The Overlord of Puluo

The man in the mandarin jacket first smelled the smoke, then he burst into flames. That was when he finally realized he’d run into a mortal enemy. ”Nanny Butch[1]!”

No wonder that man in the red suit knew so much about Oil Cultivators.

No wonder he even knew about my killing move.

So it was Yu Nan who taught him about me.

Yu Nan had indeed given Li Banfeng some tips. Otherwise, if he had been left to his own devices, Li Banfeng would have suffered a devastating loss against the man in the mandarin jacket, who was on the rare Daoist path of Oil Cultivation.

Oil Cultivators feared fire, so the best tactic was to use fire against them.

In that case, why hadn’t Li Banfeng used fire from the start?

That was because the right method had to be used at the right time.

Li Banfeng had succeeded in his surprise attack because he’d kept his weapon concealed. If he had approached the man in the mandarin jacket carrying a torch, the man would have cut him down on the spot.

Then what about during the fight? Why hadn’t Li Banfeng used fire then?

Should he have stopped mid-battle to strike a match?

Li Banfeng had thought of it.

However, the man in the mandarin jacket wasn’t a fool. He would never have given Li Banfeng the chance to light a match, and even if Li Banfeng had managed to light one, he would never have let the flame reach him.

Even Yu Nan, a Smoking Cultivator, had found it nearly impossible to set the man in the mandarin jacket on fire. During their previous fight, the man had never given Yu Nan a chance to even light a cigarette.

Now, he had finally been set alight. Nevertheless, he could still handle it.

The man in the mandarin jacket immediately withdrew his oil barrier and rolled on the ground, quickly snuffing out the flames.

However, when the fire was out, he noticed Li Banfeng nearing him, sickle in hand.

He had already lost an eye, he had burns all over, and he didn’t have much energy left. Without his oil, he could only wait for death.

And if he used his oil?

The smoke was still around him. The moment he used his oil, he would ignite again, and death would still be certain.

He was trapped in a hopeless dead end.

Seeing no hope, the man in the mandarin jacket shouted, ”Shopkeeper Yu, I was wrong in the past! Whatever it is, we can talk it over.”

”Talk it over?” Yu Nan sneered. ”Rong Jin’an, why didn’t you talk things over with me before you killed my brothers? Or before you smashed up my shop? Or when you insulted the girls working in my shop?”

So, his name is Rong Jin’an, Li Banfeng thought, quietly committing it to memory.

Rong Jin’an argued, ”Our shopkeeper did discuss some matters with you, but you refused to agree. That’s why I burned your shop. At least I acted openly, unlike you with your underhanded tricks. You’re the one who broke the rules of the jianghu!”

Yu Nan stepped forward and kicked him in the face, leaving a red and black imprint.

Rong Jin’an wailed, ”Shopkeeper Yu, I’ll apologize, I’ll kowtow if you want, just spare my life. But let me remind you of something. You run a shop, you still have to make a living in the Inner Gully. Once you’ve vented your anger and gotten your revenge, just let the matter rest.

”If you really drive things to the bitter end, you’ll only cut off your own way forward. You’re well aware of the methods that the Geng Family’s medicinal trading house has at its disposal, especially with the Jiangxiang Gang backing them. You’ve been in society for all these years. You know the rules and the norms. You know that ambushing me already puts you in the wrong. That’s all I’ll say. Now it’s on you to decide the choice you’ll make.”

Yu Nan rubbed her cigarette between her index and middle fingers, her expression growing unusually grave.

Rong Jin’an did have a point. Back when he struck Yu Nan’s shop, at least he had done it with open blades.

However, Yu Nan’s attack on Rong Jin’an tonight counted as an ambush, which meant she had indeed broken the rules.

It would be improper for her to kill him now.

While Yu Nan was hesitating, Li Banfeng stepped up to Rong Jin’an and asked, ”Just now, you said, ’That’s all I’ll say.’ What did you mean by that?”

Rong Jin’an sneered. ”You don’t understand that? Is this your first day in the jianghu? Figure it out yourself!”

Li Banfeng said, ”I’ve figured it out. By my understanding, it means you’ve said everything you wanted to say.”

Rong Jin’an froze. ”What do you mean by that?”

”You still don’t get it? You’ve said your final words, so it’s now time for you to be on your way,” Li Banfeng said. He swung his sickle toward Rong Jin’an’s throat.

Rong Jin’an raised his right arm to block, but he wasn’t able to exude his oil barrier in time. Li Banfeng sliced his forearm off cleanly.

Gasping at his severed arm, Rong Jin’an said, ”Brother, you’re just working for money too. Your employer hasn’t spoken yet, and you’re already making a move. That’s against the rules.”

