In the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng quietly watched the film projectionist.
The man’s face was covered in snot and saliva, his body riddled with blisters. His wife had somehow calmed him down.
"What’s your name?"
The film projectionist replied, "Mei Laokan."
"Is that a real name or a nickname?"
"That’s my name."
"What was your status at the Black Stone Slope Hall Entrance?"
"No status."
Li Banfeng pulled out his Sickle. The film projectionist shuddered in fear. "I’m not from the Black Stone Slope Hall Entrance! I was originally a Xunfeng from the Leaping Horse Ravine Hall Entrance. I came to Black Stone Slope following the orders of our Hall Master."
"Why did he send you to Black Stone Slope?"
"Our Hall Master said it was the Gang Leader’s command. The Gang Leader wanted to get the Black Stone Slope Hall Entrance up and running and needed a few people who knew how to work."
"And you count as someone who knows how to work?"
"I’ve been showing foreign films for over thirty years and have never made a mistake."
Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment, then asked, "How many children have you kidnapped?"
"Countless."
"Have any children died at your hands?"
"I’m in business here; I usually don’t kill anyone. Occasionally, when some didn’t obey, I’ve killed one or two. There was no other way."
"Do you realize these children are the apple of their parents’ eyes?"
"But I need to make a living! I have to do business! Can’t they just have another child..."
BANG!
Li Banfeng kicked the film projectionist in the face, breaking his nose and knocking out his teeth. The man cried and screamed on the ground, making noises that hardly sounded human.
The Phonograph advised, "Master, don’t stoop to his level. Let’s get the important information first. Later, this little servant will deal with him slowly."
Li Banfeng asked, "Is the Hall Master of Black Stone Slope really from the Defense Agency?"
The film projectionist, crying, shook his head. "I really don’t know about that. I just know that Black Stone Slope got a new Hall Master. The previous one was sent to another Hall Entrance. This new Hall Master knew I was an expert and wanted me to conduct a few ’business deals’ in Black Stone Slope first. I didn’t dare. The people in Black Stone Slope are tough; if I got caught, I’d be dead. The Hall Master said all the money earned would be mine, and he had other rewards. He just wanted me to reach a certain number quickly and deliver the goods."
"To whom are you delivering?"
"To a Saint on Sage Peak."
"Do you have a way to do that?"
"After working for so many years, of course, I have connections. Aside from the Saint himself, whom I’ve never met, I’ve seen everyone else on Sage Peak."
As he said this, the film projectionist’s tone became slightly elevated.
Li Banfeng wanted to hit him again but restrained himself, worried he might accidentally kill the man.
"How many children have you kidnapped at Black Stone Slope?"
"Including today, a total of eighteen."
"Why are you hoarding so many? Why not sell them off quickly?"
"A Guide Token also costs money. Taking out only one or two isn’t enough to cover the cost. Besides, sending only one or two children to Sage Peak won’t get you an audience with anyone important. For three to five children, you might meet a Foothill Disciple. Ten or more, you could meet a Mountain Disciple. With over twenty, you could meet a confidant of the Saint and even carry a few words to him. This time, the Hall Master gave an order: he would go along to deliver the goods, and we absolutely had to meet someone important—at the very least, a confidant of the Saint."
Li Banfeng pointed to a few mutilated corpses and asked, "These ruthless men around the Hall Master, do you recognize any of them?"
The film projectionist shook his head. "I don’t recognize any of them. They weren’t originally part of the Gang; they came with the Hall Master."
"Have you always been taking the kidnapped children to Cheap Person Ridge?"
"Not exactly. In the early days of this business, I didn’t even know Sage Peak existed. There were no Guide Tokens back then, so I could only operate locally. When I got a child, I had to sell them the same day, finding capable people in the Gang to transport them out. After working in the Gang for a few years, the Hall Entrance started to value us experts. They got us Guide Tokens, allowing us to transport the children out. Back then, we sold to wealthy families. The Hall Entrance took the largest share of the money, and we got a small cut. A few more years passed, and the rules changed. Kidnapped children could only be sent to Sage Peak. There were more regulations involved, but the Saint indeed paid much more."
"Who’s the most senior person you’ve met on Sage Peak?"
"I’ve met Zhong Shengshi."
"Are you talking about Zhong Huairen?"
"I don’t know his full name; I just know he always wears a white robe."
"Aside from money, has he given you anything else?"
"He’s also given me Elixirs, all good medicines not available on the market. The more children I delivered, the more Elixirs he gave."
"You entered Cheap Person Ridge, and you could still walk out?"
"Yes, the paths there aren’t difficult to navigate."
Li Banfeng couldn’t walk out, and many people in Cheap Person Ridge couldn’t either.
Enough questions about Sage Peak had been asked. Li Banfeng proceeded to ask about the Jiang Xiang Gang’s affairs. "How did you know I was onto you?"
The film projectionist shook his head. "I don’t know about that. A fortune-teller from the Gold-Picking Sect within the Gang told me my den was being watched. I relayed this to the Hall Master, and the Hall Master said he would arrange the rest."
Li Banfeng said, "When do you plan to deliver the goods?"
"Tonight. The Hall Master said to have the other brothers snatch a few more children to make it twenty in total. They’re all to be taken to the Granary south of the train station—Six Warehouses and Five Depots. We’re leaving tonight to avoid any unexpected trouble."
