Li Banfeng arrived in Zhengjing Village and found Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye to discuss borrowing people.
Shui Yongquan fell silent for a moment, then said, "Li Qi, it’s been many years since I last went to the Proper Land, so there might be some things I truly don’t understand anymore. However, I still want to say this: trying to force things with the Border Defense Envoy might not work."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "The time is ripe. We must take a tough stance with them this time."
Shui Yongquan said helplessly, "You have your own ideas, but regarding borrowing people, allow me to ponder a bit more. I’ve previously sent Huoling and Ah Qin, and I’m still anxious about them..."
Qiu Luoye snorted from the side, "What are you anxious about? Huoling and Ah Qin are my people!"
Shui Yongquan replied, "They went to the Proper Land using my Technique."
Qiu Luoye sneered, "What, are you afraid they’ll trace the Technique back to you?"
Shui Yongquan heaved a sigh. "Greenwater City is Green Flower’s territory. We keep sending people there; aren’t you worried he will strike back?"
"Worried about what? Do you really think he can make a move against us?" Qiu Luoye was calm, not just speaking out of bravado. "This is our doorstep. Let him try to attack us."
Shui Yongquan sighed, "You’re reckless in your actions."
Qiu Luoye laughed. "Are your actions prudent? More cautious than those Local Deities near Greenwater Bay? They’re truly cautious. Every time Green Flower appears, they cower. I heard one Local Deity lost seventy percent of their territory and now holds less than thirty percent, with no telling how long they can last. Many people are pioneering around Greenwater Bay, but those New Lands haven’t been converted to Proper Lands. Whenever they’re close to finishing, Green Flower snatches them away. I’m not good at math, so I don’t know how large seventy percent of a territory is. We, however, are lucky. Our territory is a bit farther from Green Flower. When he finally takes over the surrounding territories and reaches for us, do you think you’ll avoid a beating just by playing it safe?"
Shui Yongquan shook his head. "He can’t possibly extend his reach that far. By the time he really reaches out here, our place should have become Proper Land, and then we can weigh in with him. No hurry."
Qiu Luoye scoffed, "With your courage, you still expect this place to become Proper Land? Don’t you feel embarrassed when you say such things?"
Shui Yongquan frowned. "Do you know how popular Greenwater City is? Do you know how high Green Flower’s cultivation level is? If he finds out you’re sending Strange Monsters to his territory, do you know what the consequences will be?"
Qiu Luoye turned his face and looked solemnly at Shui Yongquan. "I know Green Flower’s cultivation level is far above yours and mine. If you waver, just shrink back in the New Land for a lifetime. If you don’t waver, let’s fight for it. Li Qi, I’ll dispatch able people to you, all competent fighters! If Old Shui here dares not help you, I’ll find someone else. It’s just a matter of concealing identities, right? We have plenty of ways! Let’s first talk about the price. How many people can you muster to pioneer the land?"
Regardless of past grievances, Li Banfeng still admired Qiu Luoye’s straightforwardness.
Li Banfeng held out a hand. "Five hundred people."
Businesses were running smoothly everywhere. With Li Banfeng’s current financial resources, summoning five hundred people to pioneer land wasn’t difficult.
Qiu Luoye struck the ground, and it shook several times. "Excellent! Let’s pick our people!"
Shui Yongquan pursed his lips. "Five hundred people... That’s indeed not a small number..."
Of course, it wasn’t a small number.
Before Li Banfeng’s arrival, Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye had never succeeded in pioneering, and they would even fight over a single Pioneer.
They had both reached the Cloud Top Second Layer cultivation level, relying on the human energy accumulated from a large number of Strange Monsters. They had lost all hope for pioneering, and now hope had arrived.
Ever since they had become acquainted, Li Banfeng had arranged for people to open several plots of land in both Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye’s territories, and now he was planning to go even bigger.
