The chill was bone-deep, yet the Peddler, dressed in only a blue cotton vest, drilled a hole in the ice and dove in headfirst.
Over two minutes later, the Peddler emerged from the ice hole, grabbed a towel to wipe his face, and said to the "Local Deity," "The entrance at the bottom of the lake is blocked. All other entrances are blocked too. Only Liu Xia Hui’s entrance remains open."
Liu Xia Hui—Liu Xia with the character "Hui."
Li Banfeng was quite startled. "Who came up with such a creative entrance?"
The Peddler replied, "Murong Gui thought of it. After he became the Local Deity, he left this entrance. He said the method to open the door shouldn’t be too complicated, for fear he wouldn’t remember it, nor too simple, lest others guess it. So, he took the name Liu Xia Hui and changed one character—easy for him to come up with, but hard for others to guess."
Li Banfeng looked at the Judge’s Pen and praised, "Ah Gui, you are so talented!"
The Judge’s Pen was asleep and didn’t respond.
The Peddler sneered. "Talent? What talent? He’s just too lazy to think things through.
"I even asked him, ’This is the method to open your own door, so why tell me?’
"He said it was to guard against intruders, so if anything happened to him, I could serve as a backup.
"I actually believed him and memorized the method. But thinking about it later, didn’t I just become his family’s designated backup?
"That kid’s too lazy; he wanted me to house-sit for him. In fact, I should have guessed back then that he’d become a Lazy Cultivator."
The Peddler took out two large Ink Blocks and gave them to the "Local Deity."
The "Local Deity," smelling the strong fragrance of ink, cradled them lovingly for a while, regaining much vigor. Its previously dull face brightened, and its writing speed increased significantly.
Li Banfeng asked the Peddler, "You only give ink and no paper. What if the paper runs out?"
The Peddler picked up a written scroll and inquired, "You mean this?"
Li Banfeng nodded.
The Peddler explained, "This scroll isn’t something I can give; it’s produced by the Ink Shop."
Saying this, the Peddler unfurled the scroll. It was densely filled with the three orders of the Ink Shop, but Li Banfeng suddenly noticed that the characters at the beginning of the scroll were disappearing one by one.
"What’s the reason for this?" Li Banfeng asked, turning to the Peddler.
The Peddler sighed. "Because too many people don’t want to study, the orders written down are quickly erased."
Li Banfeng understood the principle. "Promoting learning is a very difficult thing."
"That’s why being the Local Deity of the Ink Shop is tough," the Peddler said. He watched the scroll until the writing completely vanished, leaving a blank sheet, then handed the scroll to the "Local Deity."
The "Local Deity" took the scroll, dipped it in some ink, and continued to write the rules.
"Truly a diligent and excellent Pen!" the Peddler praised, then turned to look at Li Banfeng. "Your cultivation level must be approaching Above the Clouds, right?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I only Entered the Path a few days ago. I’m far from Above the Clouds."
"If you’re that far, how did you become a Local Deity?"
"I haven’t!" Li Banfeng flatly denied.
The Peddler snorted. "I saw it all. Murong Gui was flying you all over the New Land, and you even dealt with Pioneers there."
Li Banfeng still shook his head. "I have a mental illness. I just wanted to fly at the time. You wouldn’t understand what I was thinking."
The Peddler frowned. "You don’t have to hide it from me. Wanting to be a Local Deity and not wanting to go to the Inner State—that’s a good thing, something only a person with guts could achieve. However, your piece of New Land only has half of the Contract Book; the other half is still in the Inner State. If you’re not careful, you could get outmaneuvered by the Inner State. The Ink Shop is a completely different place. The Contract Book here is complete. It’s a great opportunity for you."
Li Banfeng looked at the "Local Deity," who was writing furiously, and shook his head. "I don’t think this place is suitable for me. I’m not a Literature Cultivator."
"Not being a Literature Cultivator isn’t important! What’s important isn’t the Taoist Sect, it’s your Mental State. As long as you have the heart to learn literature, no difficulty is insurmountable!" The Peddler straightened his back, his figure suddenly appearing much taller.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I really don’t fit in here."
The Peddler looked at Li Banfeng sincerely. "I asked you to come here to be the Local Deity, not just to save my pen. I truly mean well for you!"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I believe you mean well, but for a Traveling Cultivator like me, being cooped up here writing all day just isn’t suitable."
The Peddler’s expression darkened. "Fine, don’t come then! Don’t be ungrateful. Do you have any idea what kind of place the Ink Shop is? So many people want to come here but don’t have the means!"
Li Banfeng was just about to ask about this. "The Ink Shop is an important place, right?"
The Peddler was taken aback. "You don’t know this? Then why are you fighting so hard here?"
Li Banfeng replied, "Why should Puluo State’s territory be handed over to the Inner State?"
The Peddler laughed. "That’s right! Any other reason?"
Li Banfeng continued, "I smelled the fragrance of ink here. In Puluo State, this fragrance of ink is incredibly rare."
The Peddler smiled. "You mean the smell of ink?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Not the ink. It’s the territory, the people, the books, the customs, every word and deed, every stroke and drawing, the teahouses, the Poetry Societies, the restaurants and inns..."
He spoke of whatever came to mind, sharing with the Peddler all that he had seen these past few days.
The Peddler listened to every word and then asked, "What do you think of the people at the Ink Shop?"
Li Banfeng recalled the people he had met at the Ink Shop. "Affected, arrogant, stubborn, old-fashioned. Quite annoying, but also quite likable."
