Conscience wouldn’t allow it, let alone a Peach; within her tattered clothes, the Fatty Peach was liable to fall right out.
Li Banfeng looked through several ready-to-wear shops and bought a set of generously-sized men’s clothing for He Yuxiu to make do with.
In a plaid shirt matched with a beige suit, He Yuxiu, with her hair coiled under a top hat, actually looked more dashing than most men.
"I, uh, I’m hungry," said He Yuxiu, blushing. "Could you treat me to a meal?"
He Yuxiu really cared about face. Since going out to eat might draw attention, Li Banfeng asked the shop assistant to prepare some food and wine and have it delivered to their room.
The Soda Kiln was famous not only for its soda but also for its fragrant brewed wine, which made the Wine Gourd rub against Li Banfeng incessantly. Li Banfeng patted the Gourd, signaling her to drink as much as she liked. Most of the wine poured into Li Banfeng’s bowl was surreptitiously drunk by the Wine Gourd.
After several bowls of wine, He Yuxiu regained a lot of her vigor and said to Li Banfeng, "Brother Li Qi, I really don’t know how to repay you for this debt of saving my life."
Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "Saving a life is a serious matter. Talking about repayment in just a few words is insincere of you."
"What should I do, then?" asked He Yuxiu.
Li Banfeng looked at her, smiling slightly, and said, "We need to do something serious."
He Yuxiu tentatively asked, "Do you mean to sleep with me?"
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "That won’t do; we differ in seniority. How about this instead: we swear brotherhood."
He Yuxiu was puzzled. "Does that not count as different in seniority?"
Li Banfeng replied, "Once we’ve sworn brotherhood, what does seniority matter? This is a serious life-saving matter. If you’re even quibbling about seniority with me, how can you talk about repaying the debt?"
He Yuxiu was genuinely conflicted. Normally, Lu Chunying would call her Sister Xiu, and she was okay with it. But swearing brotherhood was different; it was not as simple as a title. In Puluo State, it was a serious affair; they would truly be equals thereafter.
she thought.
The two immediately burned Yellow Paper and swore an oath of brotherhood.
Li Banfeng said, "Xiuer, from today onward, I am your elder brother."
"That’s right, it’s like we’re... wait a minute!" He Yuxiu protested. "You becoming the elder brother? What age are you to become my elder brother?"
Li Banfeng picked up the wine jar and said, "The debt of saving a life is enormous; what does age matter compared to that!"
"That’s unacceptable!" He Yuxiu refused. "You’re being too overbearing!"
"Xiuer, drink up and listen to me," Li Banfeng said. "It’s no loss for you to have me as your elder brother. In fact, you don’t even know my true age. Let’s start by discussing the life-saving favor..."
He Yuxiu became more conflicted.
...
Of the two wine jars, they consumed one and a half. He Yuxiu drank more than a full jar herself, while the Wine Gourd polished off most of what remained.
Flushing from the wine, He Yuxiu patted her chest and said to Li Banfeng, "Brother Seven, I owe you my life. From now on, your affairs are my affairs. Whether through hell or high water, this little sister will not hesitate!"
"That’s the spirit! Xiuer, I admire your temperament!" Li Banfeng praised and then poured another bowl for He Yuxiu.
He Yuxiu took a big gulp and continued, "Well, let’s discuss this. I’ve been navigating Jianghu for many years, and calling you Brother Seven in public feels a bit awkward for me. How about this: when we’re alone, I’ll call you Brother Seven, and you can call me Little Sister. But when others are around, would you mind calling me Big Sister? What do you think?"
Li Banfeng nodded and then asked, "You said you’ve been around Jianghu for so many years. How did you end up in the Jiang Xiang Gang’s hands?"
"How embarrassing! It’s really damn humiliating!" He Yuxiu lit a cigarette, resting her forehead on her hand as she recounted the events:
"Last night you said I had seeds with me, and I said I didn’t. I really didn’t. This time I came out to escape trouble. Running away was humiliating enough, but to cap it all off, I capsized in this shallow ditch.
"I offended the Border Defense Envoy, and my family’s business was shuttered. Later, I managed to salvage the business, but Ma Wu, fearing the Envoy would seek retribution, told me to hide out in New Land.
"I couldn’t stand staying in New Land. Just thinking about it made me feel suffocated. I wanted to hide out in Soda Kiln; it’s a more secluded place where I had cultivated for a few years and had some foundation.
"I even changed my identity and clothes. Not daring to carry even a single Support item, I bought a hard-seat ticket and came to Soda Kiln with utmost caution.
"After getting off the train, I went to see an old friend to discuss arranging a place for me to stay.
"But who would have thought that bastard would betray me? That very night, people came after me.
"I’m not bragging to you, Brother Seven, but there were over a hundred people surrounding and attacking me, each with a significant cultivation level. Yet, this little sister fought her way out, leaving a bloody path."
Li Banfeng had no doubt about this. Judging by He Yuxiu’s combat abilities the previous night, among all the people Li Banfeng had encountered, He Yuxiu was at the pinnacle of the Eighth Layer.
After taking a sip of wine, He Yuxiu continued, "I lost all my Magical Treasures, even the Guide Token, but those aren’t important. At least I saved my life. After running and fighting for two whole days and nights, I finally shook them off.
"I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for those two days and nights. I was starving and parched, so I looked for a soda stall to get something to eat.
"I didn’t dare go to any conspicuous places, so I found a quiet spot. Little did I know I’d run into that scum from the Jiang Xiang Gang, and a few bottles of soda were enough to take me down."