Li Banfeng said, "He’s not bad, quite capable, and I reckon you quite like him too, but there’s one thing that’s not so great."
"What’s not so great?"
Li Banfeng honestly replied, "I really want to kill him."
"Then forget it, you’re too ruthless!" Sun Tiecheng waved his hand. "If he’s someone you don’t approve of, I probably won’t either. Let’s find someone else. Our Taoist Sect was once the foremost Taoist sect in the world; not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can join. Besides this He Jiaqing, don’t you have any other suitable people by your side?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment and said, "Ma Wu, who started an enterprise with me. You also know him; he’s a smart man and diligent in his practice."
Sun Tiecheng shook his head. "This man has a bad reputation. I have so many nice girls in my city; if he comes, they’ll all be ruined by him. I’m talking about serious business here. Our Taoist Sect is a serious sect; you need to pick someone serious to join us."
Li Banfeng thought for a moment and then said, "The Head of the He Family, He Yuxiu, is a decent person, with high cultivation level and status, and has the potential to bring our Taoist Sect to greater glory."
Sun Tiecheng looked at Li Banfeng. "This is your sweetheart, isn’t it?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "We’re innocent; we’re like sworn brother and sister."
"Innocent?" Sun Tiecheng scoffed. "There are no innocent sworn siblings in this world; they all end up sharing the same bed. This He Yuxiu, a wild woman, is she suitable for my place? What if she learns nothing and ends up infuriating me to death? Suggest someone reliable!"
Li Banfeng thought hard for a long while and answered, "There’s a Foreigner named Cui Tiq, a Disciple of the Greenwater Beggar. What do you think?"
"I don’t teach Foreigners, and I certainly don’t teach people from Green Flower," Sun Tiecheng shook his head. "Old Qi, this is a major matter for the Taoist Sect. You need to take it seriously!"
Li Banfeng thought and said, "There’s also..."
A voice suddenly interrupted Li Banfeng’s thoughts.
Li Banfeng had many people in mind: Qiu Zhiheng, Xiao Yeci, Lu Chunying, Chu Huaiyuan, Zuo Wugang, Xiao Chuanzi...
There were also some figures he couldn’t mention, including Luo Zhengnan, Wu Yongchao, Zhang Wanlong, Xiao Genzi, Bai Qiusheng, Liang Wucui...
All these people were Li Banfeng’s secret assets. If not for Ban Feng Yi’s strong resistance in his mind, Li Banfeng would have almost spoken their names.
Li Qi looked at Sun Tiecheng, who smiled slightly. "Speak up, why have you stopped talking?"
Li Qi said, "You can’t use a Technique to trick me! We’re on the same side. I genuinely want to do great things for the Taoist Sect."
Sun Tiecheng nodded. "That’s why I went easy on you. Otherwise, I could have made you talk until tomorrow morning. Have you learned how to navigate such a situation?"
Li Qi pondered for a moment, then turned to Yan Cui’er and said, "Cui’er, let’s go back to the room and practice properly!"
Yan Cui’er, beaming with joy, tugged at Li Qi to go back to the room. Sun Tiecheng frowned and said, "Don’t always bother Yan Cui’er. Changfa is already in that state; don’t you care?"
Li Banfeng, supporting Tang Changfa, said, "Come on, Ah Fa, let’s go back to the room and practice!"
Sun Tiecheng barked, "Why keep practicing on your own people? If you’re skilled, go show it off outside! Bring back some flesh and blood! Can’t you even sustain a single Book Residence by yourself?"
Sun Tiecheng taught Li Qi some of the finer points of the technique for skillfully maneuvering situations, then drew a map on the ground with a stick, saying, "Fool’s City used to open its south gate, but now it opens the west gate. The path goes like this; memorize it..."
Li Banfeng noted down the entrance and went out to find some food for the Book Residence.
He first returned to the Portable Residence and handed his blood-stained clothes to the Phonograph. "Beloved wife, help me wash these clothes, and collect the bloodstains."
His wife asked, "Is this blood of any use?"
"For fishing, to make bait."
Upon hearing this, his wife understood. "Oh dear husband, you want to fish for those small fry under the Drama Cultivator, don’t you? You don’t need to bother fishing for them; this Little Servant doesn’t fancy such trifles."
Li Banfeng embraced his wife from behind. "Oh, my dear wife, you don’t seem to have gained much weight, but your aura is quite formidable when you speak. You don’t even fancy the ingredients from Earth Skin?"
"If there were any from the Seventh or Eighth Layer, I could consider them snacks!"
But then again, Red Lotus had consumed Ge Junma and He Caiyuan not long ago; perhaps it was time to harvest the results.
He went to the Ninth Room and said with a smile, "Jiu Hua, are the Elixirs refined yet?"
Red Lotus snorted. "Can you stop calling me leek flower? Why don’t you call me sesame paste?"
After some thought, Li Banfeng said, "Then let’s call you Hua Jiu. Let’s talk about the Elixirs first!"
Red Lotus had indeed refined the Elixirs. Li Banfeng peeled off the Lotus Seeds, examining them carefully.
One Lotus Seed produced two Xuanyun Pills, while the other produced one.
"Which one yielded two?"
"The pureblood Inner State person."
"Why did the Inner State person produce an extra one? Is his cultivation level higher than He Caiyuan’s?"
"It’s not about a higher cultivation level; his Bloodline is special. Their flesh and blood not only yield more pills but are also purer."
Li Banfeng gently caressed the Lotus Heart and said with a chuckle, "Hua Jiu’er, the Gold Yuan Pills are almost finished, and I haven’t reached the Ninth Layer yet. You have seven holes here; don’t force me to act!"
Li Banfeng’s hand never left the Lotus Heart. Red Lotus trembled slightly. "I’m doing all this for your own good, truly. Ordinary flesh and blood can’t refine Xuanyun Pills. Once you’re ’Above the Clouds,’ you’ll realize how precious these are."
This was already the seventh Xuanyun Pill that Li Banfeng had saved.
Gently touching each hole on the Lotus Heart, Li Banfeng said tenderly, "No matter how good things are, I must be able to use them. I’ll find some common ingredients; you must provide me with suitable Elixirs!"