Li Banfeng indeed needed to return to Li Gou.
If the private detective Da Boyins really was sent by the Jiang Xiang Gang, Li Banfeng absolutely couldn’t stay in the Yu Family Village; otherwise, once the Jiang Xiang Gang sent troops to surround the village, Li Banfeng wouldn’t have a chance to escape.
If Da Boyins wasn’t sent by the Jiang Xiang Gang, Li Banfeng would try his best to find out his origin.
Moreover, Li Banfeng needed to find Shopkeeper Feng to clarify the origin of the phonograph.
Aside from that, he also had to inquire about the Guide Tokens. The tokens for traveling to the Outside Provinces were too difficult to obtain, and if his business with Yu Nan couldn’t be concluded, he’d still need to ask Shopkeeper Feng for some connections.
If it really required twenty million, Li Banfeng would have to seriously consider returning to Yuezhou.
Therefore, returning to Li Gou as soon as possible was the only correct choice.
If Li Banfeng was leaving, Little Fatty would also follow.
"Brother Seven, this life of mine, Qin Tianjiu, will be yours from now on. No matter if it’s climbing a mountain of swords or descending into a sea of flames, just a word from you, and I won’t even blink an eye," said Little Fatty.
Li Banfeng frowned and said, "It’s fine if you don’t blink, but you have to try and stop me. If I’m already climbing a mountain of swords, you can’t just act as if you’ve seen nothing."
After pondering for a long time, Qin Xiaopang nodded and said, "Brother Seven makes sense. I should kowtow to you first."
Li Banfeng’s frown deepened. "In the future, no kowtowing to the living. If anyone makes you kowtow, you kill them."
Qin Xiaopang considered for a long while, then nodded and said, "Brother Seven makes sense. When do we set off?"
"You better not set off at all. Stay in the Yu Family Village to recuperate for a few more days. I’ll give you some money. Ask Manager Yu to prepare some good food for you," Li Banfeng said, somewhat worried about Qin Xiaopang’s health, as he appeared to sweat profusely from just standing for a while.
Qin Xiaopang laughed and said, "Brother Seven, don’t worry about me. Once back in Li Gou, I’ll find a way out. I definitely won’t hold you back. I’m not afraid of the Geng Family, and even less so of those bastards from the Jiang Xiang Gang!"
Yu Nan intervened, "Boss Qin, you mustn’t be impulsive. The Jiang Xiang Gang is particularly ruthless right now. Never mind Li Gou; just stepping outside the Yu Family Village, I’m afraid, means you’ll likely face dire odds."
Qin Xiaopang shook his head and replied, "Manager Yu, I appreciate your kindness. I know this trip is fraught with danger, nine chances of death to one of life, but if I don’t leave the Yu Family Village today, I’m afraid I’ll never get the chance in this lifetime. Brother Seven, could you lend me some money? I need to buy some dry rations from Manager Yu first."
He indeed should be given the money, as the food supply of the Yu Family Village relied on Yu Nan’s subordinates to bring it in from outside.
Just as Li Banfeng took out his wallet, he saw Yu Nan wave her hand and say, "Seventh Master, don’t embarrass us. What are some dry rations? Shopkeeper Qin could eat here for a lifetime, and it wouldn’t matter. I’m worried that..."
Qin Xiaopang laughed and said, "Manager Yu, don’t worry, Qin Tianjiu won’t die. When your cloth business opens, expect me to be there to congratulate you."
Li Banfeng exclaimed in admiration, "Truly a man with guts!"
Yu Nan looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Seventh Master, I’ll come back to Li Gou with you."
Li Banfeng asked sternly, "Are you also a person with guts?"
Yu Nan awkwardly responded, "I’m not. I don’t have any..."
"Since you don’t have guts, stay hidden here and don’t go wandering about."
Li Banfeng wasn’t joking. Yu Nan’s situation was different from his. She still had the responsibility of the Yu Family Gang on her shoulders, and with her capabilities and power, she couldn’t return to Li Gou now.
Li Banfeng left the Yu Family Village.
Yu Nan was a bit impulsive; she really wanted to follow Li Banfeng.
But the Old Storekeeper stopped her, saying, "Manager, let’s wait. We know it’s walking into the line of fire; we mustn’t rush headlong. Boss Li is a master; we’re no match for him. The Jiang Xiang Gang can’t keep an eye on us forever. After a year or so, when the heat dies down, it won’t be too late to return to Li Gou."
Li Banfeng moved swiftly through the pitch-black New Land, with Qin Xiaopang struggling to keep up behind him.
