"Don’t take any action?"
Helm Master Shi Boyu was very dissatisfied with Sun Xiao’an’s response. "The ballroom was bombed, and the Geng Family Medicine Shop was burned down. Are we just going to ignore this?"
Sun Xiao’an shook his head repeatedly. "Boss, these incidents might not be related at all."
"How can they not be related? The Geng Family Medicine Shop and the Yu Family Cloth Store were at loggerheads. It must have been that Tomboy who burned down the Geng Family Medicine Shop. I sent someone to watch the Yu Family Cloth Store, and then our ballroom gets bombed—isn’t that the Tomboy’s retaliation?"
Sun Xiao’an held his water pipe, sighed, and said, "Boss, I still stand by what I said: that Tomboy doesn’t have the ability to bomb the ballroom. What is Du Hongxi good for if he can be taken down by a Tomboy? Even if the Tomboy burned down the Geng Family Medicine Shop, that’s her grudge with Geng Zhiwei. Geng Zhiwei is dead now, so that vendetta is over."
Shi Boyu grew even more discontented. "How can you say it’s over? The Geng Family Medicine Shop is under our Jiang Xiang Gang’s protection. Now that there’s been a death, are we just going to stand by and do nothing?"
Sun Xiao’an shook his head. "How can you say we’re doing nothing? Haven’t we done enough? Three of the four managers at the helm platform went there; wasn’t that showing them enough respect? To go back further, the Tomboy killed Rong Jin’an, and Geng Zhiwei killed more than a dozen of the Tomboy’s subordinates. Then he burned down the Tomboy’s ancestral home in Hundred Fragrance Village. The Tomboy didn’t dare make a sound or show her face. What do you think she fears? Isn’t it the reputation of our Jiang Xiang Gang? We’ve given the Geng Family enough face. Geng Zhiwei himself had no sense of proportion and lost his life. Who else can we blame for this?"
Shi Boyu’s expression darkened, and he fell silent. Sun Xiao’an continued, "As for the ballroom incident, it might be related to Fatty Qin. As for the relationship between Fatty Qin and the Tomboy, we don’t know yet."
Shi Boyu asked, "Who exactly is this Fatty Qin?"
Sun Xiao’an packed some tobacco into his water pipe and took a puff. "I’ve never heard of him before, but now he’s one of the Three Heroes Gang. I don’t know if you’ve heard about the Three Heroes Gang’s reputation in Greenwater Bay. If this matter is related to them, we can’t act recklessly."
After a long silence, Shi Boyu said, "Let’s wait for the Hall Master’s orders."
He didn’t agree with Sun Xiao’an’s opinion, and Sun Xiao’an said no more, just quietly smoked his water pipe, GURGLE GURGLE.
In the afternoon, the Hall Master sent someone to the helm platform. Shi Boyu, neatly dressed, was preparing to meet the Hall Master when the messenger told him, "There’s no need to meet the Hall Master. The Hall Master said to let this matter pass. Don’t interfere with the Geng Family Medicine Shop or the Yu Family Cloth Store. Find Jia Quansheng to be the scapegoat, get some money from old man Geng, and rebuild the ballroom."
Hearing this, Shi Boyu was dumbfounded. "This is how it’s to be handled?"
The messenger took out a letter. "Helm Master Shi, this is for you from the Hall Master. He also had a message for you: calm your mind and be quick with your hands. First, settle your mind, then settle the matters. Handle the rest step by step."
Li Banfeng slept in his Portable Residence until the afternoon, woken only by the urge to urinate. Just as he was about to go out to relieve himself, he suddenly saw Zhou Yujuan, the Ballroom Sect Leader, standing expressionless beside his bed.
Li Banfeng immediately got up and grabbed the sickle beside his pillow.
HISS HISS HISS~
The Phonograph spoke, "Ah, Husband, don’t be afraid. This woman has been subdued by your Little Servant. In the future, she will surely serve you wholeheartedly."
"Didn’t you consume her?"