”Why do you have so many rules?” Li Banfeng said as he swung his sickle at Rong Jin’an again, aiming to hit his head. However, Rong Jin’an dodged desperately and lost an ear instead.

”Then forget the rules. Let’s talk reason. You and I have no grudges…”

”Why do you have so many reasons?”

Li Banfeng swung again. His strike was aimed at Rong Jin’an’s neck, but Rong Jin’an dodged again, and Li Banfeng’s sickle pierced through his left shoulder instead.

Rong Jin’an stammered, ”I… I’m with the Jiangxiang Gang…”

”So you’re with the Jiangxiang Gang? Then you deserve an extra cut.”

Li Banfeng struck Rong Jin’an once more.

”I… I don’t really count as part of the Jiangxiang Gang. I’m with the Geng Family’s medicinal trading house…”

”Then why did you lie to me earlier?”

Li Banfeng swung his sickle at Rong Jin’an again.

This was the last strike;the sickle pierced Rong Jin’an’s chest, and he went still.

Yu Nan had been hesitating about whether to kill Rong Jin’an moments before, but now, she could only accept the reality that he was already dead.

The two had a brief discussion. Li Banfeng would handle the disposal of the body, and Yu Nan would handle cleaning up the traces of his murder.

During the fight, Yu Nan’s shop assistants had already rescued Chubby Qin.

Yu Nan said, ”Master Qi, come to the cloth shop tomorrow morning, and I’ll take you to visit Trader Qin.”

Li Banfeng nodded, hefted Rong Jin’an’s corpse onto his shoulder, and turned to leave.

Yu Nan noticed blood seeping from the corpse onto Li Banfeng’s red suit, but no one would notice the stains unless they looked closely.

Was this why Li Banfeng had worn a red suit?

Had he resolved to kill Rong Jin’an from the very beginning?

Yu Nan sighed. ”Master Qi, you really don’t follow any rules or norms at all.”

Li Banfeng turned back, looking rather puzzled. ”What exactly are rules and norms?”

Yu Nan froze, unsure if Li Banfeng was truly confused or merely feigning it.

After a moment of silence, Yu Nan chuckled. ”The rules and norms are what make up the jianghu.”

The jianghu?

It’s that profound?

I don’t understand.

For things he couldn’t figure out, Li Banfeng simply never bothered thinking about them much.

He walked deep into the alley. After confirming there was no one else around, he carried Rong Jin’an’s corpse into the Pocket Dwelling.

He moved very lightly, afraid of waking up the gramophone. When he placed the corpse beside the Arcane Crimson Lotus, he noticed its petals were spread open. Within the seven-holed lotus core sat three lotus seeds.

Li Banfeng plucked out the lotus seeds.

Two had been made from the corpses of Decai and Demao.

The other had been made from the bloodthirsty short saber.

Soon after, two of the lotus seeds burst open. Each one had two red pills. Li Banfeng stored all four pills away.

Li Banfeng now had eight red pills. Based on the yield of two pills for each corpse the Arcane Crimson Lotus devoured, feeding it Rong Jin’an’s corpse should produce two more, bringing the total to ten. However, Li Banfeng still had no idea what purpose the red pills served.

As Li Banfeng pondered it, Rong Jin’an’s remaining eyeball twitched slightly.

It turned out that he hadn’t died. At the moment Li Banfeng’s sickle blade pierced Rong Jin’an’s chest, he had coated his heart in oil, causing the blade to merely slide across it.

Now that the hag Yu Nan was gone, only this reckless youngster remained.

Rong Jin’an planned to gather his strength and take Li Banfeng’s life.

Crack!

The last lotus seed burst apart.

Three rust pills popped out. Li Banfeng quickly used his gloves to store them away.

Alongside the pills, a pendulum was ejected from the lotus.

Li Banfeng recognized the pendulum. It was Luo Yuni’s keepsake.

When had this object entered the Arcane Crimson Lotus?

Li Banfeng touched the edge of the pendulum. It was razor-sharp.

What’s this thing for?

Li Banfeng glanced at Rong Jin’an. ”Do you know what this thing is used for?”

Rong Jin’an’s heart trembled in fear;he did not dare to answer the question.

He’s testing me. I can’t fall for it!

”Bear with the pain. Let me test it.”

Li Banfeng swung the pendulum down at Rong Jin’an’s head.

Oil quickly seeped out across Rong Jin’an’s head, but it was too late.

Wanderlust Cultivators had incredible speed. Li Banfeng had already embedded the pendulum into Rong Jin’an’s skull.

Rong Jin’an convulsed violently. Li Banfeng stared at the wound and frowned.

Strange. Why isn’t he bleeding?

1. In the raw, the insult means mannish hag, but it also plays on the word (Nan), which is her name. Kudos to GT for the translation of the insult. ☜