Before long, a Ghost Fire arrived above Li Banfeng’s head, circled for a moment, and asked sharply, "Who are you?"
"Li Qi." Li Banfeng was taken aback, not knowing what joke Shui Yongquan was playing.
"How did you open up this wasteland initially?"
"I found a place and hid for three days."
Shui Yongquan suddenly appeared, staring at Li Banfeng for a long time.
Li Banfeng noticed scars on his face and asked, "Did you have a run-in with Lu Dongliang?"
Shui Yongquan shook his head. "It wasn’t Lu Dongliang, but a Drama Cultivator. He disguised himself as you to find me. I was fooled and nearly suffered a great loss."
It turned out that a Drama Cultivator from the Inner State had impersonated Lu Dongliang.
Li Banfeng asked, "How did he find you?"
"He scattered blood on this territory."
Li Banfeng didn’t understand. "This is the territory I opened up. How could you sense it when he spilled blood here?"
Shui Yongquan said, "A top-tier Drama Cultivator can replicate a person’s blood. He must have gotten a hold of your blood before."
"How could he have gotten my blood?"
While Li Banfeng was still pondering, he heard Shui Yongquan ask again, "How did Ma Wu open up the wasteland?"
Li Banfeng replied, "It started with a pair of Youyan. The situation was like this..."
PFFT!
Shui Yongquan suddenly sprayed a mouthful of water at Li Banfeng.
Soaked through, Li Banfeng wiped his face and said, "Brother Shui, couldn’t you have waited until I finished speaking?"
Shui Yongquan waved his hand. "No need to say more, Old Qi. I know it’s you."
Li Banfeng said, "If this Drama Cultivator could injure you, it seems he’s quite skilled."
"It’s hard to say how good Drama Cultivators are in combat. They lack other abilities, but their sneaking skills are first-rate. This one has reached Above the Clouds. If he manages to ambush you once, you’re probably done for." Shui Yongquan said this with a wry smile. "I really am getting old. Even though I realized he was a Drama Cultivator, I still fell for it. I don’t know why I forgot to be vigilant then."
"Old Qi, this person came from the Inner State, right?"
Li Banfeng did not hide the truth. "He must have been sent by the Inner State to seize the land. I’ll try to draw him away and avoid involving you as much as possible."
Shui Yongquan laughed. "Brother, you’re underestimating me. I’m not as rash as Qiu Daxiang in handling things, but if he attacks my doorstep, I won’t tolerate it. Stay in my territory for the next couple of days. Be extra cautious of the people around, and if anything happens, immediately spread your blood to find me. I’ve already found a way to deal with him. No matter what form he takes, he can’t fool me. When I encounter that bastard again, I’ll make sure he doesn’t leave alive!"
After Shui Yongquan left, Li Banfeng returned to Zhengjing Village.
There were many familiar faces in the village, and Li Banfeng knew he must stay vigilant around everyone.
Entering his wooden hut, Li Banfeng was about to take out his keys for the Portable Residence when he heard footsteps outside the door.
Li Banfeng opened the door to see a woman in her twenties, standing panicked at the doorstep.
"Who are you?" Li Banfeng did not recognize the woman.
With her head lowered and cheeks flushed, the woman said, "You’re Seventh Master, right? Everyone in Zhengjing Village has heard of Seventh Master’s reputation, but few have actually seen him. I just wanted to see you once, so I could say my life hasn’t been lived in vain."
Li Banfeng kept his distance and lowered the brim of his hat. "You’ve seen me now."
The woman pleaded, "Seventh Master, please talk to me a little more. When I go back home, I can boast to my sisters about this for a year."
Before Li Banfeng could reply, Cui Tiq’s voice came from outside, "Lady, you’re being too greedy. You just said that seeing Seventh Master once would make your life worthwhile. Now that you’ve seen him, why are you still lingering here?"
