"You diligently study the Technique here with me. Once you truly master it, you can leave. This must be achieved in one attempt; if there’s a slip-up, there won’t be another chance.
"There’s another thing you must keep in mind: before Qiu Luoye grows his own flesh and blood, you must never tell him he has already become a soul. Otherwise, the Technique will be broken.
"After he sheds his original flesh and blood, you must immediately find another set to attach to him as a temporary substitute. This substitute flesh and blood must remain until he grows his own and cannot be removed before then."
Shedding the original flesh and blood and growing one’s own requires transitional flesh and blood in between. This task is quite difficult.
Li Banfeng asked, "How can we attach the flesh and blood to Qiu Luoye?"
Sun Tiecheng said, "This is the Body Masonry Technique. I will have Yan Cui’er teach you. Do not speak carelessly while learning, so as not to hurt Cui’er’s feelings.
"You must remember: Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain must be ironclad. The flesh and blood you apply must resemble his own to keep him stable. You absolutely cannot allow him to harbor any doubts; otherwise, all your previous efforts will be in vain."
Li Banfeng asked, "Big Brother Sun, do you truly admire Big Brother Qiu?"
Sun Tiecheng did not speak.
Li Banfeng said, "Big Brother Sun, if you think Big Brother Qiu is worth saving, would you be willing to make the trip yourself? The reward is negotiable; I’ll figure something out."
Sun Tiecheng looked at Li Banfeng and asked a key question, "You say you’re my closed-door disciple, so why are you calling me ’Big Brother’? What about the rules?"
Li Banfeng, arms crossed, chuckled, "We’re all family here. We should address each other however feels most familiar. Why bother with so many rules?"
Sun Tiecheng laughed and shouted, "Yan Cui’er, pin him down! I’m going to get a knife and chop him up!"
Yan Cui’er actually came over and pinned Li Banfeng down.
Tang Changfa tried to calm him, "Please, calm down, sir!"
Sun Tiecheng pushed Tang Changfa aside. "No way! I have to chop him up!"
...
「In three days」Li Banfeng was tempered day and night by a group of girls, and his proficiency in the Technique improved considerably.
Just as Sun Tiecheng arrived, Li Banfeng brewed a pot of tea for him.
Rarely seeing Li Banfeng so well-mannered, Sun Tiecheng was quite pleased. He took a sip from the teacup, savored the taste, and asked, "Isn’t this tea a bit too weak?"
Li Banfeng said, "Weak tea is good. It’s gentle on the stomach."
Sun Tiecheng took another sip, savored it for a moment, and commented, "Indeed, it’s gentle on the stomach. This is plainly water. Why do you insist on calling it tea?"
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "How could it be water? This was brewed in a teapot! Anything brewed in a teapot is naturally tea—Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain!"
Sun Tiecheng said, "But your pot doesn’t have any tea leaves in it. Isn’t it still just water?"
"There are tea leaves!" Li Banfeng picked up a bag of tea leaves from the tea tray. "Aren’t the tea leaves right here? Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain!"
"Did you put the tea leaves into the pot?"
Li Banfeng looked at Yan Cui’er, who nodded and said, "The Shopkeeper himself put them in. I saw it."
Sun Tiecheng was surprised. "You saw it?"
Yan Cui’er nodded vigorously.
Li Banfeng declared, "The person and the proof are both here!"
Sun Tiecheng took another sip of tea and, indeed, he tasted a hint of tea this time.
Sun Tiecheng tasting tea was a testament to the Foolish Cultivation Technique’s power to disregard conventional reality, proving Li Banfeng had truly mastered it.
"Well done, lad, you’ve got some skill!" Sun Tiecheng was very satisfied. "How are you coming along with the Body Masonry Technique?"
Yan Cui’er blushed and said, "He’s learned it quite well."
Sun Tiecheng was startled. "Cui’er, since when can you blush?"
Li Banfeng frowned and said, "Is that something you can ask just like that? Wouldn’t that hurt Cui’er’s feelings?"
Sun Tiecheng smiled; he had already figured out the basis of the trick.
The method wasn’t actually difficult. Li Banfeng had extracted some Stored Blood from the Blood-Thirsty Pendulum and used the Body Masonry Technique to infuse it into Yan Cui’er’s body. With blood in her system, her face could naturally blush.
In fact, not only her face, but other parts of her body also gained a rosy hue. However, Yan Cui’er didn’t allow anyone else to see, stating that from now on, only Li Qi would be permitted.
Tang Changfa huffed, "If you don’t let anyone see, how will the Book Residence conduct business in the future?"
Yan Cui’er retorted, "Has this Book Residence ever truly had any business? Have I ever conducted business in my life? I don’t seem to recall."
Tang Changfa’s face contorted, and he fell silent.
Those who had come to this Book Residence from outside the city all had their flesh and blood shaved off.
Even within Fool’s City, nobody dared to visit the Book Residence for entertainment.
This Book Residence had never successfully conducted any business.
Dressing up flamboyantly to welcome guests outside—could that really attract anyone?
Practicing singing and tea-making every day, and at night, the sisters would practice their skills in the bedchamber with each other—but could they really put those skills to use?
Never mind them; the restaurants and inns outside, how much business did they really get throughout an entire year?
Having a signboard hanging outside was to give themselves a semblance of livelihood. Creating such a business-less livelihood was to maintain a sliver of hope. And that hope was to firmly believe they were still alive.
This truth must never be spoken plainly. If it were exposed, even Tang Changfa, despite his high cultivation level, might not be able to withstand the revelation.
Now that Yan Cui’er had a healthy complexion, she naturally became much more beautiful. Yan Hong and Yan Qing’er were incredibly envious. However, how long this vitality from the blood would last depended on how Yan Cui’er maintained herself.
Grateful for Yan Cui’er’s considerable care these past few days, Li Banfeng promised to bring more blood for her on his next visit.
Sun Tiecheng was quite satisfied with Li Banfeng’s Technique. "Go find Qiu Luoye then. You should be able to pass Soul-Separation Pass, but do not rush to act.
"Resurrection Pass and Guardian Pass—neither can have any mistakes. Prepare as thoroughly as you can, and don’t overlook any details.
"But thorough as you may be, don’t delay too long. Three days have already passed, and I estimate that within a day or two, Inner State will likely come up with some new developments."