, you don’t know? This village is called Respect Virtue Village."
"I’m not asking about the village, I’m asking about this whole area!" Li Banfeng felt a little exasperated trying to explain.
"Which area?" Xiao Yeci was a bit confused.
"I mean the entire region, from that tallest mountain, called the Peak of the Sages, to this village. What is this whole place called?"
Xiao Yeci shook her head. "They aren’t the same place. Respect Virtue Village is Respect Virtue Village, and Sage Peak is Sage Peak."
She answered very seriously, but that wasn’t the answer Li Banfeng was looking for.
"Isn’t Sage Peak connected to Respect Virtue Village in some way?"
"There is a connection. The Saint on Sage Peak sent dozens of his disciples to teach in the dozens of surrounding villages. These villages are all deeply grateful for the Saint’s benevolence, day and night. But we’re not from these villages. After staying for a while, we felt something wasn’t right."
Li Banfeng asked, "What can you learn from these Saint’s Disciples?"
Xiao Yeci shook her head. "You can’t learn anything worthwhile. At first, they taught literacy, but Nannan already knew how to read, so she didn’t need that. Later, they taught some so-called saintly doctrines and edicts. Listening to it, it was all just high-sounding, empty nonsense. Nannan didn’t understand some parts and asked a few questions, but they immediately hit her. They said Nannan’s heart wasn’t sincere and that she could never become a Sage’s Disciple in this lifetime."
After several months of learning nothing substantial, Li Banfeng asked, "What level do you have to reach to become a Sage’s Disciple?"
"That’s hard to say. For ordinary people, nine out of ten will never become Sage’s Disciples in their entire lives. They said that becoming a Sage’s Disciple depends on serendipity, sincerity, and perseverance. Waiting ten or even twenty years is supposedly not out of the question."
"So you realized they were charlatans, and that’s why you fled with these children?"
Xiao Yeci lowered her head. "I wouldn’t dare say for certain that they’re charlatans, but I don’t think they’re good people. These children all wanted to escape and had the courage to try, so I brought them with me."
Li Banfeng frowned. "This place isn’t far from the village. Hasn’t anyone from the village come looking for you?"
Xiao Yeci shook her head. "We weren’t originally from the village, so they don’t bother with us. For the past two days, we haven’t been able to find any food. I was thinking of going to the village to ’get some’ when I ran into you, Benefactor."
"’Get some’?"
Xiao Yeci blushed. "I mean... I stole it. The children had to eat, and I... I really couldn’t think of any other way."
Lu Chunying snorted. "I’m faster than you. It would have been better to let me go. If we waited for you to find food, we’d all starve to death."
Looking at the group of gaunt, sallow-faced children, Li Banfeng asked, "How long have you been out here since you escaped?"
"About a month."
"A whole month, and you’re still here? Haven’t you thought about getting out?"
"Benefactor, we can’t get out! I remember the way we came, but when we try to retrace our steps, we can’t find the path. Over the past month, we’ve tried so many routes, but none lead out. We just keep going in circles within these few mountains! We’re afraid we’ll be trapped here for the rest of our lives!"
"You can get out." Li Banfeng went into the forest, hunted a deer, and gave it to Xiao Yeci, telling her to let the children eat their fill for once.
When everyone had settled down to sleep, Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Residence and asked the Phonograph, "Wife, what is this Sage Peak?"
HISS...
The Phonograph pondered for a long time before saying, "I’ve never heard of such a place."
Hong Ying sneered. "Ignorant fools. I, for one, know about this Sage Peak."
The Phonograph let out a puff of Steam. "Oh, really? Then tell us about it."
"Why should I tell you? Not unless you release me!"
CLANG! BANG!
The Phonograph began to play a cacophony of gongs and drums, singing, "You wretched slut! Trying to play such tricks on me? Have you no shame?"
Hong Ying fell silent.
The Phonograph scoffed, "Husband, don’t believe her. She doesn’t know anything about Sage Peak either."
Li Banfeng felt quite helpless. "I’ve been trapped here for an entire day, and I still can’t find a way out."
