The Overlord of Puluo

Li Banfeng got his travel permit, bought a ticket, and prepared to leave for Yellowclay Bridge.

Shopkeeper Feng’s elder brother, Feng Chongli, was still there waiting to do a huge business. More importantly, Feng Chongli was the most crucial lead Li Banfeng had in his investigation of the rails.

Li Banfeng did not tell Qiu Zhiheng why he was leaving. He only said he would return as soon as possible. Shopkeeper Feng was the only one who knew what Li Banfeng intended to do in Yellowclay Bridge, so he went with him.

“My elder brother has a rule. Anyone who wants to do business with him must bring a witness, and that witness has to know both you and him.

“Not many people know about this rule, and he does not like telling others in advance. So when people go to him to discuss business, things often end badly because they fail to bring a witness.”

Li Banfeng was confused. “Why does he insist on having a witness? What happens if there is none?”

“Without a witness, the deal can change drastically. If my brother is the buyer, he will force the price down, sometimes to less than half. If he is the seller, he will raise the price instead. It might double on the spot, or he might simply change his mind and refuse to sell.

“The presence of this witness has something to do with his cultivation. From what I can tell, doing business without one is somehow harmful to his cultivation.”

“If the witness is that important, why doesn’t he tell people about the rule beforehand?”

Shopkeeper Feng shook his head and sighed. “I have no idea about that.”

Although they were blood-related brothers and cultivators of the same path, Shopkeeper Feng did not know Feng Chongli very well.

Before Li Banfeng left, he went to Old Mister Yao’s house to check on him.

Having cut a vinyl record, the Gramophone said to Li Banfeng, “Deliver this vinyl over to the land deity with the surname Yao. He can fight. As long as he guards his house well, the Star of Misfortune should be no match against him. Still, the Formation of Misfortune has already taken shape in Medicine King Gully. In a situation like this, one must always be wary of some nasty little accident. If the Star of Misfortune launches a sneak attack, this vinyl might then be useful.”

There was no doubt that the Gramophone’s record was powerful.

”But Old Mister Yao doesn’t even have a gramophone. What is he supposed to use to play the record?”

I guess I can give him one, Li Banfeng thought. He stepped into the sixth room and took out a wind-up gramophone he had bought from Wonderful Sound Gramophone Shop.

Li Banfeng often visited the Wonderful Sound Gramophone Shop to buy gramophones. The ones from the Amikan Kingdom used parts that were compatible with his wife, so he usually saved those for her upgrades. If a gramophone from another kingdom caught his eye, he would buy that too and add it to his collection. This gramophone had been made in the Otrilli Kingdom. Its tone was quite good, but Old Mister Yao did not like it.

”I really can’t stand Western things. Put it in the room as a decoration.”

Li Banfeng placed the gramophone by the head of the bed. ”I have wound it up for you. Remember this. If a fight breaks out, turn it on. It will be very useful.”

Old Mister Yao snorted. ”If I am in the middle of a fight, do you think I will be in the mood to listen to this thing?”

Li Banfeng also handed Old Mister Yao the adhesive tape from Ling Miaoying. ”If you get hurt, use this to patch yourself up.”

Old Mister Yao held the tape and studied it for a good long while. ”Is this for patching people, or for patching tires?”

”It is good stuff,” Li Banfeng said. ”Keep it handy!”

After seeing that Li Banfeng had gone far, Old Mister Yao let out a sigh and muttered to himself, ”I never make friends with anyone. Why would you give me all these things?”

The words had barely left his mouth when a light breeze swept past. A single leaf drifted down, then suddenly shot toward Old Mister Yao’s cheek.

Old Mister Yao flicked his liquor flask. About 0.1 liters of aged liquor spilled from the spout and splashed across the leaf. The moment the liquor touched it, wisps of green smoke curled up one after another.

Old Mister Yao turned into a mist of liquor and chased after the smoke.

A little over ten minutes later, he returned to his reclining chair with a snort. ”Old dog, you ran pretty fast.”

