The Overlord of Puluo

The next morning, Ma Wu changed into a white suit with a black shirt and a white tie, looking immaculate as he prepared to set out.

Li Banfeng took just one look at the way Ma Wu was dressed, and it was obvious to him what Ma Wu was going to do.

”You’re going to see Miss Qin.”

Ma Wu nodded. ”That woman stole my things. She has to give them back.”

”You definitely can’t go alone.”

Ma Wu was getting worked up. ”I know her cultivation isn’t low, but I have my own ways. I have to do this. I can’t just swallow this anger.”

”Even if she isn’t willing to kill you, there’s no way she’ll let you have your way. You might not even get the chance to vent your anger. You could even end up paying with your life. She has many subordinates, including some ruthless ones. If we’re going to make a move, we need to take them all out in one sweep.”

Ma Wu really was not thinking calmly at the moment, but no matter how impulsive he became, he still listened to Li Qi.

”Fine. The two of us will go together. And I’ll bring all of our brothers with us.”

Li Banfeng shook his head. ”Our brothers don’t need to come yet. Have them guard the mine. We don’t want our enemies burning down our backyard when the fighting starts. I’ll go get the rickshaw driver and have him come with us.”

Ma Wu sighed. ”I really don’t trust him.”

”His cultivation is at the Cloudborne Layer. With him around, we won’t be at a disadvantage in terms of combat power.”

***

After settling on their battle strategy, the rickshaw driver set off with Li Banfeng and Ma Wu in his rickshaw.

Sitting in the rickshaw, Ma Wu wore a helpless expression. ”Elder Brother, we’ve got important business to take care of today. Can’t you leave the rickshaw behind?”

The rickshaw driver laughed. ”The more critical the situation, the more important it is to have this rickshaw with me.”

”Is your rickshaw an enchanted artifact or a weapon?”

”It’s more important than either. With it by my side, your big bro—I have the confidence to face anything.”

Ma Wu looked around. ”Rickshaws aren’t common in Yellowclay Bridge. Pulling one around like this is far too conspicuous.”

The rickshaw driver shook his head. ”Not conspicuous at all. You two just sit there and enjoy the scenery. Other people can’t see you, and they can’t see my rickshaw either.”

The rickshaw driver really did have the skills to back it up. He concealed both Li Banfeng and Ma Wu. Ordinary people could not see his rickshaw, and they could not even make out his figure clearly.

When they were nearing the Northern Bridge, the rickshaw driver turned back and said, ”Brothers, even though we’ve prepared ourselves for a fight, let’s clarify the situation first when we meet them. If we can avoid fighting, let’s not fight.”

Ma Wu rubbed his forehead. He did not feel like talking.

Li Banfeng said, ”Elder Brother, there’s no way to talk this matter out. Since we’ve come, there has to be a resolution.”

The rickshaw driver sighed. ”We can’t kill everyone in Northern Bridge, or I won’t be able to keep the territory.”

”I’ve read about this in books. As long as there are still a hundred people in the territory, Proper Land won’t turn into Old Land,” Ma Wu stated. ”Big Brother, we’ve got more than two hundred miners. What are you afraid of?”

The rickshaw driver replied quietly, ”They’re newcomers. I’m afraid that number isn’t enough.”

Newcomers? The territory can distinguish between newcomers and old residents...?

The rickshaw driver did not explain further.

When they reached the area near the town, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu got out of the rickshaw.

Li Banfeng walked ahead and led the rickshaw driver and Ma Wu to the jianbing stall. The rickshaw driver ordered a jianbing guozi and asked where Miss Qin lived.

The middle-aged man selling jianbing guozi wiped his hands on his apron and pointed to a small courtyard on the side of the street. ”Gentlemen, Miss Qin lives in that courtyard. When you go inside, don’t say you’re there to listen to music. Just say you’re there to buy some wine. She’ll warm up a pot of good wine for the three of you and make a couple of dishes to go with it. You three can eat and drink, and then Miss Qin will sing for you. ”If you think she sings well, give her a little extra. If you don’t like it, just settle the cost of the wine when you leave. It won’t cost you much.”

The rickshaw driver finished one jianbing guozi and said to the jianbing vendor, ”Make me another.”

