Qiu Luoye glanced at Li Banfeng’s back, where two wounds were still bleeding.
He called over Old Hu and had him fetch medicine for Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "No need for medicine, it will heal in a bit."
"You still need to bandage it."
"No need. This blood is fresh; it can’t be wasted." Li Banfeng placed the Clock Pendulum on his back.
Seeing that Li Banfeng’s bleeding had stopped, Qiu Luoye smiled. "Shall we have a few drinks?"
"Sure!"
Qiu Luoye glanced at He Yuxiu. "Are you with Old Qi?"
A slight blush appeared on He Yuxiu’s face. "If you say so."
Qiu Luoye praised, "That’s good. Just by looking at this physique, it’s clear she’s fit for raising children."
He Yuxiu, looking quite proud, glanced at Li Banfeng. "You see, Big Brother Qiu says so too."
Qiu Luoye took another look at Chu Er. "I didn’t like you much before, but now you seem alright—someone with guts."
"I don’t have any," Chu Er said shyly, shaking her head.
Qiu Luoye shouted to a group of Three-Headed People, "Gentlemen, those who are injured, come to me for treatment. I have excellent medicine! Those who are not injured, come have a drink with me; I have plenty of good liquor. I was a bit too wary of everyone before. That was my mistake. We were all fellow sect members to begin with. Let’s drink heartily today!"
Actually, the Three-Headed People could be considered Body Cultivation failures, but Juanzi had never heard other Body Cultivators call them fellow sect members.
The crowd was momentarily stunned, then they looked towards Li Qi.
Li Qi smiled. "Not enough liquor, is that it? I’ll send someone to fetch more from the base of the mountain!"
Qiu Luoye brought out all the fine liquor he had stored over the years, and the Three-Headed People brought back plenty of drinks and dishes from their homes.
Upon learning that Li Qi was fine, Ma Wu was overjoyed and had people send up liquor from the base of the mountain.
Everyone set up tables in the mountain forest, drinking merrily and feasting with delight.
Ever since arriving at the Tenth Layer, Qiu Luoye hadn’t really celebrated the New Year properly.
This year, however, he celebrated well, but it might also be his last New Year.
Mengzi toasted Qiu Luoye, who downed the drink in one gulp.
Juanzi offered another toast, and Qiu Luoye downed that one too.
Xiao Shan offered yet another toast, but Qiu Luoye couldn’t drink anymore. "Even the kids are heavy drinkers? Drinking with you all is unreasonable—three against one!"
Watching Qiu Luoye stagger, Li Banfeng frowned slightly.
He Yuxiu lowered her voice. "Chu Shaoqiang was driven away, but the Contract Book is still tightly held by the Inner State. Old Qiu is afraid he won’t make it through this ordeal. With the Inner State holding the Contract Book, they essentially hold his life. And I, your sister..."
"Younger sister," Li Banfeng corrected.
He Yuxiu coughed, looked around to ensure no one was listening, and continued, "I, your little sister, am not in a rush to advance because I don’t want to go to the Inner State and be a servant."
Li Banfeng put down his drinking bowl and sighed. "Is there no other way?"
He Yuxiu shook her head. "I can’t think of one. Why don’t you ask that friend of yours?"
"Which one..."
She meant Xiao Yeci.
Li Banfeng really went to ask.
Xiao Yeci had indeed read many books recently, but the records about Contract Books were too scant.
This matter couldn’t rely on Xiao Yeci; he had to ask his wife.
Li Banfeng found an opportunity, returned to his Portable Residence, and explained the whole situation to the Phonograph.
"Beloved wife, I really can’t figure this out. Qiu Luoye has two Contract Books. Even if the Inner State destroys one of them, Big Brother Qiu shouldn’t have lost his rank, let alone be injured like this."
The Phonograph replied, "Beloved husband, was Qiu Luoye’s first Contract Book given by the Inner State, or did he snatch it from someone else?"
"Given by the Inner State. Qiu Luoye was appointed as a Local Deity by the Inner State."
"This is going to be difficult."
Li Banfeng asked, "What’s the difference between a Contract Book given by the Inner State and one that is stolen?"
