Sun Tiecheng, the master of Fool’s City, had initially disguised himself as a Hunter and deceived Li Banfeng into entering Fool’s City. After Li Banfeng passed the examination, Sun Tiecheng taught him two Techniques.
He appeared suddenly; Li Banfeng hadn’t realized when Sun Tiecheng had taken his place among the girls.
Li Banfeng said with a delighted expression, "Now that you’re here, I won’t need to ask anyone else."
Sun Tiecheng frowned. "What exactly are you here for?"
Li Banfeng chuckled. "It’s the New Year, isn’t it? I’ve come home to take a look."
"Look all you want, but why are you causing trouble?"
"I’m not causing trouble. I’m just looking to learn another skill. Look at these people! After so many years, they still think they’re alive. It definitely isn’t as simple as the Technique ’Words Carved in Stone’..."
As they spoke, Tang Changfa and the girls all turned their attention to Li Banfeng.
Sun Tiecheng gritted his teeth. "Stop talking, or I’ll kill you right here, kill you on the spot!"
Li Banfeng laughed. "Don’t worry. We’re all on the same side here; we know each other through and through. I just want to ask how this is done."
Sun Tiecheng waved his hand, making everyone in the Book Residence leave the main hall and wait in the backyard.
Once everyone had left, Sun Tiecheng shot Li Banfeng a glare. "Haven’t I told you before? You have to make them believe they’re still alive. The Technique ’Words Carved in Stone’ is enough for that."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Using just this one Technique? I’m afraid that’s not enough, is it?"
Sun Tiecheng snorted. "That’s because your skills aren’t refined enough."
Li Banfeng wouldn’t accept that. "It’s not a matter of refinement. If ’Words Carved in Stone’ alone were enough, you wouldn’t have needed to give them flesh and blood, making them seem so real. Moreover, I’ve discovered they actually know they’re dead and that this flesh and blood isn’t their own. Many are still trying to find ways to procure new flesh and blood. Yet, every single one of them believes they’re alive. Even knowing this flesh and blood was taken from others, they believe this flesh grew on their own bodies. This kind of self-contradiction clearly goes beyond the scope of ’Words Carved in Stone’. There must be other secrets involved."
Sun Tiecheng smiled. "The methods of the Technique ’Fool’s Thousand Concerns’ are also at play here. Think about it: they can’t figure out if they’re dead or alive. Since they can’t understand, they simply stop thinking about it. Doesn’t that explain things?"
Li Banfeng smiled. "One is ’Words Carved in Stone’, the other is ’Fool’s Thousand Concerns’, and coincidentally, both are Techniques I know. Is it really such a coincidence?"
Sun Tiecheng nodded. "It is indeed such a coincidence! You know the Techniques; now go integrate and master them on your own."
The two looked at each other for a moment and smiled knowingly.
After the laughter, Li Banfeng sighed. "You were the one who led me into this; I’m your Disciple. Is it right for you to deceive me like this?"
"What are you talking about!" Sun Tiecheng patted his chest and gave a thumbs-up. "All my Disciples were tricked by me into joining!"
"I’m different from them," Li Banfeng said earnestly, looking at Sun Tiecheng. "They were all just humoring you, while I genuinely want to make our Taoist Sect flourish!"
"Don’t give me that!" Sun Tiecheng’s face darkened. "Do you even know my other Disciples? How can you say they were just humoring me?"
Li Banfeng replied, "Let’s not even talk about how many Disciples you had before. Only two people passed the examination in Fool’s City, and I’m one of them. Shouldn’t you take a bit more care of me?"
Sun Tiecheng said, "I’ve taken enough care of you. I’ve told you everything you asked. You went into the city to cause trouble, and I haven’t even settled the score with you for that yet!"
"What you told me was clearly false. Giving them this flesh and blood, making them like living people—this isn’t a Technique achieved through words or thoughts. It’s a Technique applied through external means, fundamentally different in principle from ’Words Carved in Stone’ and ’Fool’s Thousand Concerns’."
Sun Tiecheng sniffled, crossed his arms, and squatted on the ground.
For some reason, it seemed to be his nature; whenever Li Banfeng hit a sore spot, he would adopt this honest, almost submissive demeanor.
"There indeed is another Technique here," Sun Tiecheng admitted honestly, "but I can no longer teach you any more Techniques of our Taoist Sect."
Li Banfeng copied him, squatting beside Sun Tiecheng. "We’re practically family; what’s there that can’t be taught? You’ve already taught me two, just teach me one more."
"That won’t do." Sun Tiecheng shuffled a couple of steps to the side, turning his face away, clearly not wanting to look at Li Banfeng. "You haven’t Entered my Path Gateway yet. I can’t let you learn so many Techniques."
Li Banfeng circled around and squatted in front of Sun Tiecheng. "Then let me Enter the Path Gateway. I am utterly loyal to our Taoist Sect."
Sun Tiecheng turned his face away again, continuing to avoid Li Banfeng. "You can’t Enter the Path Gateway yet; the time is not yet right."
"If the time isn’t right, then it’s not my fault. Since I’m not at fault, why won’t you teach me?"
"I just won’t teach you!" Sun Tiecheng drew circles on the ground with his finger.
Li Banfeng also drew circles beside him. "If you don’t teach me, I won’t leave! I’ll cause trouble here every day!"
"If you cause any more trouble, I’ll kill you!"
"If you kill me, you’ll have no Disciples left."
"I have another one."
"You mean He Jiaqing? That good-for-nothing?"
Sun Tiecheng was startled. "How did you know it was him?"
Li Banfeng replied, "I met him on the train once; he almost harmed me with a Foolish Cultivation Technique. At that time, I didn’t know who he was, but after thinking it over carefully, I realized the one I met that day was him."
