The Overlord of Puluo-Chapter 191: I am Back

Shui Yongquan hovered in midair, still being in the form of a middle-aged man. He looked down into the gorge at Qiu Luoye below.

Qiu Luoye looked up at Shui Yongquan and roared, "If you have got the guts, come down here and fight me!"

Shui Yongquan let out a cold sneer. "You have already lost. What's the point of fighting?"

"I haven't lost. I am still standing here!"

"What's the use of that?" Shui Yongquan replied. "I have already taken over your lair. My man is sitting inside your house right now. If he digs up your contracts from beneath the floor of your house, you'll turn into a wandering ghost."

Ma Wu fed Li Banfeng some injury medicine as he listened to the conversation between the two land deities.

Li Banfeng was still alive. His hand kept rummaging inside his trouser pocket, though no one knew what he was searching for. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He held a flower in his hand. Its petals were deep violet, its stamen golden yellow, and the petals slowly revolved around the core.

Ma Wu felt a surge of anxiety. He wanted to carry Li Banfeng away at once and tend to his injuries, but Swallowie had warned him not to act rashly. The two land deities were still nearby and they could take their lives at any moment.

How long are they going to negotiate? Ma Wu thought. And what is this contract that they are talking about? Why can't the contract be dug up?

Qiu Luoye roared at Shui Yongquan, "That's bullshit. How could you break into my home? I have an army stationed outside!"

Shui Yongquan laughed. "You had twenty-two guards outside your home. All of them were your trusted aides. With that wooden head of yours, you stationed every last one at the front gate.

"They were loyal. They could fight. But they are all dead now. Twenty-two in total. Am I wrong? And those rabble at the mouth of the gorge, I struck a few times and they all surrendered. Look at the useless trash under your command. Not a single damn one is worth anything."

Qiu Luoye stood rooted in place, speechless for a long while.

Shui Yongquan continued, "If you still refuse to accept it, I will have my men dig up the contracts right now and bring them here so you can see for yourself!"

Qiu Luoye roared, "Then I'll storm into your home and dig up your contracts too! If that happens, we'll both become wandering ghosts!"

Shui Yongquan's face darkened. "Are you really going to play dirty?"

"I am. What can you do about it?" Qiu Luoye said as he prepared to charge toward Shui Yongquan's territory once more.

Could Qiu Luoye really make it to Shui Yongquan's homebase? It would be impossible. Aside from the dozen or so subordinates still at his side, Qiu Luoye's forces had already been wiped out.

Shui Yongquan could not defeat him in single combat, but there was no longer any need for a duel.

Qiu Luoye was really playing dirty. Yet if he truly chose to act shamelessly, it would indeed be hard for Shui Yongquan to deal with him.

Qiu Luoye was too good at fighting. If he truly chose to throw his life away, half the living beings across these two territories could perish, and even Shui Yongquan would not escape unscathed.

Wuuu~weng~

Qiu Luoye let out a long cry and was just about to charge out of the gorge when Shui Yongquan finally relented.

"How about this? Since you have lost, cede fifteen kilometers of land to me, and we'll consider the matter settled. What do you say?"

That offer was no small thing. By all rights, Shui Yongquan could have swallowed up all of Qiu Luoye's territory. However, Qiu Luoye refused to accept it. "I don't accept it! I won't give you a single thing! I will fight you to the end!"

After being neighbors for so many years, Shui Yongquan understood Qiu Luoye's temperament quite well.

Qiu Luoye was not the kind of shameless bastard who would deny defeat outright. He was only acting irrationally now because he could not swallow his pride.

Shui Yongquan glanced around at the crowd and said, "Everyone, head back first. I won't forget those who helped me today. I also won't forget the rewards you deserve."

Ma Wu was just about to leave with Li Banfeng when Shui Yongquan called out, "Brother Ma Wu, wait a moment. These items belong to Brother Li Qi."

He handed the Judge's Brush and the calendar to Ma Wu, then took out a packet of injury medicine from his robes. "Take him back to your land. Use the spring water there and have him take this medicine. It may still preserve his life."

"These two Waterfall Gates also belong to Brother Li Qi. It doesn't seem convenient for him to take them right now, so I'll deliver them to him another day."

"Once I have finished dealing with matters here, I will transfer the five kilometers of land to the two of you."

Ma Wu took the medicine, swung himself onto Swallowie, and hauled Li Banfeng up with him. Then they hurried toward their own territory as quickly as Swallowie could carry them.

Li Banfeng was still moving. He kept fumbling his hand in his trouser pocket, poking and prodding nonstop.

"Old Qi, what are you looking for?

"Old Qi, what are you holding?

"Old Qi, don't move around..."

Li Banfeng was trying to find his key. His arm bone was broken. So were the bones in his fingers. He could barely move his hand, let alone grip anything properly. No matter how hard he tried, he could not pull the key out.

After traveling for more than ten minutes, Li Banfeng's eyes suddenly snapped open. He sucked in a sharp breath and rolled straight off the bagworm moth's back.