"As far as this Little Servant knows," the Phonograph explained, "Contract Books made by the Inner State contain part of the Cultivator’s flesh and bones, and there’s Curse Technique involved. I am not certain about the specific Curse Technique. I have only heard rumors that if a Local Deity appointed by the Inner State disobeys their orders, the Inner State will destroy the Local Deity’s Contract Book. This would lead to the Local Deity’s death due to the Curse Technique."
Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then said, "Ascending from the Ninth Layer to the Tenth Layer means becoming a dog for the Inner State. Once reaching the Cloud Top First Layer, one is dispatched to the New Land. After accumulating enough human energy there and heading to the Proper Land, the Inner State comes back to pluck the peaches. Even snatching a Contract Book isn’t enough; there’s still the Curse Technique lurking behind. Beloved wife, does this mean that once someone takes the path of the Inner State, there’s no chance to turn things around?"
His wife sighed. "Husband, those Local Deities who have come out of the Inner State don’t dare to mention it; they are truly frightened. The Inner State can claim their lives simply by making some alterations to the Contract Book. Qiu Luoye is still alive because his Contract Book hasn’t been completely destroyed. However, the Inner State must have damaged part of it, which is why his injuries are so severe."
Li Banfeng had an idea. "I’ll go now and dig out Big Brother Qiu’s Contract Book, and we’ll find a way to repair it. If we do, Big Brother Qiu’s injuries should heal too."
"Beloved husband, you can’t just casually dig that out—it can cause a loss of cultivation level. He’s seriously injured, and if his cultivation level drops and can’t be recovered, he’ll truly be at death’s door."
Li Banfeng couldn’t understand. "He’s got Madame Wuqin’s Contract Book, so why would his cultivation level drop?"
"Contract Books have a primary and secondary importance," the Phonograph elaborated. "The one from Puluo State was merely sprinkled with blood. However, the one from the Inner State was not only sprinkled with blood but also carried flesh and bones, establishing a deeper connection with the Local Deity. If you dig out Qiu Luoye’s Inner State Contract Book now, his cultivation level will definitely drop at once. It might be possible to recover it by relying on the stolen Contract Book. But if it can’t be recovered, and considering Qiu Luoye also has serious injuries, he could end up with his soul scattered in such a state."
There were two possibilities: one, it could be recovered; the other, direct death.
"Is there much hope of recovering it?" Li Banfeng asked.
His wife said, "Logically speaking, there’s less than a ten percent chance of success. The key point is that it’s useless to do this, Husband. Even if we dig out Qiu Luoye’s Contract Book now and repair it, it won’t help matters. The Contract Books are interconnected. If the book on this side is repaired, the Inner State will see it and surely destroy it again. We would exhaust ourselves repairing it here, but for them, causing damage is as easy as lifting a finger. It’s like healing Qiu Luoye’s wounds only for him to be tortured again. This cycle will just make Qiu Luoye suffer for nothing."
"Beloved wife, is there any other way?"
The Phonograph, recalling for a long time, said, "This Little Servant once heard a rumor. A Local Deity, who truly didn’t want to be at the Inner State’s mercy, managed to lower his cultivation level through certain means, stabilize his soul, and eventually became a Wounded Demon Fiend."
"Becoming a Wounded Demon Fiend frees one from Curse Techniques?"
"In theory, it should work," the Phonograph replied. "When ascending from the Ninth to the Tenth Layer, a person must shed their flesh and turn into a Lost Soul. From the Tenth Layer to Above the Clouds, the Inner State recreates a body of flesh and blood for the Lost Soul, turning it back into a person. The Curse Technique lies within this new flesh provided by the Inner State. Becoming a Wounded Demon Fiend, on the other hand, is equivalent to reverting to an Evil Spirit. By shedding the flesh, one naturally escapes the Curse Technique.
However, this method is still not feasible for Qiu Luoye. Lowering one’s cultivation level while stabilizing the soul requires very delicate methods that Qiu Luoye is unlikely to master. Moreover, it would take at least a year and a half, or even longer, and Qiu Luoye cannot wait. The Inner State might take action against him at any moment. If he forcibly lowers his cultivation level, Qiu Luoye still won’t be able to withstand it."
Li Banfeng sat by the bed, looking up at the ceiling, silent for a long while.
