Cui Tiq came to conduct business with Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng picked a teahouse, ordered a private room, and discussed the matter in detail with Cui Tiq.
He started with a question, "Why does Chu Shaoqiang want to take over the territory of the Ink Shop?"
Cui Tiq replied, "According to the information I have, Chu Shaoqiang is eager to obtain a Proper Land. Due to pressure from the Inner State, he’s looking for an easy target."
Li Banfeng was highly skeptical. "The Local Deity of the Ink Shop should be a Literature Cultivator, right?"
Cui Tiq nodded. "After arriving here, I’ve been influenced by the local culture and developed a great interest in Puluo State’s literature. This must be the effect of the Local Deity using some kind of method."
Li Banfeng took out a map he had bought on the street. "The Ink Shop is not a small place. A Local Deity capable of influencing an entire territory with their own power is also rare. The Literature Cultivator sect is one of the largest Taoist Sects in Puluo State, and it’s very powerful in its own right. To say that Chu Shaoqiang is looking for an easy target, he probably wouldn’t choose this place."
Cui Tiq said, "I’ve had similar speculations. But according to what your good friend has found out, the Local Deity here has suffered some kind of mishap and has become extremely weak."
"Is this information reliable? What state exactly has the Local Deity fallen into?"
Cui Tiq said, "My Grandmaster didn’t reveal more. As to whether the information is reliable, he asked me to come here to test it."
Li Banfeng was curious. "How do you test it?"
"The method my Grandmaster taught me is this: find a place in the Ink Shop, spread a plague, and kill all the locals. Then, we see if the Local Deity intervenes. If the Local Deity doesn’t appear, it proves your good friend’s information was accurate. It also means Chu Shaoqiang could arrive at the Ink Shop at any time. At that point, my Grandmaster would have many options. He could wait for Chu Shaoqiang to act first and then reap the benefits, or he could preempt Chu Shaoqiang by occupying the Ink Shop and lie in wait."
Li Banfeng asked, "You don’t want to do this?"
"I don’t."
"Out of compassion?"
Cui Tiq shook his head. "I’m not compassionate, but I am afraid. If I were to cause a disaster in the Ink Shop and the Local Deity isn’t in a weakened state, then I would likely be the one in trouble. Even if the Local Deity didn’t deal with me directly, as you said, the Literature Cultivator sect is the second-largest Taoist Sect in Puluo State; their influence wouldn’t let me off easily. Therefore, if I actually did this, I would be the one to die, regardless of the outcome. I would love to kill everyone in the world with a plague, but that’s only if I truly possessed such power. Until I do, I want to live a little longer."
Li Banfeng could understand Cui Tiq’s situation.
"Under such circumstances, what kind of business could you possibly have with me?"
"I want to find another way to investigate the condition of the Ink Shop’s Local Deity, a more normal and mild approach. But as you know, Puluo State isn’t too friendly to Foreigners, and I’m not skilled in surveillance. Back when I was pursuing you, I even had to rely on Da Boyins’ resources. I hope you can help me gather information about the Local Deity. In exchange, I can leak some information about He Jiaqing to you."
Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of information can you offer? If it isn’t very valuable, I don’t want to waste my time."
Cui Tiq said, "The information I provide you and the information you give me will naturally be of equivalent value. This isn’t our first transaction, and on this matter, we can definitely come to an agreement. I also know your abilities and methods; I won’t risk my life on this."
Li Banfeng twirled the teacup in his hand. "The condition of the Local Deity is not so easy to investigate. I might only be able to find out part of the situation."
Cui Tiq nodded. "I understand. Given our cooperative relationship, I might as well be frank with you: I don’t plan to tell my Grandmaster everything, but I need to concoct a relatively credible lie. The Local Deity’s residence, cultivation level, or even just a name—if a single piece of information is true, the lie becomes credible. Of course, if you ultimately discover the Local Deity’s true situation, our deal can be upgraded. I could then selectively feed certain information to my Grandmaster, prompting him to react correctly or incorrectly. Once Chu Shaoqiang, my Grandmaster, your friend, and the Ink Shop’s Local Deity begin their conflict, perhaps even greater surprises will await us."
Li Banfeng smiled. "You want to fish in troubled waters?"
Cui Tiq said, "I think leaving such delicious fish in troubled waters is disrespectful to the fish."
"That depends on how muddy and deep the water is."
Cui Tiq took a sip of tea. "No matter how muddy or deep the waters are, I have to get in. I don’t have a choice. But you’re different; you can choose not to get involved. Even if you do, you can always get out anytime. You won’t lose out on this deal."
Li Banfeng looked out the window. From here, he could still see the Poetry Society he had visited earlier. "Will you still go to that Poetry Society?"
"I will," Cui Tiq nodded. "There aren’t many places to gather information, and that’s a good spot. Even if the girls there don’t like me, at least I can collect some folk tales and rumors."
"If you see a poem I’ve left in the poetry book, it means I’ve found something. Wait for me at the Poetry Society then, and I’ll find a chance to contact you."
Li Banfeng left the teahouse and strolled around the Ink Shop. As night fell, he returned to Sand Goose House.
Tan Fucheng was reading in the courtyard. He didn’t recognize many characters, so he was studying with a dictionary by his side, which was a struggle.
He pulled up a chair for Li Banfeng. "Seventh Master, please, have a seat."
Li Banfeng didn’t sit down. Tan Fucheng was a practitioner of Feng Cultivation, and sitting in his chair might lead to trouble—not that he didn’t trust Tan Fucheng, but something seemed off with him.