The jianbing vendor thanked him repeatedly. He swept the batter across the griddle with his brush, cracked an egg over it, and sprinkled some chopped spring onion on it. Then he asked, ”Would you like a crispy fried cracker or a fried dough stick?”

”A fried dough stick.”

Once the jianbing was wrapped up, the jianbing vendor added a warning, ”Miss Qin attracts customers with her singing. She’s not in the business of doing anything illicit. The three of you should watch what you say.”

The rickshaw driver nodded repeatedly and finished his second jianbing in just a few bites. ”Make me another.”

Li Banfeng laughed. ”Didn’t you already eat breakfast before we left?”

In between bites, the rickshaw driver mumbled, ”It’s good. His jianbing are just too good.”

He’s right. The jianbing is delicious.

Li Banfeng had thought so the last time he had been in the Northern Bridge.

The ingredients themselves were certainly nothing special. What mattered was the seasoning mix and the heat control. They were handled to perfection. Just a little more or a little less, and it wouldn’t have tasted the same.

How could he get the seasoning so perfectly? How could he calculate it so precisely?

After eating three jianbing guozi, the rickshaw driver still wanted more.

Li Banfeng told him, ”We’ll go order some food at Miss Qin’s place first. Take your time eating here.”

The rickshaw driver nodded. ”You go ahead!”

Li Banfeng and Ma Wu left.

The jianbing vendor wiped his hands on his apron and asked the rickshaw driver, ”Are you full?”

The rickshaw driver wiped his mouth and looked at the jianbing vendor with a smile. ”Your apron is pretty long. It’s dragging on the ground.”

The jianbing vendor lifted his apron. ”It’s clean. It hasn’t touched the ground.”

The rickshaw driver said, ”Make me another.”

The jianbing vendor quickly scooped up some batter.

The rickshaw driver lowered his voice. ”Friend, this territory belongs to me. Once you’ve finished making this jianbing, it’s time for you to leave.”

The jianbing vendor was startled. ”I’ve been selling here for years.”

The rickshaw driver took out a cigarette that he had rolled himself, tapped it twice, and held it between his lips. ”It doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been selling here. This territory has an owner now. I’ve got the land deed. Don’t you understand this rule?”

”I really don’t understand this rule you’re talking about.”

While the rickshaw driver and the jianbing vendor continued talking, Ma Wu had already entered Miss Qin’s courtyard.

”Miss Qin, I’d like some wine.”

Miss Qin came out of the house. She wore a purple cotton-padded coat patterned with little flowers, and her hair was tied into two braids. She was not a total stunner, but she had the natural beauty of a girl next door.

”Sir, how much wine would you like?”

Ma Wu said, ”Let’s start with half a kilogram to taste, and make a couple of small side dishes as well.”

Miss Qin looked into Ma Wu’s eyes for a moment, smiled sweetly, and went to the kitchen to prepare the dishes.

Li Banfeng did not go to Miss Qin’s place. Instead, he went to Hu Manchun’s.

Hu Manchun came out to greet him with a broad smile. ”Boss Li, are you here to buy coal again?”

Li Banfeng nodded. ”I want to buy coal, and I’d also like to buy two train carloads of yellow clay.”

The yellow clay that he mentioned was the specialty of Yellowclay Bridge.

”Yellow clay is easy enough. We’ve got plenty of it. But clay comes in different grades. Please wait here while I get you some samples.”

While Hu Manchun went to get the samples, Li Banfeng prepared to make his move.

They had already drawn up their battle strategy beforehand. There would be three front lines. In the first, Ma Wu would keep Miss Qin occupied for as long as possible. In the second, the rickshaw driver would deal with the jianbing vendor. In the third, Li Banfeng would deal with the group of coal-mine owners.

They did not plan to kill many, only the leaders. Any of the subordinates who were willing to surrender would be spared, and past offenses would be forgiven.

Once he had dealt with the coal-mine owners, Li Banfeng would immediately go support Ma Wu. It was certain that Ma Wu could hold out for a while. Miss Qin’s singing had failed to put Ma Wu to sleep on the train, proving that the difference between their cultivation levels was not great.