His wife urged from the side, "Husband, don’t be upset. Let’s think of another way."
Li Banfeng said, "We need to think of a way quickly; we indeed can’t wait. Let’s first repair the Contract Book."
His wife soothed him, "Husband, don’t be anxious..."
Li Banfeng continued, "What’s the use of repairing the Contract Book? You were right; it’s just making Big Brother Qiu suffer for nothing. We need to think, is there another way?"
"Husband, what’s gotten into you..." his wife murmured.
Li Banfeng pressed on, "What other way could there be? As long as the Contract Book is still in the Inner State, all paths are blocked."
"Husband, don’t be like this..."
He then mused aloud, "That Local Deity who turned into a Wounded Demon Fiend... isn’t that a way out? At least he escaped the Inner State’s Curse Techniques."
"But what kind of way is that?" he argued, seemingly with himself. "He reached the Proper Land with great difficulty, and now he should become an Evil Spirit again? Besides, by forcibly lowering his cultivation level, Big Brother Qiu still won’t be able to withstand it."
"But didn’t you say it was still possible to recover it?"
"And didn’t you just say there’s less than a ten percent chance? What were you even listening to?"
Finally, he declared, "Maintain order in the meeting! Speak in turn!"
The Phonograph emitted Steam that enveloped Li Banfeng. "Beloved husband, please don’t scare me!"
Li Banfeng hugged the Phonograph. "Wife, if we dig up Big Brother Qiu’s Contract Book, forcibly lower Big Brother Qiu’s cultivation level, let him become a Wounded Demon Fiend, shed his flesh, escape the Curse Technique, and then use Madame Wuqin’s Contract Book to retrieve his cultivation level—would this tactic work?"
After a moment of thought, the Phonograph said, "In theory, it’s feasible, but he cannot become a Wounded Demon Fiend. Regaining his cultivation level requires passing three trials, and even the slightest misstep is unacceptable.
The first trial is the Soul-Separation Pass. This means his cultivation level falls from Above the Clouds to Earth Skin, and the soul has to separate from the body once. After the Contract Book is dug out, some Local Deities separate on the spot; others have to wait for a few days.
Separation of soul and body, to put it bluntly, is like dying once. This experience is extremely painful, and the soul will incur at least twenty percent damage. If there is fear and panic, the damage will intensify.
Once the damage exceeds twenty percent, he will turn into a Wounded Demon Fiend, and his cultivation level can’t be restored. Qiu Luoye, being severely injured, would also perish because of this.
In this trial, the soul damage must be kept under twenty percent. Only the exceedingly intelligent and resolute can endure it. Such people are one in ten thousand."
Li Banfeng was puzzled. "Exceedingly intelligent and resolute—why can they endure it?"
"The exceedingly intelligent can clearly distinguish between body and soul," the Phonograph explained. "They know that what dies is simply the body, not the soul. They must firmly believe they are not dead. Even at the moment of life and death, they must not have an ounce of fear or panic. Why don’t you ask Qiu Luoye if he can do this?"
"Beloved wife, what if we administer some medicine to Qiu Luoye, just let him sleep through it, so he won’t feel fear and panic? Do you think this trick will work?"
The Phonograph shook her head. "Beloved husband, at the moment of Soul-Separation, if he’s asleep, he won’t ever wake up. The soul will perish along with the body."
Li Banfeng then asked, "What about the second trial?"
"The second trial is Resurrection, which is even harder than the first," she replied. "The difficulty lies in quickly regrowing the lost flesh and blood. Only by doing this can the damaged soul be healed, and with the help of the Contract Book, the lost cultivation level can be recovered."
After pondering for a moment, Li Banfeng rubbed his cheeks and adjusted the angle between his eyebrows and eyes, revealing a tender smile.
He entered the secondary chamber and saw Hong Ying applying her makeup.
He took the eyebrow pencil from Hong Ying’s hand and said softly, "Ying Ying, let me do that for you."
Hong Ying gave a coy smile, picked up the lipstick, and wrote the word "Cheap" on Li Banfeng’s face, saying softly, "Qi Lang, if you have something to say, just say it!"
PS: Ying Ying is angry; Li Banfeng has to show more sincerity.