Li Banfeng didn’t sit, still looking at the old man.
The old man frowned. "What’s wrong with you, child? You won’t sit when I ask, and you won’t answer my questions?"
"You don’t recognize me?" Li Banfeng finally spoke.
The old man was startled. He sized up Li Banfeng, tentatively asking, "Are you...?"
Li Banfeng furrowed his brows. "You really don’t recognize me?"
The old man’s cheeks quivered, then he smiled. "You’ve seen me? Then there’s no need for more words. It’s about time I made my move."
Li Banfeng dug his toes into the ground and bolted!
The old man hovered in mid-air, pursuing him relentlessly.
"This mountain road is treacherous. Let me give you a walking stick!" The old man threw a branch at Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng quickly dodged. The branch stabbed into the ground, missing him.
The old man shouted again, "In such a hurry to leave? Let me speed you on your way!"
An eerie force surged from beneath his feet. Drawing on his experience, before his feet even left the ground, Li Banfeng swiftly unleashed Trample Over Thousands of Rivers, crushing the source of the force to pieces.
"You seem to be running so hard. Let me wipe that sweat off for you!"
A gust of wind swept past, and the sweat on Li Banfeng’s face dried.
"Stop!" the old man shouted. Li Banfeng froze in place as if he were a clay statue.
He simply stopped, his legs completely beyond his control.
The old man floated before Li Banfeng, his expression grave. "Listen carefully. You’ve received my three offerings, and now it’s time for me to collect my remuneration. Stand still. Don’t move. This is the first payment."
The old man asked, "I’m going to ask you some questions. That’s the second payment. You must answer truthfully. You just said you recognize me. When was that?"
Li Banfeng didn’t want to speak, but his mouth opened uncontrollably.
Air passed through his throat. Li Banfeng struggled to resist but still spoke the truth:
"I don’t recognize you. I was just asking if you recognized me."
The old man’s cheeks twitched again. "Good boy, trying to trick me. I’ll ask you another question: what’s your relationship with Meng Yuchun?"
Li Banfeng, once again speaking uncontrollably, told the truth. "I’m reclaiming wilderness in her territory. Other than that, there’s no relationship."
The old man nodded. "So, you’re useless. Then there’s no need to keep you alive."
Li Banfeng’s mind raced, desperately seeking a way to escape.
He tried it, but his legs still wouldn’t move.
The old man was considering how to kill Li Banfeng. "I’ll burn you. That’ll save the trouble of disposing of a corpse. This is the third payment. You are not allowed to extinguish the fire."
Li Banfeng quickly ducked his head, wrapping his arms tightly around it.
The old man sneered, and a ball of flame instantly engulfed Li Banfeng.
The flames clung to Li Banfeng’s body, licking up and down his form.
Li Banfeng’s clothes didn’t burn, his Magical Treasures were untouched, and not even a single hair on his head was singed.
The old man paused, unsure what kind of technique this was.
The old man drew a Short Knife from his waist, intending to cut Li Banfeng down.
Li Banfeng shouted, "Three offerings, three payments! Are you trying to take unfair advantage?"
The old man hesitated for a moment, withdrew the flames, and shook his head. "I intended to burn you, but I didn’t succeed. So, the remuneration can’t be considered reclaimed. I am not taking advantage of you."
The old man’s knife was about to fall.
The Tang Sword leaped up, trying to block the old man’s Short Knife.
The old man bellowed, "No defending!"
CLANG! The Tang Sword dropped to the ground.
The Wine Gourd jumped up, aiming to spray wine at the old man’s eyes. The old man shouted, "The third payment hasn’t been returned! You are not allowed to fight back!"
The Wine Gourd truly couldn’t spray any wine.
Li Banfeng suddenly felt something vibrate in his pocket; the Pocket Watch had been stirring constantly.
Li Banfeng pulled the stem of the watch, and a Month Plate rapidly unfolded before him.
As the Short Knife descended, Meng De shouted, "You shameless old scoundrel! Where did your three offerings come from?"
The old man was taken aback, then chuckled. "Is there anything to ask about that?"
Meng De retorted, "If you don’t clarify, what remuneration do you expect to claim?"
Li Banfeng suddenly felt his legs loosen slightly.
The old man nodded. "Alright, I’ll explain the three offerings. First, he almost encountered a Wounded Demon Fiend, and I saved his life. That’s one offering.
"Second, when he was running away, I used my Technique to drag him along for a stretch. That’s the second offering.
"Third, he was sweating profusely from running, and I wiped his sweat for him. That’s the third offering.
"I’ve made myself clear. What else do you have to say?"
Meng De didn’t speak. For the moment, she couldn’t think of anything to say; the three offerings were indeed clearly explained.
His legs, which had loosened, grew taut again. The old man’s Technique had been reinforced.
The old man raised his knife once more. Li Banfeng suddenly shouted, "Did I really encounter a Wounded Demon Fiend?"
The old man fell silent for a moment and didn’t answer.
Meng De shouted, "Shameless old thief! You lie and deceive, yet you dare demand remuneration!"
Virtue Cultivation Technique—Ethical Act!
The old man felt a twinge of guilt. Indeed, what Li Banfeng had encountered before was not a Wounded Demon Fiend.
Li Banfeng moved his knees. His right leg could move!
The old man’s arm trembled slightly; he was experiencing a backlash from some power.
PS: If a deaf person, unable to hear the old man speak, encountered him, could they avoid his Technique? Could it really be that simple?