The level-three ability of Homebound Cultivation was An Arrow Bound for Home.

"Old Qi!" Ma Wu's face drained of color. He immediately urged Swallowie to stop.

However, Swallowie was sprinting at full speed. With a body that large, she could not halt on a whim.

She skidded forward for quite some distance before finally slowing. By the time Ma Wu leapt down from her back, Li Banfeng had already vanished.

"Old Qi!" Ma Wu led the others in a frantic search, spreading out in every direction. They combed through the surrounding area again and again, but even after a long while, there was still no trace of him.

***

Relying on the last of the strength from An Arrow Bound for Home, Li Banfeng finally managed to pull out the key and open the door to the Pocket Dwelling.

There was no sound inside. There was no sound of his wifey's breathing.

Li Banfeng collapsed onto the ground and dragged himself forward with one arm, crawling toward the Crimson Lotus.

When he reached it, he gave the Crimson Lotus a light pat, then lifted a trembling finger and pointed toward the gramophone.

The Crimson Lotus gazed at Li Banfeng, whose body was covered in blood and torn flesh, and could not help but feel a faint trace of secret delight.

Thank goodness. This madman is back. As long as he's alive, I will have a chance to get out. Without that wretched woman stirring up trouble, it won't be difficult to make this madman believe my lies.

Poor fool. He fought to this extent and still didn't get... Wait. What is he holding in his hand?

Li Banfeng placed the flower in front of the Crimson Lotus. He had protected it carefully the entire time. Not a single petal or leaf was damaged.

The petals revolved slowly around the core. It was one of the most precious medicinal herbs, the Swirling Tenderbloom.

This madman actually got it! The Crimson Lotus muttered inwardly.

Li Banfeng held up the flower, pointed toward his wifey, then looked at the Crimson Lotus. The Crimson Lotus bloomed. A small whirlwind rose from its lotus core and inhaled the Swirling Tenderbloom inside.

A halo of light rippled outward as the Crimson Lotus pondered in silence. If I don't refine the flower into a pill, I will lose the madman's trust in the future.

I can make the pill, but it depends on how fast I can refine this flower. If that wretched woman dies before I am done refining, I shouldn't be blamed for this. At least this mad man will be reasonable. At the very least, he would be...

Li Banfeng stared at the Crimson Lotus. His blood-smeared eyes seemed to pierce straight through her thoughts.

Why is he looking at me like that? The Crimson Lotus thought as she cast a glance at the silent gramophone. The glow around her brightened, intensifying layer by layer.

Fine, the Crimson Lotus thought. I still have to rely on this madman to get out of this house in the future. I will refine the flower into a pill as soon as possible, but if this wretched woman still can't be saved, then I must not be blamed for it.

***

In the gorge, Qiu Luoye was still roaring, "Shui Yongquan, I will fight you to the bitter end! I don't accept this. I just don't!"

Vines and sand flew in all directions as Qiu Luoye stomped back and forth through the gorge like a madman.

Shui Yongquan let out a long sigh. "Have you made enough of a scene? If you are done, it's time to discuss serious matters."

"I have nothing to say to you!" Qiu Luoye turned and looked at his dozen or so subordinates. "Brothers, tear this old bastard to pieces and I'll reward you handsomely!"

The dozen or so strange beings looked at one another, yet none of them moved.

Qiu Luoye shouted angrily, "At a time like this, you all are still afraid to fight?"

Shui Yongquan glanced at the group and spoke plainly. "If Qiu Luoye were no longer a land deity, would you still be willing to follow him?"

No one answered. Only the humanoid pine tree was blunt enough to speak up.

He straightened his back and looked at Shui Yongquan. "Boss Qiu once saw my worth and gave me a chance. If he's no longer a land deity, I definitely won't follow him in the future..."

Bang!

Qiu Luoye swung his trunk and sent the humanoid pine tree crashing to the ground. "I must have been blind to take a liking to trash like you. All of you, get lost. I will settle this one-on-one with Shui Yongquan!"

The dozen or so strange beings immediately did as Qiu Luoye said and scattered.

Qiu Luoye screamed at Shui Yongquan, "Come on, old ghost. Let's fight!"

"Fight my ass!" Shui Yongquan barked. "Everyone's gone. Who are you still putting on a show for? If I really dug up your contracts just now, how would you go on living? Go back to the Inner Provinces and serve as someone's lackey again? Pour tea, make beds, fold quilts. At your age, do you have no shame?"

Qiu Luoye roared, "I am done staying in this new land. I will go out into the wider world. I have long been sick of this damned place!"

Shui Yongquan sneered. "Stop blowing hot air. With that wooden head of yours, you can barely survive in the new land as it is. Step outside and see what happens. You will be dead so fast that your first seven-day funeral rite[1] will already be over before eight days pass!"

Qiu Luoye dropped to the ground and said with a sneer, "You make it sound so mysterious. I will head out tomorrow and establish a territory of my own. Just watch."