His left arm was bleeding, but Old Mister Yao did not take it seriously. He went right on drinking.

After two sips, he glanced at the adhesive tape Li Banfeng had brought him and gave a small laugh. ”Well, it is his kind thought, after all. I might as well try it.”

***

Inside the Pocket Dwelling, Hong Ying asked, ”Medicine King Gully used to be Bitter Medicine Pass, did it not?”

Pop... crackle... pop...

The Gramophone answered with a single word. ”Yes.”

Hong Ying murmured, ”So that man really was Yao Xin.”

Again, the Gramophone gave the same answer. ”Yes.”

”That old thing is actually still here.”

”He has always been here.”

”You knew he was here?”

”I knew.”

”Does he know you are still around?”

”He knows.”

”After what happened back then, have you seen him?”

”No.”

”Do you hate him?”

”I have never hated that old general. In all three armies, he was the only one I never hated.”

Hong Ying gave a soft, cold laugh. ”Then why do you hate me?”

”You are not the same as him. He was a capable general. He managed to guard and prevent the enemies from entering Bitter Medicine Pass, and he has kept it safe even until today.”

***

Li Banfeng and Shopkeeper Feng arrived at Yellowclay Bridge by train. Out of the entire trainload of passengers, the two of them were the only ones who got off at this station.

From the moment they stepped off the train until they reached the station square, they saw no one except the ticket inspector at the exit.

This place was far too desolate.

Even though it was desolate, the area itself was not small. Several main streets crisscrossed one another, with railway tracks cutting right through the roads. It had a bit of Blackstone Slope’s feel to it, except the air here was thick with the smell of rust and gray dust.

That smell was only to be expected. The tracks were covered in rust, and nearby stood a small train that looked even more badly corroded.

Many of the train’s wheels had been stripped away. The few that remained were still bearing the train’s weight, so they had probably survived only because no one could pry them loose.

As for the machinery inside, there was even less to say. Apart from the steam drum and the boiler, almost everything that could be removed had already been taken.

Li Banfeng walked a few hundred meters down the main street, but he did not see a single shop still open. Only one restaurant had windows that were more or less intact. He went over and touched the windowsill, only to find more than an inch of dust on it.

This was a large town that was almost the size of a small city, yet it had somehow ended up this deserted.

Li Banfeng turned to Shopkeeper Feng. ”Where should we go to find your brother?”

Shopkeeper Feng said, ”I remember there is only one inn still open in Yellowclay Bridge. Let us go that way and take a look.”

Shopkeeper Feng ran a fixed-location business and rarely traveled, so he was not very familiar with Yellowclay Bridge either. The two of them searched as they went, walking from noon until dusk. After more than three hours, they finally found the inn.

To be fair, the inn was not small. It was a seven-story building with more than a hundred rooms altogether.

The owner was dozing behind the counter. Li Banfeng went straight to the point. ”We are looking for a guest surnamed Feng.”

The owner was not pleased. ”Do you think I can just tell you about my guests? Do you not understand the rules of running a proper business?”

Li Banfeng handed the owner two Huan notes.

The owner pointed toward the stairs. ”Room 608. He came back about an hour ago.”

The two of them went to Room 608 and knocked. When Feng Chongli opened the door, Li Banfeng froze for a moment.

He turned to Shopkeeper Feng, Feng Xincheng, and lowered his voice. ”Did we find the wrong person?”

Feng Chongli looked at Shopkeeper Feng. ”Xincheng, what brings you here? And this man is...”

This is really Feng Chongli? This can’t be right! Li Banfeng thought. Feng Chongli is Shopkeeper Feng’s elder brother. But Shopkeeper Feng looks like he is in his fifties and Feng Chongli looks like he’s in his thirties! What on earth is going on?

Shopkeeper Feng gave a brief introduction, and Feng Chongli invited the two of them inside. He was staying in a suite. The outer room served as a sitting room, while the bedroom was farther in.