Li Banfeng had indeed encountered a Foolish Cultivation Technique on the train to Wuqin Village. He had surmised that the one who used the Technique was He Jiaqing.
From Sun Tiecheng’s reaction, it seemed to be true.
The other Disciple who had passed the examination was indeed He Jiaqing.
As for why He Jiaqing came to Fool’s City and how he left, it remained unknown, and this wasn’t the time to inquire further.
Seizing the moment, Li Banfeng pressed Sun Tiecheng, "He Jiaqing’s cultivation level is higher than mine, and he knows more Foolish Cultivation Techniques. If I encounter him again, imagine how much I’ll suffer! We’re from the same Master’s Sect! For you, the master, to be so biased is unfair!"
Sun Tiecheng looked down, continuing to draw circles. "That’s not how it is. I only taught him two Techniques as well. That’s treating both of you equally."
"That’s different. I’m your final Disciple; you should be nicer to me."
Sun Tiecheng stood up angrily. "Who said anything about final? How is it final? My Taoist Sect is doing just fine! When did I ever say I was closing up shop?"
Li Banfeng said, "Then, after me, have you taken on any other Disciples?"
Sun Tiecheng squatted down again, continuing to draw circles. "I haven’t found a suitable one yet."
"That settles it then. Ultimately, there’s no one else. It’s only right that you treat me a bit better. I’m honest, upright, and have a good character. In the future, the Taoist Sect will depend entirely on me."
Sun Tiecheng looked conflicted and sighed. "About your character... how should I put it? You... you damn well used a Technique on me again! Do you know who I am? Do you know my status? If you dare use a Technique on me again, I’ll kill you on the spot!"
Li Banfeng grinned foolishly. "We’re all family here. I just wanted to show you that I haven’t learned these skills in vain."
Sun Tiecheng was silent for a moment before saying, "You’ve come this time for Qiu Luoye, haven’t you?"
Li Banfeng was surprised. "You know about that?"
"I know. I travel around a lot too. I’m also hoping to find a more respectable Disciple."
Li Banfeng sniffed. "Am I not respectable enough?"
"Respectable my ass! You either don’t come back at all, or when you do, you cause trouble for me. Let me tell you, don’t spout nonsense from now on; everyone in this city is a living person!"
Li Banfeng smiled. "We both know what’s really going on. There’s no need for this charade."
"What am I hiding? The people in this city are genuinely alive!" Sun Tiecheng stood up and shouted, "Yan Hong, come out and eat something, show him!"
Yan Hong came out with a bowl of noodles. Right in front of Li Banfeng, she devoured all the noodles and drank every last drop of the soup.
Sun Tiecheng said, "See that? Being able to eat and drink means being alive. This is Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain. Do you have any objections?"
Li Banfeng pursed his lips. "You can’t say that just because of eating and drinking..."
"Yan Qing’er, come out and sing a piece for him!"
Yan Qing’er took a record, wound up the Phonograph, and played a song. She walked up to Li Banfeng, swaying her hips, and began to sing and dance: "Gusts of wind, cold and biting, stir the spring waters of the pond, creating rippling scales. They scatter my heart full of spring longing, deepening my sorrow..."
It was the famous song from Puluo State, *Longing for One’s Beloved’s Return*.
Sun Tiecheng said again, "Did you see? Did you hear? Being able to sing and dance, Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain, means she’s alive!"
Li Banfeng said, "You can’t say that just because she can sing and dance, she is..."
"Seeing is believing! Are you still not convinced?" Sun Tiecheng shouted, "Yan Cui’er, let him reach out and feel!"
Yan Cui’er, who was curvier than Yan Hong and Yan Qing’er, walked up to Li Banfeng, grabbed his hand, and stuffed it into her bodice. "Your Conscience is in your hand. Feel for yourself. The flesh in your palm is real, and so is the ’pearl’ on it!"
Yan Hong, seeing Li Banfeng speechless, also took his hand, lifted her cheongsam, and placed it below her waist. "The Peach is in your hand. Try again. Both halves are real, and so is the cleft between them!"
Sun Tiecheng said, "Not only is it real, but the flesh is also warm. Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain. This means they are alive. What else do you have to say?"
Li Banfeng pulled his hand back. "You can’t just say this is..."
"Still not convinced!" Sun Tiecheng hollered, "Yan Cui’er, pin him to the ground and ’take care of him’."
The girl was surprisingly strong and actually managed to pin Li Banfeng down.
Li Banfeng shouted, "Wait a minute, this isn’t appropriate!"
"She’s not appropriate?" Sun Tiecheng bellowed. "Tang Changfa, you come over and ’take care of him’!"
"Alright!" Tang Changfa rolled up his sleeves and came forward.
Li Banfeng shouted, "Don’t come over! I believe you! They’re alive, alright? Isn’t that enough?!"
Yan Cui’er released Li Banfeng.
Sun Tiecheng said to Li Banfeng, "Look with your eyes wide open, and you can see. Listen with your ears perked, and you can hear. Reach out your hand to touch, and you can feel. One piece of ironclad evidence after another is laid out before you. These are living people. Do you have any objections?"
Li Banfeng’s thoughts came to a halt.
"But before, they..."
Sun Tiecheng waved his hand. "Don’t talk about causes and effects, and don’t try to distract me with irrelevant arguments. The ironclad evidence is right before your eyes. I’m settling this now: this is the truth! They are alive!"
Li Banfeng was stunned for a long moment, sensing an undeniable authority.
He looked at Sun Tiecheng and asked, "Is this the Technique?"
Sun Tiecheng nodded. "This is the Technique of Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain."
Li Banfeng smiled.
PS: Why would Sun Tiecheng help Li Banfeng?