Meng De gained the upper hand in the argument, and Li Banfeng sensed a change in the Technique.
The old man continued to reason patiently, actually managing to make sense. "Whether she’s a Wounded Demon Fiend or not, that woman was going to harm your master. I saved your master’s life, so this contribution must count."
Meng De was rendered speechless once more, while Li Banfeng’s right leg, which had just relaxed, began to move out of his control again.
"Is there anything else to say?" the old man raised the Short Knife once more.
Li Banfeng asked, "How do you know that woman meant to harm me?"
The old man replied, "She provoked you with wanton words without any cause; naturally, she harbors malicious intentions!"
Meng De caught the loophole. "That’s not necessarily true. Maybe the woman took a fancy to my master and truly desired to throw herself into his embrace!"
The old man shook his head. "Such an explanation is truly preposterous!"
Li Banfeng retorted, "On what grounds do you call it preposterous? How can you know the woman’s thoughts? Could it be that she’s your accomplice?"
Li Banfeng had hit the nail on the head; the woman really was the old man’s accomplice. The old man’s arms trembled violently; the backlash this time was severe.
Meng De seized the opportunity to launch a ferocious attack. "You shameless, indecent scoundrel! Colluding with a shameless woman to seduce my master with vile methods! My master, being an upright individual, was unmoved. You cry ’Stop thief!’ after orchestrating this farce yourself, yet you still talk of contributions and ask for rewards! With such despicable means, you’re only fit to beg for food in a ditch. How dare you cause trouble and make unjust accusations here! Shame on you for your age! You’re truly ignorant of the meaning of ’base and despicable’!"
This scolding left the old man dumbfounded, unable to speak a word.
Li Banfeng felt the restraints on his legs loosen considerably. He waited for the right moment to reach for the key.
Li Banfeng thought. Grandpa Train had warned him that the small movement of reaching for the key could attract others’ attention.
The old man paid no attention to Li Banfeng; he was still arguing with Meng De.
The old man fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Let’s not mention me saving him for now. I still gave him three contributions!"
Li Banfeng wondered.
The old man said, "I treated him to a fine performance. Doesn’t that count as a contribution?"
Indeed, the old man had put on a play, and Li Banfeng had watched it. But Li Banfeng hadn’t wanted to watch that play. It seemed that regardless of desire, just by watching, one owed the old man.
Li Banfeng couldn’t think of a response, but Meng De was quite at ease. She confidently undid her garments.
Meng De let her cheongsam slip, revealing her shoulders.
The old man was also taken aback. "What is the meaning of this?"
Meng De smiled. "You see? Isn’t my performance appealing?"
The old man retorted angrily, "I don’t want it! This does not count as a reward."
Meng De snorted. "If you don’t want it, then don’t look. But if you’ve seen it, it means you’ve accepted it!"
Meng De’s Virtue Cultivation was actually countering his Taoist Sect’s methods.
The old man was furious, trembling all over. The restrictions on Li Banfeng’s legs had completely disappeared.
He immediately took out the key, opened the Portable Residence, and pulled Meng De inside, running into the house.
"Don’t leave!" The old man reached out to grab Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng swiftly stepped forward, dragging the old man into the room as well.
The room was dark, lit only by a flicker of candlelight. Next to the candle was a mirror, and a Long Spear was in front of it, grooming itself.
This situation plunged the old man into contemplation.
Suddenly, a burst of gongs and drums sounded, followed by clear singing:
"Hey you, you shameless thing! Your eyes are clearly blind, so why look in the mirror?"
"I love looking in mirrors because I’m pretty," replied the Long Spear.
"What’s pretty about you?"
"My face and waist are pretty, way better than your ghastly look," the Long Spear retorted.
The old man turned to look behind him and saw the Phonograph arguing with the Long Spear.
Grinding his teeth, the old man said, "I’ve lived this long, and only today have I actually seen a Demon Person!"
Hong Ying turned her face towards the sound. "Who are you calling a Demon Person?"
The old man turned to Li Banfeng. "Demon Person, is this your lair?"
Li Banfeng was startled. "Are you calling me a Demon Person?"
The old man reached into his right pocket, pulling out a handful of wild fruit, and was about to throw them on the ground. Suddenly, a burst of Steam wrapped around his right hand, preventing him from letting go of the fruit.