When climbing the slope, Li Banfeng gave Qin Xiaopang a hand. "You better not overdo it if you can’t take it. I still think you should have stayed in the Yu Family Village to recuperate for a while longer."
Wiping off his sweat, Qin Xiaopang replied, "Brother Seven, if you think I’m too slow, just go ahead without waiting for me."
"If you’re having difficulty even walking now, how will you handle the People of Geng Family when you get back to Li Gou?"
Qin Xiaopang munched on some dry rations. "I’ve told you, I won’t hold you back. I’m planning on joining a gang."
"Which gang?"
"The Three Heroes Gang."
Although Li Banfeng didn’t have much idea about gangs, he had heard of the Three Heroes Gang from Yu Nan. It was one of the three major gangs in Puluo State, but he doubted whether Qin Xiaopang was qualified to join.
After drinking some water and swallowing his dry rations, Qin Xiaopang said, "I do have the qualifications to join. As long as you’re a Cultivator who joins, the Three Heroes Gang is willing to accept you. It’s just that for someone like me with no rank, even if I join the Gang, I can only serve as Rabble. I won’t get any good food or drink, and I’ll be the first to charge into battle."
Li Banfeng narrowed his eyes and asked, "What’s the advantage for you in joining the Three Heroes Gang?"
Little Fatty replied, "Once I join the Three Heroes Gang, those little flunkies from the Jiang Xiang Gang won’t dare mess with me, and the Geng Family wouldn’t dare to touch me even more."
Li Banfeng asked, "If you rise in rank, you won’t have to be Rabble anymore?"
Little Fatty nodded. "If I reach the First Layer, I could become an Iron Seal in the Three Heroes Gang."
"What’s an Iron Seal?"
"It means a small leader. Someone who commands five or six people, has an Iron Seal Stamp, and manages some miscellaneous matters on the ground."
As they talked, aspiration filled Little Fatty’s face, and Li Banfeng asked, "Have you been thinking about joining the Three Heroes Gang for a long time?"
Little Fatty first shook his head, then nodded. "I’ve thought about joining a Gang, but I don’t want to be a flunky. At the very least, I’d wait until I reach the First Layer and can be an Iron Seal, so it wouldn’t be shameful."
"Then wait a while longer, until you can eat twenty jin of food, and then we’ll talk."
"I’ve tried it once," Little Fatty shook his head. "I bought twenty jin of steamed buns to see if I could do it. But after thirteen jin, I couldn’t eat any more. I’m just not cut out for that."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Eating twenty jin of steamed buns—who could swallow that? Once we reach Li Gou, eat the good stuff. Find the best and eat twenty jin of it!"
Little Fatty smiled but said nothing.
After the two of them left Jiangyue Mountain, Li Banfeng found a horse cart. After traveling for a day and a night, they returned to Li Gou.
Little Fatty wanted to head to the Hall Entrance of the Three Heroes Gang and asked Li Banfeng if he wanted to come along. "Brother Seven, I see that you’ve already advanced to a new layer. I know some people in the Gang. If you join, you’re sure to get an Iron Seal Stamp."
"Since you have connections, look after yourself first. Even if you end up as Rabble, try to pick a good assignment."
After sending Little Fatty to the Hall Entrance, Li Banfeng went to Feng’s Grocery Store.
Shopkeeper Feng was sitting before the counter, his face flushed, humming an opera tune: "In Xiliang River, there are forty-eight stations; for soldiers who serve, I ask no money!"
This was from "Wujia Slope," a tune his wife liked to sing, which Li Banfeng also often heard.
He originally wanted to step forward and sing along, but the shop assistant, Chunsheng, upon seeing Li Banfeng, shuddered with fright and shouted at once, "Shopkeeper, the debt collector is here!"
Shopkeeper Feng had seen his share of big scenes. Seeing Li Banfeng approach the door, he first ordered Chunsheng to close the shop and then invited Li Banfeng into the back room.
Once Li Banfeng sat down in the back room, Shopkeeper Feng brewed a pot of tea for him and then said, "Boss Li, I know why you’ve come, and indeed, I do feel a bit uneasy about this matter.
"But friendship is friendship, and business is business. Once a deal is struck, we can’t go back on it. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can offer some compensation, but you absolutely cannot return the item."
Li Banfeng took a sip of tea, puzzled. "Return what?"
Shopkeeper Feng added another piece of coal to the tea stove. "Boss Li, let’s be frank; there’s no need for riddles. You’ve bought that phonograph, so there’s no way it can be returned."
"Who said anything about sending it back?" Li Banfeng looked at Shopkeeper Feng, confused. "That phonograph is quite good, there’s nothing wrong with it. Why would I send it back?"