Once the three of them had taken their seats, Li Banfeng came straight to the point. ”Boss Feng, I came today because I would like to buy a pair of iron rulers from you.”

Feng Chongli paused. ”You mean weapons?”

”You could call them weapons.”

”Now I do not quite understand. Are iron rulers not weapons to begin with?”

Feng Chongli still seemed to be testing him, so Li Banfeng decided to make things even clearer. ”You once sold Boss Tu a pair of iron rulers. I took a liking to them, but Boss Tu refused to sell them to me. That is why I came to ask you whether you have another pair.”

Feng Chongli glanced at his younger brother, Feng Xincheng. There was something rather unusual about Li Banfeng.

Those who wander the jianghu usually beat around the bush. They would reveal thirty percent of what’s on their minds and keep the other seventy percent hidden, then spend the whole conversation testing one another back and forth. Yet this man spoke so plainly...

Feng Xincheng said, ”Elder Brother, Trader Li is here to do business. I will serve as the witness for this deal.”

The two brothers might not have gotten along because of their different temperaments, but Feng Chongli still trusted his own younger brother’s character.

”To be honest, I had two pairs of iron rulers in total,” Feng Chongli said. ”I sold one pair to Boss Tu, and I still have the other pair with me.”

He really does have another pair! Li Banfeng thought. He then nodded and said, ”I will buy that pair!”

”No rush. You should think about the price first.”

Li Banfeng was already prepared for that. Tu Yinghong had spent her entire fortune on those iron rulers, so something this important could not possibly be cheap.

”Please name your price.”

Feng Chongli raised one finger. ”One million silver dollars.”

Feng Xincheng choked on his tea and nearly spat it out.

Li Banfeng had prepared himself for a high price, but even he was silent for a long while.

One million silver dollars?

Li Banfeng said, ”Boss Feng, do you know how much the famous Paramount Club at Greenwater City was sold for?”

”Of course,” Feng Chongli said. ”Lu Dongjun sold it to Chu Huaiyuan last year for eight hundred thousand silver dollars.”

”And you want one million for a pair of iron rulers?”

Feng Chongli nodded. ”That is exactly the price.”

”When Tu Shumei bought her pair from you, did she pay the same?” Li Banfeng asked. He rather doubted Tu Shumei had that much money.

Feng Chongli took a sip of tea. ”You shouldn’t be asking how much Boss Tu paid for the pair of iron rulers.”

There was nothing wrong with that answer. One deal was one deal, and another deal was another.

Could Li Banfeng take out one million silver dollars? Yes. Back then, he sold the long spear Exploding Tiger and earned eight hundred thousand silver dollars. He had left six hundred thousand at Iron Gate Fort and kept two hundred thousand on himself.

With all the money that had come and gone lately, he could take another three hundred thousand silver dollars out of the Pocket Dwelling. If he went back to Iron Gate Fort and retrieved the money there, he would have nine hundred thousand.

As for the businesses in Blue Poplar Village, Properfolk Village, and Freewind Wharf, Li Banfeng’s own share alone came to more than six hundred thousand. In other words, he really could take out one million silver dollars.

Li Banfeng said, ”I will pay thirty percent as a deposit first and make up the rest afterward. We can draw up a contract, but you have to let me take the goods with me. Will that work?”

Feng Chongli thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Feng Xincheng spoke from the side. ”Elder Brother, I trust Trader Li’s character. I will vouch for him in this matter. No one would carry one million silver dollars around. You should at least give him a few days to gather the money.”

Feng Chongli lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. ”Since Xincheng has rarely ever asked me for anything, I will give you a discount. A big one. I will sell it to you at the price of one Paramount Club. Eight hundred thousand silver dollars.

”Bring me the eight hundred thousand by this time tomorrow. Then we will exchange money and goods on the spot, verify the item and money face to face, and draw up the contract then and there. If you cannot bring the money, do not come looking for me again. I have other businesses to deal with at Yellowclay Bridge. I will not be seeing any guests after tomorrow.”