"Well, husband, you’ve brought back a Weng Fangqu," the Phonograph said.
Li Banfeng was confused. "What is a Weng Fangqu?"
The Phonograph explained, "It’s a kind of Wandering Monster from the New Land that offers three contributions and demands three rewards. This creature is not low in rank! This is our home. If those wild fruits fall to the ground, it’s as if we accepted its things. Wouldn’t that mean we took its contribution again?"
As the old man started to reach into his left pocket, an imposing force struck, causing him to shudder. With a thud, his left hand dropped to the floor.
"Who... My hand!" The old man didn’t understand why his hand had fallen off.
Hong Ying continued to sit in front of the mirror, grooming herself as if she had never moved.
The Phonograph intoned, "You shameless creature. You took one of his hands; that also counts as a contribution."
"Does it?" Hong Ying put down the Rouge and picked up an eyebrow pencil.
WHOOSH!
There was another sound, and both of the old man’s legs broke off at the knees.
The old man wanted to speak. One hand and two legs equaled three contributions; he could ask for a reward. But he couldn’t speak anymore.
Hong Ying drew a line on her face with the eyebrow pencil, and suddenly a hole appeared in the old man’s throat.
Now the Weng Fangqu had no voice to speak.
The Phonograph exclaimed angrily, "You shameless creature, don’t kill him yet! I haven’t eaten!"
Hong Ying continued to draw her eyebrows. "The Soul belongs to you. Let me eat some of the flesh."
"Ugh, you wretch! Didn’t you claim you don’t partake in mortal food?"
"Things are different now," Hong Ying chuckled. "I am a young lady with connections now. Besides, these few days are special for me, so I need to eat something to replenish my qi and blood."
"Special days, indeed!" The Phonograph scoffed. "Why don’t you go and have a baby then?"
"It’s coming soon! And when it does, I’ll ask you, this vile woman, to help me look after the child!"
The Phonograph grew angrier, and Red Lotus in the Seventh Room was even more furious.
Red Lotus fumed internally.
Hong Ying finished drawing her eyebrows and asked tenderly, "Qi Lang, do you think I look pretty?"
"Qi Lang, I’m speaking to you."
"Qi Lang, where are you?"
Li Banfeng was right behind the Phonograph.
The Phonograph giggled. "Oh, my dear husband, stop touching Little Servant’s belly! It tickles!"
"Let your husband touch and see if his darling wife has gained any weight," Li Banfeng cooed.
"My dear husband, why are you always hoping Little Servant will get plump?"
"The prosperity of a household all depends on whether the wife is plump or not!"
Hong Ying’s body shuddered, her disheveled hair trembling along with her.
The Weng Fangqu’s remaining hand, its right one, broke free from the Steam. Dipping its fingers in its own blood, it tried to write something on the ground.
Hong Ying’s body swayed, and she chopped off its right hand as well.
"Vile woman, hurry up and eat! Don’t cause any more chaos," Hong Ying snapped, irritably combing her hair at the mirror.
The Phonograph concealed her laughter. "My dear husband, let’s not play around. Let’s attend to serious matters first."
Although the Phonograph and Hong Ying seemed to be taking it lightly, neither underestimated the Weng Fangqu.
Using the broken bone of its arm, the Weng Fangqu continued to write on the ground.
The Phonograph bound the Weng Fangqu with Steam, beginning Soul Sucking.
Li Banfeng found it hard to understand. "What’s the point of it writing?"
While performing Soul Sucking, the Phonograph sang, "Weng Fangqu, Weng Fangqu, chant your scriptures before collecting debts."
"What does that mean?"
"It’s an old rhyme about the Weng Fangqu’s habits. It must state the rules clearly before asking for compensation, and it can’t make a move if things aren’t clear."
"This is a habit of the Weng Fangqu?"
"It’s not just a habit; it’s a law. Not only for the Weng Fangqu, but all who practice Feng Cultivation follow this law. The Weng Fangqu is a high-level Feng Cultivator transformed. Judging by the quality of this Soul, this Weng Fangqu must be at the Eighth Layer."
"What kind of Taoist Sect is Feng Cultivation?"