Whether the rickshaw driver could deal with the jianbing vendor would depend on his own abilities. If he could not even handle this, then it proved he was not worth supporting. Li Banfeng would promptly withdraw with Ma Wu, and their business in Yellowclay Bridge would end there.

***

In Miss Qin’s courtyard, the wine and dishes were all served. However, Ma Wu did not touch his chopsticks; he kept his eyes fixed on the young woman.

Miss Qin blushed and said, ”I’ll go get my pipa and sing some songs for you, sir.”

Ma Wu shook his head. ”There’s no rush for you to sing. Sit and chat with me for a while first.”

The young woman bit her lip. ”Sir, I’m not that kind of woman.”

Ma Wu smiled. ”I can tell you’re a respectable girl. I just want someone to talk to.”

The young woman looked up at Ma Wu. An extra blood vessel had appeared in her eye.

Ma Wu poured a cup of wine and held it to the young woman’s lips. ”Have a drink with me?”

***

The wine and dishes on Ma Wu’s side had already been served, but Hu Manchun still had not brought Li Banfeng the clay samples.

Li Banfeng did not wait any longer. He went around the screen in the drawing room and entered the back hall, only to find that no one was there. He went upstairs, but there was no one on the second or third floors either.

That bastard ran away!

Li Banfeng paid no attention to where Hu Manchun had gone and went straight to Song Shilong’s house, barging inside.

How strange.

There’s no one at Song Shilong’s house either.

***

The rickshaw driver was still arguing with the jianbing vendor.

The jianbing vendor stopped hiding his intentions and spoke plainly. ”Sir, with your abilities and this rickshaw, you can earn cultivation progress anywhere. Why bother fighting over this wretched place?”

The rickshaw driver frowned. ”How can you call this fighting over it? This place is mine. My land deed is buried here.”

The jianbing vendor smiled. ”Dig up your deed and keep a piece of it on your rickshaw. Your standing won’t fall, and you can cultivate somewhere else.”

The rickshaw driver was stunned for a moment, then he smiled as well. ”Well, you certainly know me inside and out, huh? I won’t lose my cultivation, but why should I even dig up my land deed?”

The jianbing vendor placed his spatula neatly on the rack, put out the fire, and stored away the batter. It appeared he had obsessive-compulsive tendencies because he carefully put the entire stove in order before smiling at the rickshaw driver.

”Sir, if you refuse to leave, then I’ll be the one to go.”

The rickshaw driver said, ”I’ve been hoping you’d leave. The farther you go, the better. Take Miss Qin with you too, and don’t let me see either of you again.”

The jianbing vendor’s smile widened. ”If I leave, everyone in the Northern Bridge will leave with me. They’re all at the train station right now. With just one word from me, they’ll board the train and leave, and Yellowclay Bridge will become an Old Land. Once Yellowclay Bridge truly becomes an Old Land, your standing will fall. Once your standing falls, you’ll be severely weakened. If the two of us fight to the death then, it’ll be hard to say who wins and who loses.”

The rickshaw driver let out a cold laugh. ”Are you trying to scare me?”

”I’m not trying to scare you. I calculated it,” the jianbing vendor replied, looking at the rickshaw driver with complete seriousness. ”I spent a long time making the calculations for this problem. If your standing does indeed fall, I’m confident I can beat you.”

The rickshaw driver gritted his teeth. ”There are two hundred workers at the mine. According to the rules, a territory spanning fifty kilometers can only become Old Land if it has fewer than a hundred people.”

The jianbing vendor smiled. ”Don’t try to fool me with that. Newcomers open New Lands, while old residents guard Old Lands. A hundred people born and raised in Yellowclay Bridge can keep this Proper Land from becoming an Old Land. But two hundred outsiders probably aren’t enough, are they? They have no roots here. I carefully calculated it for you. You need 3,368 newcomers to keep this territory. Do you think it’s easy to find more than three thousand people and bring them here? If it were, you would have done it long ago, no?”

Sweat beaded on the rickshaw driver’s face.

The jianbing vendor loosened his apron. ”Sir, I’ll say the same thing again. You have real ability, so you can make a living anywhere. As long as you’re willing to give this place to me, I still have something good to offer you as a token of respect.”

