Li Banfeng told Luo Zhengnan to leave first, but Luo Zhengnan didn’t agree.
He didn’t know what Li Qi had experienced, but Luo Zhengnan himself had brought up the matter of revenge.
Now that Li Qi wanted to wipe out the Hall Entrance at Black Stone Slope, how could Luo Zhengnan let him fight alone?
"Seventh Master, are you scolding me? I may not be a good man, but I am certainly not a coward. As long as you are here, I definitely can’t leave."
Li Banfeng wasn’t being polite to Luo Zhengnan; he was worried Luo Zhengnan wouldn’t be able to keep pace.
Luo Zhengnan’s investigative and judgment skills were top-notch, but Li Banfeng was still uncertain about his combat abilities.
Luo Zhengnan claimed he could fight too, which Li Banfeng didn’t doubt, but the current situation couldn’t be resolved simply by fighting.
The Border Defense Envoy had intervened in the Jiang Xiang Gang’s affairs. Although Li Banfeng wasn’t a native of Puluo State and didn’t hold the Border Defense Envoy in such deep awe, he had to be prepared to advance or retreat as necessary.
To put it bluntly, this battle required the ability to fight or flee at any moment. Home Cultivation excels at battlefield entry, while Traveling Cultivation excels at retreat. Luo Zhengnan lacked this capability and would find it hard to keep up with Li Banfeng’s pace.
Luo Zhengnan had a clear understanding of this himself. "Seventh Master, I won’t hold you back. Let’s split up. I’ll scout for information, and you can make your move when the time is right.
For the next day or two, rest and build up your strength. Try not to show your face in public."
Li Banfeng asked, "You mean there won’t be a suitable opportunity in the next day or two?"
Luo Zhengnan laughed. "Seventh Master, although the Jiang Xiang Gang is a second-rate gang, they’ve been around the Jianghu for many years.
Seeing how heavily guarded the Hall Entrance is, I reckon they can hold out for at least a day or two. It’s not worth confronting them head-on during this time.
It’s better if we do as we did with Pei Yikou: try not to strike them in their lair. Since they’re in the business of child abduction, they’ll definitely have to move their ’goods.’ Once I have information, we’ll decide when to act."
Luo Zhengnan was truly astute; he always knew what Li Banfeng needed most.
They agreed to meet at noon the day after tomorrow. Li Banfeng found an inn, took a Gold Yuan Pill, neutralized about seventy to eighty percent of its Pill’s Poison, and then returned to his Portable Residence to rest.
With this Gold Yuan Pill, staying in the Portable Residence for two or three days wouldn’t be a major issue. It was also a good opportunity to accumulate some fortune using his ’Living in Peace and Working Happily’ technique.
Previously, after staying in the Portable Residence for thirteen hours, his fortune had noticeably increased.
The Jiang Xiang Gang’s Hall Entrance at Black Stone Slope was small. According to Li Banfeng’s plan, he should have struck immediately upon arrival. However, Luo Zhengnan had noticed something unusual near the Hall Entrance—this was where fortune played its part.
After a day, the Phonograph casually inquired, "Ah, my lord, do you not plan on going out to buy groceries today?"
Li Banfeng stroked the Big Horn and sang in response, "Ah, my lady, if your lord stays home and doesn’t leave, are you not pleased?"
The lady responded, "Ah, my lord, if you stay home to accompany your Little Servant, this Little Servant is naturally overjoyed. I only fear that my husband might indulge in the comforts of home and neglect his grand ambitions and great endeavors."
"Ah, my lady, is buying groceries considered a grand ambition and great endeavor?" Li Banfeng tickled the lady’s armpit, making her tremble with laughter.
Their harmonious back-and-forth was very sweet, but Hong Ying felt something was amiss.
After another half-day, Li Banfeng went out. Just before leaving, the Phonograph advised, "Judging by your complexion, my lord, your fortune is excellent today. You can be more decisive in your actions."
After stepping outside, Li Banfeng’s legs seemed to carry him faster on their own, and he quickly found Luo Zhengnan.
Luo Zhengnan had indeed found some news. "Seventh Master, I spent all day yesterday investigating the child kidnappers but found nothing. Then I changed my approach and managed to dig up something.
There’s a fellow Showing Foreign Films around Black Stone Slope recently. He leaves before dawn, heads to the distant outskirts, and returns at unpredictable times in the evening.
A friend of mine who lives near his place saw two fortune-tellers. From their methods, I could tell they were from the Jiang Xiang Gang. They must be lookouts for this guy Showing Foreign Films.
Using the act of Showing Foreign Films to abduct children is a common tactic of the Jiang Xiang Gang. Two hours ago, my friend sent word that the man Showing Foreign Films had gone to the Western Suburb."
Li Banfeng organized his thoughts and laid out a plan. "I’ll go to the Western Suburb to find this man Showing Foreign Films. You go to his place and check the situation. I suspect the children are hidden there.
Just ascertain the situation; be very careful not to startle the snake. Let’s both get a clear understanding of things first, and then we’ll capture them all in one go."
Luo Zhengnan nodded repeatedly; Li Qi’s plan was completely aligned with his own.
...
CLITTER-CLATTER, CLITTER-CLATTER!
「Western Suburb, Willow Pond Village.」
The sound of a pellet drum reached the village entrance, and a few children, hearing it, gathered around.
They thought a Peddler had arrived and hoped to buy some candy. But when they got closer, they saw it was someone Showing Foreign Films.
The man Showing Foreign Films was pushing a four-wheeled cart. On the cart was a large wooden cabinet, a size larger than a Peddler’s display case.
On the front and back of the cabinet were eight glass lenses—magnifying glasses. To watch the scenes, people would lean over and peer through these lenses at the pictures inside.
What kind of pictures were inside the cabinet?
There were pictures of famous scenic spots and illustrated storybooks. The man Showing Foreign Films always had storytelling skills. Pulling a string, beating the pellet drum, he would switch the images one by one with his hands, narrating the story segment by segment.