"A Taoist Sect that cultivates through offerings. Make an offering once, demand compensation once. The Weng Fangqu, influenced by the New Land, is a special case. It must offer at least three times before demanding compensation; otherwise, it would suffer a backlash in its cultivation level. This creature is seldom seen in the New Land. My dear husband, how did you encounter it?"
"It brought a woman to trick me, but I wasn’t fooled. Then it moved a Stone for me to sit on, offered me a branch as a walking stick, and summoned a gust of wind to wipe my sweat, claiming it had fulfilled the three contributions..."
As the Weng Fangqu struggled, Li Banfeng reminded her, "Be careful, my dear. This old thing is very fast."
"Its attacks aren’t necessarily that fast, but its footwork is indeed swift, though it depends on who it’s dealing with. This is a Technique of Feng Cultivation called the Debt-Collecting Pursuit. Anyone who accepts its offerings will be relentlessly chased down. My dear husband, you managed to hold your ground against it for so long; your footwork isn’t slow either!"
Li Banfeng quickly changed the subject. "My dear, what characters did it write down?"
"Nothing worth seeing, just its same old rules. These rules don’t necessarily have to be recited aloud; writing them down works just as well."
"Written for whom to see? If we don’t look at them, its Techniques won’t work, right?"
"They’re not written for us. When Feng Cultivators recite scriptures, it’s for their own ears. They must understand them clearly for the Techniques to be useful. As for the specifics, Little Servant can’t explain it clearly either, but I do know that this Taoist Sect really tests one’s character."
After the Phonograph consumed the Soul, Hong Ying took some blood and flesh from the Weng Fangqu’s body and smeared it on her spear tip. After the application, the spear tip looked even more lustrous.
She wanted to ask Li Qi if it looked good but heard Li Qi frolicking with the Phonograph instead. Listening to the Phonograph’s laughter, it seemed Li Qi was still rubbing the Phonograph’s belly.
After Hong Ying finished, the Clock Pendulum and Earrings rushed forward. The Tang Sword, not to be outdone, snatched a chunk of flesh and ran off.
The Judge’s Pen harrumphed, wanting a taste but too lazy to move.
The Wine Gourd and the Old Teapot each took a mouthful. The Phonograph took some fresh blood and poured it onto the Adhesive Tape, which had been mostly used up. The tape began to regrow rapidly, soon becoming a full roll again.
The Projector sighed heavily. "Why are you all so cruel!" He released a girl, who carved a piece of flesh for him and placed it in the film chamber.
The Gloves shook its head repeatedly. "I really can’t stand to watch this."
It entered the Third Room and closed the door. Taking advantage of being unnoticed, it spat out a piece of flesh, trembling with excitement. "This piece of flesh is the best! Those Crazy Old Men and Crazy Old Grannies don’t understand!"
Hong Ying sat silently for a moment, then suddenly felt a change in her body. Her Conscience was growing, her Peach was growing, and her cultivation level was also recovering.
"I was wondering why you all are so greedy! Eating flesh and blood in this room really is different!" Hong Ying exclaimed, then rushed forward and joined the scramble with everyone.
Li Banfeng cut a piece of flesh and left it for Meng De. "You made a great contribution in this battle. When Hong Ying hit you earlier, she went too hard. Don’t hold a grudge."
Meng De, holding her Peach and looking aggrieved, said, "Master won’t even rub it for me."
"HUMPH!" the Phonograph raged. "Wench, do you still want a beating? Go hang yourself on the wall!"
The "family" had their fill, leaving very little of the Weng Fangqu.
Li Banfeng brought over Red Lotus and placed it next to the Weng Fangqu. "Eat."
Red Lotus shivered for a moment, then opened its petals, seemingly saying something to the Phonograph.
The Phonograph said impatiently, "I know. With less flesh, there’ll be fewer Elixirs. You won’t be blamed for it."
Red Lotus was angry. Li Banfeng frowned. "If you won’t eat, then don’t. We’ll leave it for their next meal."
Without further hesitation, Red Lotus absorbed the Weng Fangqu, not leaving a single drop of blood.
The Phonograph reminded, "My dear husband, we still don’t know the Weng Fangqu’s origins. In Little Servant’s memory, one doesn’t encounter such things for no reason. You need to be more careful."
Li Banfeng asked the Projector, "Did you memorize what the Weng Fangqu looked like?"