"Quite good..."
Shopkeeper Feng was stunned speechless for a long time. Ever since his grocery store had acquired that phonograph, his days had been anything but peaceful. He suspected Li Banfeng was being sarcastic, or perhaps he had been driven mad by its torment.
"Boss Li, are we talking about the same phonograph?"
Li Banfeng blinked. "I only have one phonograph."
"Boss Li, do you know that this phonograph can sing on its own, without anyone needing to operate it?"
"I know. Isn’t a phonograph meant to sing?" Li Banfeng found this perfectly normal.
Shopkeeper Feng was dumbfounded for a while. "It sings a couple of tunes when it’s happy, and if it’s not, it can sing all night. You can’t stop it, and you have to listen attentively. Otherwise, a blast of steam can scald a person half to death. You know that, right?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "I haven’t noticed that. If she wants to sing, just let her. Why stop her?"
Shopkeeper Feng looked at Li Banfeng, astounded, feeling that this man was beyond reasoning.
"Boss Li, let me tell you the truth," Shopkeeper Feng said. Since the deal couldn’t be undone anyway, he decided to share his past experiences with Li Banfeng. "You might not be aware, but this phonograph can attract Lost Souls."
An old lady who died in String of Alleyways used to come to the grocery store every night to listen to songs, and she particularly liked to sit right next to Shopkeeper Feng to listen.
An old yellow dog from Yuqian Alley had died only two days before and was attracted by the phonograph; it came every evening to listen, lying right beside Shopkeeper Feng’s bed.
It was said that Shopkeeper Feng’s father, who had passed away many years ago, also returned a couple of times. He liked to brew a pot of tea and listen while smoking his pipe.
In Qingxiao Pavilion, Miss Xiaoxuan, who had drowned herself in the river for love, liked to bring her pipa and play along with the phonograph, singing tunes.
Brother Husan, who died with Miss Xiaoxuan, liked to come holding a cigarette and listen to the tunes while hugging Chunsheng.
Shopkeeper Feng, in a moment of resolve, had Chunsheng throw the phonograph out.
At eleven o’clock that night, the phonograph returned home punctually. It first scalded Shopkeeper Feng and Chunsheng, leaving them with blisters, and then resumed singing.
Driven to desperation, Shopkeeper Feng closed the shop and decided to move back with Chunsheng to his old home in Waigou.
But moving back proved useless; the phonograph followed Shopkeeper Feng back to his old home.
Shopkeeper Feng rented another house, hoping to escape the disaster.
That very night, the phonograph followed Shopkeeper Feng to the new place and sang all night. It also warned him that no matter where he went, it could follow. If he dared to leave without saying goodbye again, it would give both Shopkeeper Feng and Chunsheng a "good warming."
The phonograph also said she liked her original place.
Not daring to disobey, the next day Shopkeeper Feng and his assistant moved back to the shop.
Shopkeeper Feng negotiated with the phonograph. He was a businessman; if someone wanted to buy the phonograph, he couldn’t stop them.
The phonograph agreed. The next day, Shopkeeper Feng set a price of twenty dollars and sold it.
That night, the phonograph returned, scalding Shopkeeper Feng with blisters again, saying he had sold it too cheaply.
The phonograph instructed Shopkeeper Feng to price it at a minimum of two hundred thousand dollars, though he could negotiate a bit. Shopkeeper Feng had dragged things out until today, when he finally managed to sell the phonograph.
He felt sorry for Li Banfeng, but he hadn’t expected Li Banfeng to praise the phonograph as "quite good."
After Shopkeeper Feng finished recounting his various experiences, he added, "Boss Li, this phonograph not only can attract Lost Souls, but it can also consume them. Are you aware of this?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I like that about her. She knows how to live frugally and doesn’t waste anything!"
Seeing that Li Banfeng had truly gone this mad, Shopkeeper Feng felt even guiltier. He hurriedly had Chunsheng bring over two hundred and sixty thousand in cash. "Boss Li, here is your one hundred and sixty thousand. I don’t want it. I’ll add another hundred thousand on top as a token of my sincerity. What do you think?"
Li Banfeng waved his hands in refusal. "What are you doing? I genuinely like that phonograph. I didn’t come here to return it. I came to buy something."
Shopkeeper Feng was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Boss Li, what do you want to buy?"
"I want to buy some information—information about this phonograph. I want to know who the person inside this phonograph is."
PS:
Thanks to the original shining magic technician!
Li Banfeng is planning something big. Dear readers, come and help Shala get things done.
It’s about making things happen, not making salad!