Luo Zhengnan had a keen eye; while the Home Cultivator at Iron Gate Fort failed to recognize Li Banfeng, he did.
Li Banfeng knew Luo Zhengnan had gone missing. According to Qiu Zhiheng’s speculation, this man should have been killed by Pei Yikou by now. But who could have expected to see him at Iron Gate Fort?
Since Luo Zhengnan hadn’t died, what was he doing at Iron Gate Fort?
"Hall Master Luo, what brings you here?" Li Banfeng heightened his vigilance.
"Fortress Lord, can we find an appropriate place to talk?"
Li Banfeng took Luo Zhengnan to his own residence. Before he left, Li Banfeng had entrusted Wu Yongchao to take care of it. The Home Cultivator was very meticulous, and the residence was cleaned spotlessly.
But Luo Zhengnan was also a meticulous person; he could tell that no one had lived in this residence for some time.
The living room table was empty; the Teapot, wine cups, fruit plates, and other items typically used for hosting guests had all been put away.
"Fortress Lord, have you been away on a long trip recently?"
Li Banfeng did not answer. "Don’t worry about my affairs; tell me about yours first. What are you doing at Iron Gate Fort?"
The Fortress Lord, as always, was straightforward in his speech. Luo Zhengnan was used to it and didn’t beat around the bush. "I’ve come to seek refuge with you."
"Do we have such a deep relationship?"
Luo Zhengnan shook his head. "We don’t have a deep relationship; we’ve only done business that one time. The reasons I’ve come to you are twofold:
"Firstly, I dare not go to those with whom I have a deep relationship because someone knows I would seek them out.
"Secondly, judging from our previous business deal, you’re a man of your word, and I trust you."
"Your status within Jiang Xiang Gang was not low, and now you suddenly say you want to seek refuge with me. You need to clarify the circumstances."
"To tell you the truth, the Gang and I have fallen out. I survived by faking my death and fleeing from Medicine King Valley. I’m not completely clear about the specific reasons, but I assure you, I’ve done nothing to betray the Gang. If you’re willing to give me sanctuary, I will serve you from now on. I won’t say anything about being willing to die a thousand deaths, as that’s nonsense. I can only promise to do my best to serve you. If you’re unwilling to accept me, I will leave immediately and not cause you any trouble. I only ask one thing of you: do not reveal my whereabouts."
There’s no need for excessive words with a smart person; they’ve already considered everything you might think.
Luo Zhengnan indeed was a clever man. No one in Jiang Xiang Gang would probably guess that he would come to Iron Gate Fort.
But, after pondering for a long while, Li Banfeng still shook his head. "I can take you in, but Iron Gate Fort cannot."
Luo Zhengnan was taken aback. "Fortress Lord, I don’t understand what you mean."
Just as Li Banfeng was thinking how to explain, he suddenly saw Wu Yongchao rush in frantically, "Who are you people? What do you want to do? You... Fortress Lord, you’ve returned?"
Wu Yongchao looked at Li Banfeng awkwardly.
Li Banfeng nodded slightly, signaling Wu Yongchao to come back later.
Wu Yongchao failed to understand Li Banfeng’s gesture, so Li Banfeng had to clarify, "Brother, wait for me at home. I’ll come to you soon."
After Wu Yongchao left, Li Banfeng said to Luo Zhengnan, "You’ve seen for yourself. The people in Iron Gate Fort are honest folk. With their cultivation level, they can protect themselves. However, they can’t protect you, and I don’t want to bring disaster upon them."
Luo Zhengnan sighed. "Then please, Fortress Lord, point me to another path."
"I have two paths for you. The first is Flying Eagle Mountain, outside Iron Gate Fort. You’ve likely heard of it. There used to be a bandit gang there, but I wiped them out. Nominally, the mountain is still a bandit lair, but in reality, it’s my territory. I can hand Flying Eagle Mountain over to you.
"After you take over Flying Eagle Mountain, you can engage in whatever trade you want. Hua Hong is easy to talk to. You can pay her whatever you see fit. But it’s better not to play the role of Mountain King, or it could easily lead to conflict between us."
Li Banfeng was sincerely offering Luo Zhengnan a way out, not for any other reason but because of his behavior during the difficult times in Medicine King Valley. Such a man deserved Li Banfeng’s help.
Luo Zhengnan pondered for a moment, feeling that this was indeed a legitimate way out.
However, gathering troops and horses on Flying Eagle Mountain would not happen overnight.
Although the faked death was performed very discreetly, Luo Zhengnan never harbored any illusions. What if Jiang Xiang Gang discovered he was still alive before he could amass forces on Flying Eagle Mountain? How would he defend himself then?
"Fortress Lord, I’d like to hear the other way out."
"Go to Greenwater City."
Luo Zhengnan doubted he had misheard. "I’m trying to evade disaster. Do you think Greenwater City is appropriate?"
This matter was something Li Banfeng had the most authority to discuss.
To avoid the Lu Family’s pursuit, he had also fled from Medicine King Valley to Greenwater City. It proved to be the right decision.
"Hall Master Luo, if Jiang Xiang Gang targets Iron Gate Fort, it will be easy for them to find you, since Iron Gate Fort is only so big. But even if Jiang Xiang Gang knows you’re in Greenwater City, it will be hard for them to find you because Greenwater City is just too big. Once you get to Greenwater City, my friend will look after you. You know best what Jiang Xiang Gang is capable of; Greenwater City isn’t a place where they can cause trouble. Do you think this path is suitable for you?"
Luo Zhengnan, always cautious, was somewhat hesitant about going to Greenwater City.
Li Banfeng knew Luo Zhengnan had his own considerations and simply reminded him, "Do you want to hide for a moment, or for a lifetime?"
Luo Zhengnan asked Li Banfeng, "When I get to Greenwater City, which family’s door should I knock on?"
"How soon can you reach Greenwater City?"
"Two days should be enough."