The moment Cui Tiq finished speaking, a smear of green pus hung on the woman’s face.
With a startled cry, the woman turned and ran. By the time Li Banfeng chased out of the wooden hut, she had already disappeared.
Cui Tiq, rubbing the pus-filled acne on his face, said to Li Banfeng, "She’s got my pus on her. I can sense her location."
Li Banfeng exclaimed, "You really showed up at just the right time tonight."
With a smile, Cui Tiq said, "You might not believe this, but there’s a lady in my clinic who looks exactly like her. That lady is still getting an IV in my clinic. I went out for a walk, and what do you know? I saw her entering your room. I don’t think it’s as simple as a Clone Technique or a Disguise Technique. We can go to the clinic and check on that lady first. We can ask her if she has a twin sister..."
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "Never mind your clinic for now. Let’s catch up to that person first!"
Cui Tiq laughed. "She’s been hit by my technique. Even with Cloud Top Cultivation, she’ll lose a great deal of combat power. In this situation, we hold the advantage. There’s no need to be too hasty..."
"Stop your chattering and let’s go!"
Cui Tiq ran ahead with Li Banfeng following behind.
After dozens of miles, Li Banfeng became anxious. "Can’t you go any faster?"
Cui Tiq replied, "I’m not a Traveling Cultivator; I’m a Disease Cultivator. The difference in speed between us is insurmountable. Before we find this woman, you need to learn to adapt..."
"Fine, I’ll adapt!" Li Banfeng replied helplessly, only able to follow Cui Tiq’s unhurried pace.
After more than an hour, an ancient city appeared ahead of them.
Pointing at the city, Cui Tiq said, "That woman has fled into this city."
Li Banfeng, surprised, asked, "How can there be a city in a place like this?"
Cui Tiq replied, "I find it strange too. Shall we go in for a look?"
Li Banfeng looked back. "How far have we run?"
Shrugging, Cui Tiq answered, "You’re the Traveling Cultivator; you shouldn’t be asking me about distance. But by my estimate, we’re still within Shui Yongquan’s territory. If danger arises, you can request the help of the Local Deity. So, do you want to enter the city or not?"
After a moment’s hesitation, Li Banfeng clenched his teeth and said, "As long as we’re in Brother Shui’s territory, there’s nothing to fear. Since we’ve chased her this far, it won’t hurt to look inside!"
The two entered the ancient city. Cui Tiq, watching the passers-by in the city, spoke in a lowered voice, "I can sense that woman. She is nearby, very close to us."
Li Banfeng nodded and asked, "Why are you helping me so much?"
Taken aback, Cui Tiq answered, "For our friendship, and because I love Zhengjing Village."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "Do you really love Zhengjing Village?"
Cui Tiq nodded earnestly. "I love it from the bottom of my heart."
"How can you prove that?"
"What need is there for proof?"
As they spoke, "Cui Tiq" walked towards Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng raised his hand, signaling him not to come closer. "Just who are you, really?"
"Cui Tiq" fell silent for a moment, then said, "Asking who I am at this point, don’t you think it’s too late?"
Li Banfeng persisted, "Why did you have to lure me to this place?"
"Because I don’t want to battle Shui Yongquan anymore. He has found a special technique that can wash off my makeup. I also don’t want to watch you run away. You’re a high-level Traveling Cultivator. If you really start running, I won’t be able to catch up to you."
The person across from him laughed. He was not Cui Tiq, and there was no longer any need to maintain the disguise.
An Above the Clouds Drama Cultivator was nearly flawless in outward appearance.
Li Banfeng glanced around, his expression turning to panic. "What is this place, really?"
The Drama Cultivator shook his head. "You don’t need to know what this place is. No one here can save you, and you can’t run away. Just wait quietly for death."
PS: Ban Feng said he was extremely afraid. He really had never been to this place before!
This Chapter’s plot has run over three Chapters. Dear readers, your monthly tickets should go to Shala!