Qiu Luoye laughed. "Old Shui, craving for it? With such a big piece of fat meat lying here, do you want a bite? If you want a share, you need to exert effort! Brother Li Qi is asking for our help. Do you know what it means to help? Put out some real stuff! Stop fucking droning on and on with that old tune!"
Shui Yongquan gritted his teeth. "Fine, let’s do it!"
Qiu Luoye was really efficient, summoning six skilled people for Li Banfeng.
One was the Headless Person Duan Wuchou, a woman whose body and clothing were like any normal woman’s, except she lacked a head and usually spoke through her navel. She was a Sixth Layer Nightmare Cultivator.
Another was the Double-headed Person Liang Wucui, also a woman with a normal body, but she had two heads. These two heads even had distinguishing names: one called Liang Wu and the other Liang Cai. They often bickered when idle.
Shui Yongquan took a look at Duan Wuchou and Liang Wucui, then rubbed his forehead. "Couldn’t you two just even it out a bit? Qiu Daxiang, how do you expect me to hide their identities by choosing people like this?"
Besides those two, there was the Sixth Layer Body Cultivator Bai Shoulian, a man true to his name with over a hundred hands.
The Sixth Layer Peeping Cultivator Guan Bafang, who had sixteen eyes.
The Sixth Layer Food Cultivator Chi Liuhe, a woman even fatter than Qiu Luoye.
The last was the Swearing Woman, an old acquaintance. Not much more needed to be said.
Shui Yongquan yelled angrily, "Qiu Daxiang, are you fucking looking for trouble on purpose?! How am I supposed to take these people to Greenwater City!"
Aside from the Swearing Woman, the remaining five presented serious technical difficulties for Shui Yongquan.
Qiu Luoye said, "Old Shui, it’s not easy to earn five hundred Pioneers. Brother Li Qi wants tough people. Where would you find tough people who look so neat and tidy? Think of another way."
To earn more Pioneers, Shui Yongquan went all out and used the Hundred Streams Hundred Changes Technique to forcibly alter the looks of a few people.
Using the Hundred Streams Hundred Changes Technique took time, and while Shui Yongquan was applying the Technique, he repeatedly cautioned, "If you find that the Spell can’t stay hidden, immediately drink water, and you have to wash your body with water as well. As long as there’s enough water, the Technique can be retrieved!"
Both men had invested heavily and taken sizable risks. Li Banfeng immediately rushed back to Greenwater City to gather the Pioneers.
Once the six helpers from New Land arrived, Li Banfeng felt more at ease.
Double-headed Person Liang Wucui, Food Cultivator Chi Liuhe, and Body Cultivator Bai Shoulian were the first to go and fortify Lu Chunying’s residence.
Swearing Woman, Peeping Cultivator Guan Bafang, and Nightmare Cultivator Duan Wuchou were all dispatched by Luo Zhengnan. They were responsible for watching the Chu Family’s movements and also in charge of message delivery.
Shen Rongqing and Zhang Xiuling were also ready to provide support at any moment.
Li Banfeng stayed at Xiaoyao Lodge, managing the business while continuing to gather more people.
He returned to his own territory to try to invite Zhang Wanlong as well, ready to stand his ground even if it meant completely falling out with the Border Defense Envoy.
But Zhang Wanlong declined gracefully. "Seventh Master, I really want to help you, but I’m just a farmer. I’m really not cut out for warfare. I’ve got two bags of good seeds here and some pesticide. I’ll give them to you. That’s all I can do, so please don’t put me in a difficult position."
Li Banfeng was already satisfied with Zhang Wanlong’s offer; Farming Cultivators were indeed not suited for the battlefield.
Furthermore, Zhang Wanlong wasn’t a Traveling Cultivator. It would take considerable time for him to travel from Li Banfeng’s territory to Greenwater City, and by the time he arrived, Chu Huaijun might have already made his move.
Li Banfeng didn’t want to take Zhang Wanlong’s seeds and pesticide for nothing; he had Zhang Wanlong calculate the price and paid him in Silver Yuan on the spot.