The Phonograph said, "Oh, Husband, Sage Peak is probably not its real name. You need to find out the true nature of this place. If you’re lost, it’s either because the territory itself is special, or you’ve fallen victim to some villain’s plot. We must uncover the truth to know how to respond."
Li Banfeng realized he had indeed overlooked that possibility.
He had assumed it was the peculiar nature of the territory itself that prevented his escape.
Now that he considered it, it was also possible that this Saint didn’t want him to leave.
Li Banfeng spent the night in his Portable Residence. The next day, from dawn till dusk, he searched everywhere for a way out, but by nightfall, he was still just going in circles in the same area.
Throughout that day, Li Banfeng witnessed groups of children being tormented by the so-called Sage’s Disciples, and throngs of impoverished farmers delivering their most precious harvests to Sage Peak.
Upon returning to the cave, Li Banfeng saw Xiao Yeci sitting by the fire, her face bruised and swollen.
Lu Chunying was complaining beside her, "I told you to let me go, but you just wouldn’t listen, would you?"
Xiao Yeci shook her head. "You can’t do these things, Chunying. You’re still too young. I can’t let you dirty your hands with such unclean deeds."
Li Banfeng asked, "What happened? Did someone find you?"
Xiao Yeci shook her head. "The deer Benefactor hunted yesterday is almost gone. I went to the village last night to find food, but I was seen and beaten up..."
Li Banfeng frowned. "You were caught stealing? Aren’t you ashamed? And you call yourself a scholar!"
Xiao Yeci’s voice trembled slightly. "What other choice did I have?"
"There’s always a way." Li Banfeng took out a Short Knife and handed it to Xiao Yeci. "Get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, you’re coming with me to be bandits."
Holding the Short Knife, Xiao Yeci looked bewilderedly at Li Banfeng. "Benefactor, this... isn’t being a bandit shameful?"
"What’s shameful about being bandits? We earn our keep with our skills. It’s honest money, earned with a clear Conscience."
"But... what skills are involved in that?"
"Plenty of skills!" Li Banfeng asked very seriously, "Do you know how to recite the lyrics of a mountain ditty?"
...
At dawn the next day, a few farmers were pushing small carts, delivering grain to Sage Peak.
Xiao Yeci lay hidden in the tall grass, shivering all over.
Lu Chunying said from beside her, "Mom, if you can’t do it, let me go instead."
"Who says I can’t do it? You’re still too young. This isn’t something for you to do."
Li Banfeng, also nearby, said, "Enough chattering. Have you memorized the lines?"
Xiao Yeci nodded. "I’ve memorized them!"
"Then get to it!"
Xiao Yeci leaped out from the tall grass, blocking the path of the grain-transporting farmers, and shouted loudly:
"Hey!
This mountain is mine, these trees I did plant!
To cross this domain, your toll you must grant!
Dare speak but half a ’no,’ and my blade you shall face!
I’ll cut you all down, and leave not a trace for a burial place, de ya!"
Li Banfeng and Lu Chunying simultaneously shook their heads.
The farmers yelled angrily, "Where did this wild woman come from? This is grain for the Saint! How dare you try to rob it?"
Li Banfeng stepped out from the tall grass and addressed the farmers, "I am the Saint’s father. This is what he rightfully owes me. It’s not robbery; it’s a show of filial piety. Consider this offering as you fulfilling his duty of respect for him."
"To dare speak such words in the Saint’s territory—do you have a death wish?"
Lu Chunying jumped out from the tall grass, brandishing a knife, and pointed it at one of the farmers. "Are you going to hand it over or not?"
The other children in the tall grass started kicking up dust and shaking branches, creating a commotion to bolster their numbers.
The farmers were still hesitating. Li Banfeng, wielding his Short Knife, moved among them, quickly leaving a shallow cut on each of their faces.
Terrified, the farmers dropped everything and fled for their lives.
Li Banfeng had Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying lead the children to push the carts of grain back. He, meanwhile, remained by the road to continue his banditry.