Shui Yongquan nodded. "Go on, then. Why wait until tomorrow? Go today. You don't even have to travel far. Just head over to Greenwater Bay and pay Green Beggar a visit. Forget about taking territory. If he lets you exist in Greenwater Bay for ten whole minutes, you should kneel down and thank the heavens for such tremendous good fortune!"

"Old Elephant Qiu, if you keep throwing a tantrum, I really will dig up your contracts. Think about it. How much hardship did you endure to secure this patch of land? Take the loss and stop here."

Qiu Luoye gradually calmed down. After a moment, he said to Shui Yongquan, "Fifteen kilometers is too much. Can't you take a little less?"

"No!" Shui Yongquan's face darkened. "If I had lost this battle, would you have shown me mercy? I have already given way enough."

Qiu Luoye's long trunk twitched. "I only have fifty kilometers of territory in total. Now I have to hand over thirty percent to you."

Shui Yongquan laughed in exasperation. Do you even know how to calculate? A fifty-kilometer diameter comes out to a ten thousand half-kilometer plots. A fifteen-kilometer diameter is only nine hundred. I am taking less than a tenth of your territory. What exactly are you complaining about?"

Qiu Luoye hooked a branch with his trunk and scratched numbers into the dirt. He calculated for a long while, but in the end, he still couldn't make sense of it.

Shui Yongquan glanced at his calculation and saw that it was the most basic kind of addition. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "How did you even cultivate to this level with a brain like that? Stop calculating. I am not lying to you. Hurry up and mark off the land. I have something else to discuss."

"What else is there?"

"We have probably been set up," Shui Yongquan said as he floated to the entrance of the gorge. "Three times in a row, someone tried to activate land right along the boundary between our territories, and all three times it failed. They weren't there to activate land. They were clearly there to stir up trouble."

"They weren't stirring up trouble," Qiu Luoye replied, flicking his trunk. "I asked them. They are hunters from Greenwater Bay. They have never activated land before. They just wanted to try."

"All three attempts happened right on the boundary line? You call that coincidence? No wonder your brain doesn't work. They might really be just hunters, but someone's clearly pointing them in that direction. We need to be careful."

Qiu Luoye got to his feet and prepared to mark off the land for Shui Yongquan. As they walked, he suddenly asked, "That young fellow who guarded Hundred Vines Gorge, who is he?"

"Someone I hired."

"How much did you pay him? I will hire him too. Then we can fight again."

Shui Yongquan did not know whether to laugh or sigh. "Old Elephant, are you joking, or are you serious?"

"I am serious," Qiu Luoye said. "That fellow's impressive. I am even thinking of making him one of my generals."

"A general? Listen to you, already building castles in the air for him," Shui Yongquan muttered as he considered which plot to claim. "I am telling you, stop setting your sights on him. He is not the kind of man who serves as anyone's lackey."

"Hmph. If he's not a lackey, what does he plan to be?" Qiu Luoye shot back, glancing toward the gorge. "Even if he climbs high one day, he'll still end up serving someone in the Inner Provinces. I just wonder if the kid's still alive."

***

"Buzzing~"

What is buzzing? The thought flashed through Li Banfeng's mind as he jolted awake. He tried to push himself up, but his body would not move.

He was still lying face down on the ground. Blood had dried and clotted across his back, gluing him to the floor.

He did not know how many bones had shattered. His limbs felt hollow, utterly devoid of strength. After a long struggle, Li Banfeng managed to raise his head and fix his gaze on the Crimson Lotus ahead. He then saw that the petals were tightly sealed.

Fury surged through him as the thoughts crashed into his mind. Has the flower not been refined into a pill? Can my wifey still hold on? Why is there not even a faint glow on the Crimson Lotus? Has she been refining it at all?

The Crimson Lotus slowly unfurled her petals. The lotus core was empty and there was no seed inside.

"You weren't refining the flower? Where's my flower? Where's the Swirling Tenderbloom?"

The Crimson Lotus did not know how to explain herself, but it was not like she needed to explain herself anyway.

"Buzzing~"

Li Banfeng turned his head with great difficulty.

Huff~

He had heard it wrong. The sound was not "buzzing," but "husband.[2]"

Her breathing was uneven, and the tone had blurred.

Huff~

"Husband~"

A cloud of steam drifted over and wrapped around Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng murmured softly, "Wifey, I am back."

Author's Note:

PS: Banfeng made it, and wifey pulled through as well. But the question remains. What exactly is the backstory of the land deities?

1. In Chinese belief, after someone dies, the soul should linger for seven days. The first seventh day after death is called 头七 (Tou Qi) and it is believed that the spirit may return home on that day. The family often performs rituals or memorial offerings. ☜

2. In the original Chinese, "fragrant" was used because it sounds like "husband." Since that wordplay doesn't work in English, I replaced it with a different English word that sounds closer to "husband." ☜