At the side, Feng Xincheng could not help saying, ”Elder Brother, this is...”

Feng Chongli’s face darkened. He looked at Feng Xincheng and said, ”I have given you more than enough respect.”

These two brothers really don’t get along, Li Banfeng thought.

Feng Xincheng had nothing more to say.

Li Banfeng nodded, lowered the brim of his hat, and left Feng Chongli’s room with Shopkeeper Feng.

Shopkeeper Feng’s face was flushed red. ”Trader Li, I was not much help to you in this matter.”

Li Banfeng smiled. ”How can you say that? You helped me save two hundred thousand silver dollars.”

Shopkeeper Feng pressed his lips together. ”Haggling is part of doing business. Even without me, he should have lowered the price a little. But this is still too much. How are you supposed to get eight hundred thousand silver dollars in a desolate place like this within a day?”

Li Banfeng had no idea.

After the two of them had eaten something, Li Banfeng got Shopkeeper Feng settled in. Then he booked a room for himself and went back into the Pocket Dwelling.

He sat inside the Pocket Dwelling and started counting his cash, which came up to a total of three hundred and eighty thousand silver dollars. He still needed four hundred and twenty thousand.

He sat by the bed and quietly considered his options.

The first option was to go out and rob someone. Unfortunately, he did not know Yellowclay Bridge at all, so he would not even know where to begin. More importantly, Li Banfeng could not bring himself to rob decent people.

The second option was to steal the iron rulers outright.

That wouldn’t work either. This was supposed to be a fair deal between two willing parties. What right did he have to rob Feng Chongli?

Li Banfeng was still muttering to himself when the Glove suddenly spoke beside his ear. ”Boss, if you don’t want to rob anyone, I can go and borrow the things back for you.”

Borrow them back... Li Banfeng thought and gave the Glove a pat. ”You do have a way with words.”

”Then let us go!” the Glove said, already preparing to move.

Li Banfeng shook his head. ”We can’t borrow. Shopkeeper Feng has vouched for me in this matter, and Feng Chongli is still his own elder brother. I cannot make things difficult for him.”

At this moment, the Gramophone asked, ”Heyaaaaa~ Husband dear! What matter has you so troubled?”

Li Banfeng sighed. ”My wifey dear! I need to buy something.”

”We have plenty of money at home. What could you possibly fail to buy?”

”I need to buy a pair of iron rulers,” Li Banfeng said. ”They cost eight hundred thousand silver dollars.”

”Eight hundred thousand? That is quite a large sum. What sort of fine weapon is it?”

”It is not a weapon. It is something for our home.”

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

The Gramophone showed her full support at once and sang out, ”Heyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Husband dearrrrr! If it is something for our home, then buy it we must! Whether they be silver or gold, do not let your heart ache over the cost! Sell the pills! Those Golden Essence Pills are worth no small sum!”

That was, in fact, a good solution. High-grade Golden Essence Pills could sell for an astonishing price.

The problem was that Li Banfeng still needed those pills for his advancement as a Wanderlust Cultivator. Pills like that were not easy to get, and their production rate was not exactly high.

While he was caught between those two difficult choices, the Glove spoke again. ”Boss, if you don’t want to borrow the iron rulers, then borrow some money instead.”

Li Banfeng gave a bitter smile. ”Where am I supposed to borrow that much money?”

”From me!”

The moment the Glove said this, it backed up two steps, turned its opening upward, and began pouring out silver dollars with a loud clatter.

The pile of silver dollars grew higher and higher until it filled nearly half the room.

The Glove said to Li Banfeng, ”Four hundred and thirteen thousand, two hundred and twenty-two silver dollars. Count it and see.”

Li Banfeng stared at the pile of money in shock for a long time.

Then the Glove spat out another chest of gold. ”This is what you rewarded me with before. If we add it all together, it should be enough. If it is still not enough, I have banknotes too. I will give them all to you!”

Author’s Note:

PS: Who dares say our Glove has no heart?