Yesterday, the Covenant Guardian Spirit was looking after Qiu Luoye, so they couldn’t attend to the New Year’s affairs.
When the first day of the new year arrived, everyone put up couplets, hung lanterns, and changed into new clothes.
Qiu Luoye tightened the bandage over his wound. Holding a pair of Wolf Fang Clubs, he stood in the yard with a smile and said, "During New Year’s, we should celebrate like it’s New Year’s. Even if this is our last one, we have to make it look decent."
A python lit a pair of lanterns. Suspended in the air, it flicked its tongue and said, "Master Qiu, let’s not talk of such unlucky things. Tonight, we will fight them, eat their flesh, drink their liquor, and have a lively New Year’s!"
"Well said!" Stone shouted from the side. "A tiger may die but will not fall, let alone our Master Qiu who’s a Big Elephant!"
At these words, Qiu Luoye and Old Hu each gave Stone a kick.
Qiu Luoye lowered his voice and said to Old Hu, "Did you take a good look? Did Old Qi and his men really leave?"
Old Hu nodded. "I saw clearly. He took his men and, as you ordered, they went to hide in Wuqin Village first."
"Hiding is good. I’m just afraid that kid will screw up and throw his life away for nothing." Qiu Luoye gritted his teeth, tightened his bandage, then said to Old Hu, "You lot should be leaving soon too."
"Master Qiu, we’re not leaving! If we die, we die together!" Old Hu roared, standing up.
"Nonsense! We share fortunes together, but death isn’t a good thing. Why would you accompany me in it? Get going!"
Old Hu wouldn’t leave.
There was something he still didn’t dare to say.
Li Banfeng hadn’t left either.
He was lying in ambush in the woods in front of the residence. Qiu Luoye, his injuries too severe, hadn’t sensed him.
Perched in a tree, He Yuxiu said, "Old Qi, didn’t you rally the Three-Headed People? Why hasn’t a single one come? You were kind to them in the past."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "If it weren’t for them back then, this territory wouldn’t have become Proper Land. I’ve thought it over and over. They must have taken nine-tenths of the human energy from this territory. That favor, they’ve already repaid.
"Xiuer, any debt of gratitude you owed me has long been repaid. If things go wrong later, take the others and run immediately."
"Bullshit!" He Yuxiu glared at Li Banfeng. "Let them run if they want to! We’ve kowtowed and sworn oaths together. How could that be the same?"
On Junyang Avenue, Ma Wu, having ensured Lu Chunying and the others were settled, instructed them, "I’ve spoken to the Border Defense Envoy. If that group of Bird People comes to attack, you should hide in the Defense Agency. They definitely wouldn’t dare to make trouble there."
"Fifth Brother, where are you going?" Lu Chunying asked.
"To the mountain."
"Brother Seven doesn’t want you to go."
Ma Wu smiled. "Don’t worry, I know my limits. If Old Qi can come back, I’ll return with him. If he can’t, then neither of us will."
"Fifth Brother..." Lu Chunying gritted her teeth. "I’ll go up the mountain with you too."
"You take care of these people first. Where did Chu Er go?"
"Sister Huai Yuan said she wanted to see your newly built tavern."
"Couldn’t she look at it any other time? Does it have to be now!" Ma Wu frowned. "Besides, the tavern only has its foundation laid. What’s there to see?"
"Sister Huai Yuan saw the blueprints before. She said that tavern is no ordinary place."
At the mention of blueprints, Ma Wu was momentarily stunned.
Kui Bafang, the Peeping Cultivator, extended three fingers toward Li Banfeng.
Chu Shaoqiang, who had a Peeping Cultivation Treasure, also sensed the ambush and slowly approached the trap.
Two people followed behind him. One, dressed like a scholar in an angled robe and round hat, held a Folding Fan; this was a Literature Cultivator named Scholar Guo.
The other wore a straight-cut short jacket. It appeared plain and casual but was actually made of lightweight material, finely crafted without any excess—an upper-grade garment for a Martial Artist. This Martial Cultivator was named Tian Dasong.
As they walked, Literature Cultivator Scholar Guo said, "In the past, I only knew of ’gentlemen on the beams,’ but now I’ve come across gentlemen in the trees.
"If you are gentlemen, you should be open and candid. Which of you whose courage hasn’t been shattered yet? Come down, show your faces, and say a word."
As his words fell, everyone felt an urge to jump down from the trees.
Judging by the technique’s strength, this Literature Cultivator was at least of the Eighth Layer. Whether he was Above the Clouds was uncertain. Li Banfeng and He Yuxiu could barely resist; the others gritted their teeth, enduring as if their flesh was being torn apart inch by inch.
Literature Cultivator Scholar Guo stood at the edge of the ambush circle, not moving any further in and seemingly undefended—a blatant taunt to them all.
"Well, well! What kind of Bird People all claim to be gentlemen? When did ’gentleman’ become so cheap?" As the Swearing Woman began to speak, everyone felt their condition ease considerably.
The Swearing Woman continued her tirade: "And what’s all this about being open and candid? You be open and show me! I want to see if you dare to bare that face of yours!"
These few satisfying curses dispersed the Uniform Rule Technique.
Scholar Guo chuckled. "It turns out to be a colleague."
"Pah!" the Swearing Woman spat. "Who the hell is your colleague? You truly have no shame! What sort of Taoist Sect does a thief like you belong to? You, a Thief Cultivator, think you’re worthy of being my colleague?"
Scholar Guo laughed. "You hide in the dark, afraid to show your face, yet you dare call me a thief?"
"You’re a thief for breaking into homes at night!" the Swearing Woman shouted.
"Which home have I broken into? Is this mountain forest your property? By gathering in the woods, aren’t you a mountain bandit?"
The two began to curse back and forth. It seemed like they were debating the definition of ’thief,’ but it wasn’t that simple.
The Swearing Woman was fighting desperately as the two contested with their Cultivation Techniques.
The Swearing Woman wanted to provoke the opposing Literature Cultivator into entering the ambush circle.
Scholar Guo, on the other hand, wanted to force Li Banfeng and the others out of the ambush circle with his Literature Cultivation Techniques.