The Peddler laughed. "Right? Quite likable, aren’t they!
"You’re correct, the Ink Shop does have the fragrance of ink, and this fragrance is indeed very precious. People from Outside Provinces can almost all read, and Inner State People can all read too. Puluo State lags far behind. In Black Stone Slope, barely half the population is literate; in Greenwater City, less than thirty percent. In other areas, you’d be hard-pressed to find even one literate person in a hundred."
Li Banfeng did not interrupt the Peddler, who continued, "Only in the Ink Shop does everyone read. Knowing one more character lets a person see one li further into the territory.
"A person who knows a hundred characters can clearly see what’s around them. Someone who knows a thousand can see what’s outside. And one who knows ten thousand characters can see how the past and present, the internal and external, all connect.
"Those who stay in the Ink Shop know how to look and think. Whether they think correctly or not, they think anyway.
"Those who leave the Ink Shop, no matter how they do it or how affected they are, can still convey their thoughts to others."
Li Banfeng asked, "But can others understand them?"
The Peddler shook his head. "Most can’t. Ninety percent won’t get it. But at least the remaining ten percent will think along with them.
"If the Ink Shop, this piece of territory, is lost, then no one in Puluo State will be willing to think anymore. In the future, we can only wait to be completely devoured by the Outside Provinces and the Inner State."
Li Banfeng nodded. "So, no matter what, the Ink Shop must not be lost."
The Peddler nodded vigorously. "That’s why we need a responsible, brave, and spirited young man to become the Local Deity of the Ink Shop!"
Having said that, the Peddler looked sincerely at Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng responded politely with a "Hmph."
...
As the two left the Local Deity’s residence, Li Banfeng asked, "Based on the previous timeline, you should have been at Hai Chi Ridge and Pants Belt Pit during this period. I sent people to look for you. Why couldn’t they find you?"
Upon mention of this, the Peddler’s face darkened. "I was about to ask you, is your madness contagious?"
Li Banfeng puffed out his chest. "I’m not mad. A doctor has seen me."
The Peddler retorted angrily, "Then what madness possessed your men? Why did they get the radio station to find me?"
This was news to Li Banfeng.
"Were you listening to the radio at that time?"
The Peddler shook his head. "I wasn’t. One of my sweethearts heard it and found me."
Li Banfeng cautiously asked, "Where did she find you?"
The Peddler, his face grim, said, "At another sweetheart’s house."
Li Banfeng took a deep breath.
"Brother Lang, that was reckless of me!" Li Banfeng hastily apologized.
Reaching the edge of the forest, the Peddler handed Ge Junma and He Caiyuan over to Li Banfeng.
"These two are still alive but unable to move. Take them back for a meal."
Li Banfeng smiled tactfully. "Brother Lang, you jest. The toad, maybe... but that old man is a person. How could I possibly eat him?"
The Peddler also smiled. "If you can’t eat them, isn’t there someone in your house who can?"
Li Banfeng glanced at the Peddler.
The Peddler began tidying his cart, preparing to leave.
Li Banfeng quickly asked, "Brother Lang, do you know someone named Lian Bud?"
The Peddler set down the cart and turned abruptly to look at Li Banfeng, his expression extremely sinister. "When did you meet him?"
"It’s been a while. One day, I dreamed I was rowing a boat on the sea. My house misunderstood something and sent me to Lian Bud’s Oil Lake."
The Peddler asked, "Your house sent you there? Did you get to the railroad tracks?"
Li Banfeng nodded.
The Peddler then inquired, "What did Lian Bud say to you?"
"He said he suffered a lot in that place, and he wanted you to save him."
"Oil Lake," the Peddler frowned. "I know the place you’re talking about; that’s his face. But even if I went there, I wouldn’t be able to save him."
Li Banfeng remained silent. He didn’t know how to deal with matters of this level.
After a long silence, the Peddler said, "I’ve always wanted to save him, but I’ve never found a good way. When I do, I’ll tell you. You might need to help with this."
This was a question Li Banfeng had always wanted to ask, and the timing seemed appropriate. "Brother Lang, why did you give that house to me? There must be many people in the world who desire that house."
The Peddler looked surprised. "Haven’t we already talked about this? It’s because you were at a disadvantage when you were Entering the Path Gateway, and I had to compensate you."
"Just because I was hit once? With your means, you could have definitely made me avoid your cart."
The Peddler’s expression turned serious. "That’s not certain. There’s always the possibility of accidents; there are always things one can’t guard against."
Li Banfeng never pried into matters others didn’t wish to discuss.
The Peddler began to push his cart. "Anything else you want to ask? If not, I’m leaving. I’m in a good mood today, that’s why I’ve told you so much. Next time we meet, it might not be so easy to talk."
Li Banfeng had many questions, but he could see the Peddler’s patience was limited.
After careful consideration, Li Banfeng asked the question he most wanted an answer to: "Brother Lang, where is Demon Land?"
The Peddler fell silent.
The Peddler, leaning against his cart, thought for a long time, as if recalling something. "Now that you mention Demon Land, you’ve really stumped me. That’s ancient history, isn’t it? That place hasn’t been called Demon Land for a long time."
Li Banfeng was startled. "Then what is it called?"
"It’s called Puluo State."
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
The Peddler pushed his cart, shaking his rattle-drum, and vanished into the night.
PS: Demon Land is Puluo State? Does Shala have some mental issues?