"I’ve already eaten her Soul, but by keeping her body along with some Spirit Attribute, she can still be of some use."
"What use?"
HISS HISS~ The Phonograph cleared its throat. "Husband, bring that despicable Red Lotus here, and choose a good Weapon as well. Refine them together, and you can procure a Magical Treasure for yourself, my lord."
"What kind of Magical Treasure?"
"That depends on Red Lotus’s abilities."
Li Banfeng scratched his scalp.
"What kind of Weapon is suitable?"
"That pair of scissors from yesterday isn’t bad; that’s a Weapon with Spirit Attribute!"
Li Banfeng was astonished, "That pair of scissors can take down enemies on its own; isn’t that already a Magical Treasure?"
The Phonograph explained patiently, "My lord, you are unaware. A Magical Treasure is like a pearl or a gem: it understands reason, has feelings, grasps situations, recognizes its master, and is capable of advancing. A Weapon with Spirit Attribute, however, can only be considered an uncarved jewel—dull and foolish, not recognizing its master. The difference between the two is vast."
Li Banfeng retrieved the Copper Lotus Flower from the outer room, its petals wide open, containing three Lotus Seeds—his harvest from yesterday.
One of them belonged to Du Hongxi, a Second Layer Nightmare Cultivator. The Lotus Seed burst open, revealing four Mysterious Flame Pills.
The next two Lotus Seeds burst open one after another, each yielding two Mysterious Flame Pills. In total, Li Banfeng now had twenty-four Mysterious Flame Pills.
Having stored the Elixirs in his cloth bag, Li Banfeng placed the Copper Lotus Flower beside Zhou Yujuan’s corpse, along with the bloodstained scissors next to her.
Red Lotus sensed it, absorbed Zhou Yujuan, and ignored the scissors.
CLANK!
The Phonograph exclaimed in alarm, "Ah, Husband, stop that hussy Red Lotus! She’s taking the easy way out by only Refining the corpse. Soon it will turn into two Mysterious Flame Pills, but they will be of little use!"
Enraged, the Phonograph shouted, "That vile creature knows neither gratitude nor respect! Husband, don’t be afraid. Your Little Servant will enforce the household rules on your behalf. Watch me strike it down!"
Hearing it was about to be struck, the Copper Lotus Flower grew temperamental. Dewdrops flew from it, preventing Li Banfeng from getting close.
The Phonograph furiously yelled, "Look, Husband, see what that hussy has become under your indulgence! Now she doesn’t even respect you! Let your Little Servant teach her a proper lesson!"
Steam billowed, heating the Copper Lotus Flower red-hot. The Copper Lotus Flower sprayed dew onto the horn of the Phonograph, TINKLE TINKLE.
"Ah, what an audacious wretch," the Phonograph roared. "Husband, help me!"
"Alright!" Li Banfeng responded and ran into the outer room.
The Phonograph cried out hoarsely, "Husband, where are you going? Husband, you’ve abandoned your Little Servant!"
Li Banfeng closed the door, lit a candle, and quietly flipped through a newspaper by the table.
After an hour, with no more noise from the other room, Li Banfeng cautiously returned to the main room. The Steam had not yet dissipated, and the Copper Lotus Flower was still hot.
In a low sob, the Phonograph recited, "Flowers wilt and fly across the sky, their red fades, their fragrance lost, who will yearn for them now? Silk threads gently tie the spring pavilion, falling petals lightly stick to the embroidered curtains."
"Burial of Flowers". One of the most sentimental songs in Puluo State.
"My dear, you don’t have to be so aggrieved, do you?"
The Phonograph cried out, "My lord, you are so heartless! That hussy is so domineering, and while your Little Servant enforces our household rules on your behalf, you don’t even lend a hand!"
"These are all family matters, just family matters," Li Banfeng tried to soothe, then he saw the Lotus Flower slowly opening its petals. Within the Lotus Heart, there was a single Lotus Seed.
The Copper Lotus Flower had only consumed the corpse and not the scissors. Logically, it should only have produced two Red Pills. But when the Lotus Seed burst open, out popped a Gold Earring.