"Seventh Master, over the years, my cultivation level has grown, and my business has expanded. I’ve acquired over a dozen estates and married over a dozen wives, thinking I had enjoyed all the blessings of the world. Only now do I realize that I’ve wasted half my life.
"All the truths of the world are within these pages! If I hadn’t seen it today, my whole life would have been lived in vain!"
The book was thin, and Li Banfeng glanced at the cover; it turned out to be "Hundred Family Surnames."
"What truths of the world does this ’Hundred Family Surnames’ talk about?"
"Seventh Master, I can’t explain it clearly; I don’t understand. I’m too stupid. Please wait until I fully grasp this book, then I will tell you!"
Several of Tan Fucheng’s Supports were reading books; so was Xiao Yeci. Lu Yuanxin was in the house, feeding caterpillars.
When Lu Chunying saw Li Banfeng, she greeted him with joy, "Brother Seven, there’s business to be done at the Ink Shop. There are vast farmlands outside the city, along with quite a few practitioners of Farming Cultivation. A lot of grain is sold each year. Doing grain business here could make a lot of money. But if one stays here for too long, they begin to act weirdly. I don’t know what’s gotten into Big Brother Tan and the others; they’re so absorbed in their books that they don’t even feel like eating."
It seemed Lu Chunying had visited quite a few places that afternoon. Li Banfeng asked, "Don’t you want to read books?"
Lu Chunying shook her head. "I’ve been reading at home with my mom every day, isn’t that enough? I finally get to go out; I have to accumulate some cultivation level."
The Ink Shop didn’t seem to affect Lu Chunying and Lu Yuanxin, and it was still undetermined whether it affected Xiao Yeci.
Back at the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng took out the Judge’s Pen and asked, "Is the Ink Shop your home?"
The Judge’s Pen didn’t answer.
Li Banfeng continued, "Who is the Local Deity of the Ink Shop?"
After a long silence, the Phonograph beside them spoke up, "This servant knows. The Local Deity of the Ink Shop is the Erudite Scholar, one of the chief leaders among Literature Cultivators, with extremely high combat power and unparalleled wit. Many rumors and anecdotes about him can be found at the Ink Shop."
Li Banfeng took out the book he had bought from the Lu Family Bookstore. "My dear, is the information recorded here authentic?"
The Phonograph glanced through it briefly. "My husband, this servant doesn’t know much about the Erudite Scholar, but the rumors everywhere are mostly the same. The Erudite Scholar, named Murong Gui, can guess intentions in three sentences and see through people’s hearts in five. His Literature Cultivation Techniques are unrivaled, and his martial foundation should not be underestimated. He is skilled with a Judge’s Pen. If someone is injured by that Weapon, they won’t die, but they’ll lose all their combat effectiveness in an instant."
Hong Ying said, "Isn’t that describing our Cheap Pen?"
The Phonograph said, "How can you be so certain?"
Hong Ying was taken aback. "Wicked woman, are you testing me? Isn’t this obvious? If it was poison, the victim could struggle for a while. But if the Lazy Cultivation Technique is used, the victim wouldn’t bother fighting—wouldn’t their combat effectiveness be gone? Lazy Cultivation Technique plus the Judge’s Pen, isn’t that just our Cheap Pen? Qi Lang, this Cheap Pen probably wants to return to its old master. You should be extra careful."
Li Banfeng looked at the Judge’s Pen and said, "Do you want to go home?"
"Hmph," was the Judge’s Pen’s one-word reply.
"If you do want to go home, I can let you go."
Hong Ying quickly said, "Qi Lang, you can’t let it leave! It knows so much about us; if it reveals anything to its master, we’ll be in danger!"
Angry, the Judge’s Pen trembled and burst out with a sentence, "Then don’t take me out!"
It was a full seven words! Those seven words thoroughly expressed the Judge’s Pen’s anger and dissatisfaction.
"Don’t worry, I trust you," Li Banfeng said calmly. "Ah Bi, if you truly want to go home, we’ll create a Contract Book guaranteeing not to mention our past. I’ll personally send you back."
"Hmph." The Judge’s Pen turned away, ignoring Li Banfeng.
After pondering for a moment, Li Banfeng said, "Are you afraid that I’ll find the Erudite Scholar Murong Gui through you and bring trouble upon him?"
The Judge’s Pen remained silent.
Li Banfeng said, "If I find Murong Gui, consider him lucky. If the Greenwater Beggar or Chu Shaoqiang finds him, that would be a real disaster. Not only Murong Gui but the entire Ink Shop will face great danger. Think about this carefully."
In the dead of night, Li Banfeng slept soundly, hugging the Phonograph, as all the Magical Treasures rested as well.
The Judge’s Pen quietly rose from the desk, not making a sound.
It flew into mid-air and looked down silently at Li Banfeng.
Gloves lay underneath the bed, silently gripping a dagger.
The Judge’s Pen had made no sound, yet Gloves was still roused.
According to Gloves’ judgment, if he woke the Phonograph now, the Judge’s Pen would strike Li Banfeng before they could react.
But if he merely parried, Gloves was confident he was faster than the Judge’s Pen. By then, the Phonograph would wake up from the noise.
After hovering for a short while, the Judge’s Pen awakened Li Banfeng.
"Qi, I want to discuss something with you."
PS: What exactly happened to the Erudite Scholar?