"Ah Qi, get in the carriage!"
Li Banfeng lunged, gripping the carriage's outer wall and running alongside the speeding train.
Whoosh~
As mist swirled, Li Banfeng and the Greenwater Beggar were both ejected from the train, crashing onto the ground.
Cui Tiq had no idea what had transpired; he merely witnessed the Greenwater Beggar and Li Banfeng hurtling through the air.
Observing both land heavily, Cui Tiq approached the Greenwater Beggar.
The moment has arrived.
Ancestral Master, my affection for you is immense; allow me to send you on your final journey.
Cui Tiq removed the stethoscope from his neck, placing the earpieces into the Greenwater Beggar's ears.
He lifted the stethoscope's mouthpiece, intent on incapacitating the Greenwater Beggar with sonic waves.
Cui Tiq unleashed a muffled roar, his voice resonating for a solid two to three seconds. Abruptly, the Greenwater Beggar's eyes snapped open, and he sent Cui Tiq flying dozens of meters away with a powerful kick, stomping him into silence.
The Greenwater Beggar removed the stethoscope from his ears, a smile gracing his lips.
"Good disciple, your skills are impressive; you possess tricks beyond my comprehension. Tell me, how did you inflict this ailment? Be my teacher for a moment, and I shall learn from you." The Greenwater Beggar fumbled with the stethoscope, suddenly realizing something was missing from his grasp.
Where has the Begging Bowl vanished? It was just in my hand, how could it disappear so suddenly?
The Greenwater Beggar’s gaze shifted from Cui Tiq to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng managed to stand, surveying the chaotic scene.
He Jiaqing was utterly immobilized.
Cui Tiq lay severely wounded.
He himself was also badly battered.
Although the Greenwater Beggar had sustained injuries, he still commanded at least fifty percent of his fighting strength, more than enough to dispatch the three of them, while their chances of defeating him were virtually nil.
Indeed, this is the most formidable Local Deity within Puluo State: even with all their might, three individuals cannot overcome him.
There appears to be only one viable path forward: to make our escape from the Greenwater Beggar, and then, once safe, devise a counter-strategy.
The Greenwater Beggar fixed Li Banfeng with a malevolent glare. "Return my bowl."
Li Banfeng let out a laugh. "The bowl is with me; if you possess the skill, come and take it."
The Greenwater Beggar paused briefly before responding with a laugh of his own. "Very well, I shall come to retrieve it."
He advanced slowly towards Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng activated his Thousand Mile In A Step Technique, preparing himself.
He had no control over his destination, and as the Green Flower closed in, Li Banfeng delivered a kick.
The technique failed to connect; Li Banfeng missed his mark.
Employing the Thousand Mile In A Step Technique resulted in Li Banfeng losing his spatial awareness and sense of distance; against adversaries like Chu Zikai or a Coachman, he could compensate with sheer speed.
However, this proved ineffective against the Greenwater Beggar; with even the slightest miscalculation, the Greenwater Beggar evaded the attack with ease.
Green Flower chuckled, "You haven't truly mastered this technique; I shall permit you one more attempt. Make certain your aim is true this time!"
Li Banfeng clenched his jaw, his gloved hand brushing lightly against his body.
He needed to reorient himself; without a sense of direction, even a hundred kicks would fail to land on Green Flower.
With no one to call out to, he decided to initiate a call instead; once connected, he would be able to re-establish his direction.
His gloves danced across the buttons, dialing multiple times, but not a single call connected.
The Thousand Mile In A Step Technique interfered with surrounding frequencies, causing the phone to misinterpret direction and rendering it incapable of making a call.
Green Flower's smile faded. "Will you engage me or not? If you refuse, I shall initiate the attack."
Li Banfeng offered no reply, his focus entirely elsewhere.
Green Flower sighed audibly. "Li Qi, the audacity to defy me indicates a certain potential in this life; now, as you fall by my hand, I shall have helped complete your tale."
Li Banfeng was disinclined to converse; he was still attempting to gauge Green Flower's position and identify the opportune moment to strike.
Cui Tiq gritted his teeth, his eyes squeezed shut.
He had always harbored a desire to gamble for a significant prize; now, having played and lost, he was rendered speechless.
Green Flower advanced once more towards Li Banfeng, maintaining a keen awareness of his footing, wary of a sudden Light Halo.
Buzz!
Suddenly, Li Banfeng's phone began to ring.
The gloves swiftly fielded the incoming call, positioning the receiver near Li Banfeng's ear.
A voice emanated from the receiver: "Banfeng, get up and take a piss."
Li Banfeng immediately regained his sense of direction, launching a kick at Green Flower.
Green Flower retreated a couple of steps, but did not fly backward.
Li Banfeng himself propelled backward, though not a great distance, landing near He Jiaqing.
Why did the Greenwater Beggar fail to be sent flying?
"Again, try again..." He Jiaqing, clinging precariously to life, still clutched the phone in his hand.
He had endured this ordeal before; the first time he confronted the Greenwater Beggar, he managed to withstand a single Thousand Mile In A Step.
But could he withstand it a second time?
With his full combat power unleashed, the Greenwater Beggar might just barely endure the impact.
With only half his combat strength remaining, the outcome was now uncertain.
The Greenwater Beggar stumbled, struggling to regain his balance. "I told you your technique was insufficient, yet you refused to believe it. Try one more time, let me see!"
"Alright! Green Flower, farewell!" Li Banfeng declared with a pained grin, charging towards the Greenwater Beggar.
He desperately pleaded inwardly, "Help me, you must help me!"
He unleashed a kick.
A sense of unease washed over the Greenwater Beggar as he attempted to evade, but a Tang Sword suddenly descended from above.
"Beheading with Every Blow!" The blade emanated a fiery red glow, with cracks appearing all over it. This technique incurred a great risk to the Tang Sword's cultivation and very life.
Having just endured a "Thousand Mile In A Step," the Greenwater Beggar found himself in a perilous situation. Evading the Tang Sword was impossible, and escaping Li Banfeng was unthinkable.
Ultimately, he made the choice to dodge the Tang Sword.
He surmised that Li Banfeng had likely only recently reached the "Above the Clouds" realm. With his current cultivation, repeated use of "Thousand Mile In A Step" would be impossible.
For a mere Traveling Cultivator, Li Banfeng shouldn't possess such an ability, yet with a single kick, the Greenwater Beggar was sent flying.
This propulsion made it difficult to avoid falling back down.
Could it be "Thousand Mile In A Step?"
Did he actually employ "Thousand Mile In A Step" twice?
This was unbelievable!
He could never have fathought that the first "Thousand Mile In A Step" was Li Banfeng's original technique.
The second "Thousand Mile In A Step" was actually borrowed by Li Banfeng, utilizing the Deep Mansion Courtyard Technique from Hong Ying.
The Greenwater Beggar's form vanished into the night, while Li Banfeng retreated to He Jiaqing's side and sat down.
He Jiaqing looked up at Li Banfeng, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Banfeng..."
Li Banfeng nodded, gently closing He Jiaqing's eyes.
From the side, Cui Tiq murmured, "I don't believe he's dead yet."
Li Banfeng offered no reply, rising to depart.
Cui Tiq inquired, "Could you tell me, where has my Grandmaster gone? I am deeply concerned for him."
Li Banfeng turned to face Cui Tiq. "He has gone to the place you most desire him to be."
PS: Where did Green Flower's Begging Bowl disappear to? That's quite a valuable artifact!
A compelling narrative must be told in its entirety, dear readers. Give a shout-out to Shala.