Back in Greenwater City, Li Banfeng continued to monitor Chu Huaijun’s movements.
Chu Huaijun, however, remained collected, showing no signs of action.
But the Chu Family simply wouldn’t make a move.
Late at night, just as Xiaoyao Lodge had closed its doors, Li Banfeng was contemplating his next move, wondering if he should take the fight directly to the Chu Family’s doorstep.
Just as Li Banfeng was about to return to his Portable Residence, Qin Xiaopang suddenly arrived at Xiaoyao Lodge.
Li Banfeng furrowed his brows. "Why did you come here directly? Weren’t we supposed to meet at the teahouse? If you got followed by your Head of the family, it could complicate things."
Little Fatty shook his head. "Brother Seven, there’s no time for that. The Deputy wants me to bring you a message—he said that the Head of the family has gathered more than fifty strong allies, and they left Yangjiao Garden two hours ago."
"Did your Gold Seal take the people there and then not rush into action?" Li Banfeng asked.
Qin Xiaopang shook his head. "How could that work? Once everyone was gathered, not taking action would mean waiting for word to get out, wouldn’t it?"
Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Li Banfeng turned to Qin Xiaopang. "Old Ninth, go quickly and find your Deputy. Ask him if he wants to be the Head of the family. If he does, then he can snatch the position from your Head tonight."
Little Fatty was startled. "Brother Seven, you’re saying to go tonight?"
"Right now!"
Little Fatty did not dare delay, turning to leave.
Li Banfeng called out, "Don’t go through the front door; take the back. Avoid anyone you see on the way—don’t interact. Just hurry and find your Deputy."
Little Fatty ran out the back door, while Li Banfeng called Cao Zhida over. "How many people are still in Xiaoyao Lodge?"
Cao Zhida counted. "No guests are staying over tonight, so it’s all our own people. Seventeen Support staff members, three singers living here, more than thirty dancers and entertainers, about ten in the band, and then clerks, cooks, and handymen... nearly a hundred people in total, I guess."
"Take them and leave, all of them."
Cao Zhida looked at the wall clock. "Leave? Now? It’s the middle of the night."
"Leave! Immediately!" Li Banfeng commanded.
He planned to send them all away and then hide in his Portable Residence. Cao Zhida, not daring to question further, was just about to call everyone when Li Banfeng stopped him again.
Li Banfeng muttered under his breath, "They’re coming regardless, so what difference does it make where they come to!"
Cao Zhida was astonished. "Who’s coming?"
Li Banfeng said again, "We can’t leave."
"Not, not leaving again?"
"Not leaving," Li Banfeng stood up. "Call everyone to the main dance floor. Stay inside, and no one is allowed to wander off."
Cao Zhida hurried off.
Li Banfeng took out a circuit board, attached a battery, connected the antenna, installed the dial, and made contact with Luo Zhengnan.
"Tell Ma Wu that the Three Heroes Gang is almost at Xiaoyao Lodge."
Luo Zhengnan’s head buzzed. "Seventh Master, they’re coming for you! You should flee."
"I won’t. I’ll hold them off here. Tell Ma Wu to come right away with his people and to bring all of ours. Inform Shen Rongqing and Zhang Xiuling that the Three Heroes Gang is changing their Head of the family. Have them go to witness it. Leave someone to keep an eye on Chu Huaijun’s place. The moment he shows up, get word to me immediately."
Cao Zhida reported back, "Seventh Master, everyone has been gathered. They’re all at the main dance floor."
Li Banfeng nodded, taking his dagger to the main dance floor.
Cao Zhida was perplexed. "Seventh Master, what are you planning to do?"
"To bleed!" Li Banfeng, holding his dagger, scanned every person in the dance floor.
PS: Seventh Master has lost his mind. Even Jiang Mengting is wetting her pants. He’s truly out to draw blood.