The rickshaw driver spat a mouthful of saliva onto the ground. ”Do you think I’m that easy to push around?”

***

Li Banfeng went to more than a dozen coal-mine owners’ homes, but every one of them was completely empty, without a single person left.

Realizing that something was wrong, Li Banfeng hurried to Miss Qin’s house to get Ma Wu. When he reached the entrance, he saw the middle-aged jianbing vendor.

The jianbing vendor cupped his fists in greeting. ”Master Qi.”

Li Banfeng smiled. ”You recognize me?”

”I wouldn’t dare say I recognize you, but I’ve heard of your reputation. You’re a true hero in Puluo. This is what you are in our hearts!” the jianbing vendor exclaimed, raising his thumb toward Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng frowned. ”Enough with the pleasantries. You were prepared for my arrival today. It seems there was a mole among my people who leaked the news.”

The jianbing vendor shook his head. ”Master Qi, your people are completely clean. None of them have any dealings with me. You can rest assured about that. I prepared in advance because I calculated that you might come within these couple of days.”

”Calculated?” Li Banfeng scoffed. ”You mean like reading fortunes? You can do that too?”

”It’s not fortune-telling. It’s calculation,” the jianbing vendor said, shaking his head. ”I robbed two freights of your coal. Judging by what you’ve done in the past, Master Qi, you definitely wouldn’t let that go. I made several rounds of calculations based on the rumors I’d heard. I knew you would definitely come to the Northern Bridge within three to five days, and there would definitely be bloodshed once you arrived. So I prepared in advance and sent everyone from the Northern Bridge to the train station.

”I just didn’t expect you to come so quickly. Despite having only met me once in the past, you found me and handed me over to the rickshaw driver. You had Master Wu deal with Miss Qin, then you took care of several of my subordinate leaders yourself. You basically caught all of us in one net.”

Li Banfeng furrowed his brows. ”You calculated all of that?”

The jianbing vendor pulled a stack of papers out from beneath the batter. ”Here are my calculations. You can take a look. Unfortunately, you acted too quickly, and I calculated too slowly. I nearly ended up dead at your hands today.”

Li Banfeng nodded. ”So you really are a Calculation Cultivator, and you’re especially good at calculating probabilities. Now that we’ve made everything clear, let’s settle this today.”

The jianbing vendor shook his head. ”Master Qi, if we settle the account this way, my side and your side will both lose. If you insist on fighting me, I’ll immediately send someone to the station and tell those people from the Northern Bridge to board the train. Once they leave, the over two hundred outsiders under you won’t be able to keep Yellowclay Bridge from becoming an Old Land. Yellowclay Bridge will turn into an Old Land, and neither of us will have profited from this business!”

Li Banfeng smiled. ”I’ll go to the train station right now and stop them from leaving.”

”Master Qi, the train station is the domain of the Outer Provinces. You dare fight there?”

Li Banfeng remained calm. ”Why wouldn’t I?”

”I’m impressed! I really am impressed by you,” the jianbing vendor said with a nod. ”But I have a better idea. I wonder if you would care to hear it, Master Qi?”

”What idea?”

”Business is business, no matter who you do it with. The rickshaw driver is gone, so we can pick up where he left off and have a proper discussion. I don’t want Yellowclay Bridge to become an Old Land either. I want to ascend to Cloudborne Layer here, and I want to build up the human presence too.”

Li Banfeng frowned. ”What good does telling me that do? I made a contract with the rickshaw driver. This business can only be done with him. He’s the local land deity here!”

”Master Qi, that contract of yours may no longer be valid. The rickshaw driver has already run off. He was the one who broke the agreement first.”

”Ran off?” Li Banfeng uttered in disbelief.

The rickshaw driver’s cultivation was at the Cloudborne Layer. There was no reason for him to run.

The jianbing vendor held up an iron deed. ”This is the land deed for the territory of Yellowclay Bridge. You should recognize this. If you still don’t believe me, I also have the written contract the rickshaw driver left behind. If you still don’t believe me, there are wheel tracks on the ground. They lead all the way to Southern Bridge, and the Southern Bridge connects to a New Land. If my calculations are correct, the rickshaw driver has already gone far into the New Land!”