"How do you plan to move the goods?"
"I’ll take the children back first, find a place to settle them, then go to the Hall Entrance. Someone from the Hall Entrance will see me onto the train, and the Hall Master will go too."
After much consideration, Li Banfeng thought of a Technique. "Which of you is adept at skinning?"
As soon as skinning was mentioned, the film projectionist was terrified. He scrambled to his feet to escape, shouting as he ran, "I just took a few kids! As long as they’re obedient, I definitely won’t kill them! I’ve found them good families! I’ve never done anything to betray my conscience! On what grounds do you have to kill people? Let’s find a place to talk this out!"
Hong Ying stepped forward and pinned the film projectionist to the ground. "Qi Lang, I can skin. It’s just that my skinning isn’t very neat."
"What do you mean by ’not very neat’?"
Before Hong Ying could answer, the Phonograph sneered, "Wretch, are you planning to flay this man alive?"
Hong Ying, with her foot on the film projectionist, answered indifferently, "Doesn’t this man deserve to be flayed? Human traffickers like him deserve this fate!"
"Stop messing around! The Master needs the skin for something. If you cut it to pieces, how can it be used?"
The Blood-Thirsty Pendulum said, "I can give it a try."
The Phonograph said, "Sister, be careful with your hands. Don’t make the wounds too big. Try to peel the skin as intact as possible."
The Clock Pendulum began its work, and the film projectionist howled in agony.
Li Banfeng, annoyed by the noise, took the Projector to the Fifth Room and replayed the battle that had just occurred.
Because he had been ambushed, Li Banfeng fought with all his might. He had no comprehensive plan and made decisions on the fly, so there were many flaws in the battle details.
Perhaps because he had calmed down, Li Banfeng, carefully watching the earlier footage, felt that those four high-level Cultivators looked a little familiar. Especially the mole cricket Body Cultivator who had been stabbed to death with the Tang Sword—Li Banfeng felt as if he had seen him before.
"Heavens, Master, this little servant has seen this man!"
Li Banfeng was startled and quickly turned off the Projector. He returned to the main room, chuckling. "My dearest wife, where did you say you saw him?"
His wife pointed at the relatively intact corpse and said, "That’s the man. This little servant believes she has seen him."
This was indeed the mole cricket stabbed to death by the Tang Sword.
"When did you see this person, my dear?"
The Phonograph stretched out its needle, flipping through newspapers on the bookshelf. Soon, a newspaper was picked by the needle onto the tray. In the flickering light, a photograph was projected onto the wall.
"Master isn’t often home, so this little servant often reads newspapers to pass the time. This man... this little servant has indeed seen him. He should be from the Chu Family."
The paper his wife had pulled out was a newspaper from fifteen years ago, which Li Banfeng had bought at a high price from the Lu Family Bookstore. At that time, the Head of the Chu Family, Chu Shaoqiang, and the Lu Family’s Head, Lu Dongliang, joined forces to start a large business venture at Pants Belt Pit, called Flower Branch Street. The street still exists today and is also a Lu Family business. The entire street sells flowers; anyone, man or woman, can go there to buy any kind of flower imaginable.
Flower Branch Street was a place they would definitely visit in the future, but that wasn’t the current focus. The important thing was the photograph taken when the Contract Book was signed.
On this photo, Li Banfeng saw the mole cricket. Although his appearance back then was quite different from his current one, Li Banfeng still recognized him. His name wasn’t mentioned in the news reports at the time, but judging by his position in the photo, he was likely a key Support for the Chu Family.
He was from Puluo State!
Lost in thought, the Clock Pendulum finished the skinning.
The film projectionist was still alive; his skin was gone, but he was still moving.
His wife, finding the man disgusting, asked the group, "Does anyone want to eat his Soul?"
No one spoke. His wife first asked Hong Ying, "Aren’t you going to eat it? This thing won’t harm you."
Hong Ying shook her spearhead. "I don’t want to fight you for this. You should have it."
The Phonograph then asked the Judge’s Pen, "Lazybones, are you eating or not?"
"Hmph!" The Judge’s Pen ignored the Phonograph.
"Thief Glove, will you eat it or not?"
The glove waggled its index finger. "Lady, you shouldn’t speak so recklessly. To catch a thief, you must seize the stolen goods. Without proof or evidence, how can you call me a thief?"
The Phonograph scoffed and turned to the Tang Sword. "It seems you’re the only one who’ll benefit."
Apart from these few, the Phonograph didn’t ask anyone else.
Li Banfeng didn’t know the reason, but there was something he needed to verify.
He took out the Sickle and asked, "Can you consume Souls?"
The Phonograph was shocked. "Heavens, Master, are you talking to it?"
Seeing this, the Sickle no longer hid. It came forward boldly before the Phonograph and said in a clear voice, "What’s wrong with you speaking to me? I’ve been with Li Lang for so long, even longer than you!"
"Such impudence!" The Phonograph was somewhat astonished. "What’s your name?"
"I’m just called Sickle!"
The Phonograph asked again, "Did you know me before?"
"How could I not? We both came from the same place!"
The Phonograph exclaimed, "You’re a Self-Born Spirit?"