Li Banfeng picked up the Gold Earring to examine it. The entire hoop was about the size of an Ocean Dollar, with a gap in the middle for hooking onto an ear.
Li Banfeng carefully recalled that this Gold Earring seemed to have always been on Zhou Yujuan’s ear; he had forgotten to take it off.
HISS HISS~ The Phonograph couldn’t help laughing. "Ah, my lord, the Gold Earring has been worn by this Peeping Cultivator for so long, it might have picked up some Spirit Attribute. Red Lotus is rather useful; she refined this Gold Earring along with the Peeping Cultivator into a Magical Treasure."
Li Banfeng asked, "What use is this Gold Earring?"
"This woman was a Peeping Cultivator in life and had the excellent ability of Favorable Wind Ear. My lord, if you wear this Gold Earring, you’ll inherit seventy to eighty percent of that vixen’s Technique."
Li Banfeng hurriedly pinched the Gold Earring onto his earlobe.
Even though he didn’t have pierced ears, the Gold Earring was quite heavy, and it hurt hanging on his ear. After listening intently for a moment, Li Banfeng heard nothing.
"My dear, this thing isn’t working?"
"Ah, Husband, you are a Home Cultivator, and she was a Peeping Cultivator. The Taoist Sects are different, so the mechanisms are different," said the Phonograph.
Li Banfeng removed the Gold Earring and said, "So it’s useless after all?"
"Don’t be hasty, Husband, lean closer to me!"
Li Banfeng felt a bit resistant.
HISS HISS~ The Phonograph sounded aggrieved. "Husband, have you found a new love outside? Have you grown tired of your old one?"
"It’s not that I’ve grown tired of you, I just think you’re too... eager, my dear."
Before he could finish, the Phonograph burst into loud sobs. "Oh, your Little Servant’s life is so miserable, so miserable~~"
HISSSSSS! A great cloud of Steam billowed over Li Banfeng. He felt an intense pain all over, as if he had been flayed.
Without a second thought, Li Banfeng turned and bolted for the door. Before he reached it, he heard the Phonograph crying again, "Husband, where are you going? Do you truly no longer want your Little Servant? Husband!"
The wails were piercing, and Steam roiled. Amidst the scorching heat, Li Banfeng lost consciousness.
Late that night, Li Banfeng woke to the sound of singing.
"Autumn arrives with the fragrance of lotus flowers,
The maiden dreams of her hometown every night,
Upon waking, she sees not the faces of her parents,
But only the moonlight before her window."
The "Song of Four Seasons".
Li Banfeng struggled to sit up. Using the light from the Steam Phonograph, he looked at his surroundings.
Li Banfeng felt his skin.
Groping along the wall, Li Banfeng quietly moved towards the doorway. With the Phonograph’s mood seemingly stable, he decided to leave the Portable Residence immediately.
A CLASH OF GONGS AND DRUMS!
The singing abruptly stopped.
Li Banfeng, frightened, pressed himself against the wall.
He pressed a bit too forcefully, and suddenly felt the wall give way behind him. He had pushed a hole right through it.
Li Banfeng carefully examined the hole he’d created. Its lines and angles were very precise.
Li Banfeng looked around. Though it was pitch black, he could distinctly feel a change in the space. The Portable Residence had gained an extra room.
Amidst SIZZLING sounds, the Phonograph resumed her singing:
"My lord wanders outside, and I worry,
A forlorn love’s words steeped in melancholy.
A woman without her husband is like a body without a master;
I shall add another room for my lord."
HISS~ The Phonograph sighed lightly. "Husband, don’t be angry with your Little Servant. Your Little Servant offers up Second Layer cultivation level."
PS: Dear readers, Ban Feng has ascended to the Second Layer! Let’s quickly elevate the Lord of Puluo to LV2. The breakout index and fan count have long been maxed out, and interaction is already at sixty-three percent. Shala sees the light of dawn! Dear readers, please leave a word for Shala and lend a hand once more!