He Jiaqing rubbed a ball of fire on his fingertips, burning Mu Yuejuan’s painting.

Mu Yuejuan was still negotiating with Feng Chongli, and everything He Jiaqing said to her was true. The first time he visited the Greenwater Beggar’s house was because he was ambushed by the Greenwater Beggar. As soon as he entered, he indeed saw the Greenwater Beggar waiting for him inside the door.

He truly doesn’t know if the Greenwater Beggar is alive or dead; he only knows that Li Banfeng sent the Greenwater Beggar away.

But truth can also deceive. Sun Tiecheng’s eldest disciple, Gu Rusong, said Tang Changfa was dead, which was a true statement; Tang Changfa had died long ago.

This statement touched on Tang Changfa’s sore spot, forcing him into a helpless situation, illustrating the essence of the Foolish Cultivation Technique: holding others’ strengths and weaknesses.

He Jiaqing wasn’t gifted in the Foolish Cultivation Technique—only the technique of holding others’ strengths and weaknesses he wielded decently, catching Mu Yuejuan’s weak spots.

The first was greed.

Mu Yuejuan very much desired the Greenwater Beggar’s territory; even though she didn’t require human energy, in her heart, this territory weighed heavily, daring her to take chances and circumvent the rules under the Peddler’s watchful eye.

The second was lust. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

If it were Zhang Gunli deceiving Mu Yuejuan, it would be much more difficult because Zhang Gunli had a fierce appearance and an aura of the marketplace, while He Jiaqing was handsome and a wealthy young lord.

Seizing these two weaknesses, the technique of holding others’ strengths and weaknesses worked effectively.

Unfortunately, this technique was stolen, and its usage was limited.

He Jiaqing contacted several subordinates of the Brotherhood Alliance, instructing them to continue gathering information on Gu Rusong; he wanted an opportunity to steal the technique again.

...

"I must say, what the sassy hooves wrote is indeed useful!" The Phonograph glanced at Teacher Song’s notes, gradually improving the Greenwater Beggar’s begging bowl, which originally contained only one spoon; now it held three—one red, one yellow, and one blue.

"Husband, you must remember: the yellow spoon indicates direction, the blue spoon opens doors, and the red spoon locks doors; never confuse them." The Phonograph knew Li Banfeng had a somewhat impatient nature, fearing he might use the wrong means at a critical moment, thus assigning the bowl’s three functions to three spoons.

Li Banfeng wasn’t idle either; he discovered another Dark Dimension Space in Greenwater City, located at Fortune Avenue in Round Bamboo Square.

Round Bamboo Square was old territory in the south of Greenwater City; when Greenwater City was first established, it was the city’s most prosperous area. However, as Greenwater City expanded and the city center shifted, Round Bamboo Square gradually became abandoned by major households, turning into a gathering place for vagrants and scoundrels.

Li Banfeng bought a three-story mansion in Round Bamboo Square; the house was old but spacious, and due to neglect, the large yard was overgrown with weeds.

The rooms were spacious; the walls, mottled and dusty, echoed with every footstep and utterance—a place truly unsettling to visit alone.

He bought the mansion primarily because he found the entrance to the Dark Dimension Space here, located beside the closet in the second room on the second floor of the mansion.

The second room on the second floor—Li Banfeng had some affinity with the number two, naming this Dark Dimension Space the "Second House."

The circumstances inside the Second House were not pitch black but differed from Green Flower’s abode.

In Green Flower’s house, the outside view was clear, yet the objects inside were starkly different from the outside.

Similarly, the Second House showed the external view distinctly, yet the objects inside differed from outside counterparts, and people’s orientation perception inside the house was entirely reversed.

Li Banfeng entered the Second House, spotting a chair on the left. Intending to test what the chair corresponded to in the Dark Dimension Space, he groped his way left.

After groping for a long time, he found nothing because Li Banfeng had sensed the wrong direction, having ended up on the right side.

This wasn’t Li Banfeng’s fault; not only he couldn’t distinguish direction, even the gloves were confused, leading him astray to under the bed while detecting treasure near the flower pot.

Li Banfeng wanted to step out his left foot; lifting his leg, he swung out the right foot instead, causing him to stagger.

The Tang Sword approached to help, confusing the sword hilt and blade tip, nearly skewering Li Banfeng.

Fortunately, this Dark Dimension Space wasn’t vast—similar to the dance floor of Xiaoyao Lodge—after a couple of hours, his family muddled through their blundering and bashing, gradually adapting to the place.

Due to the reversed orientation, Li Banfeng initially thought this Dark Dimension Space’s layout was profoundly complex, but after exploration, he realized it was empty.

Given its emptiness, choosing a suitable spot for burying the deed became challenging.

Li Banfeng could only use the external scene as a reference, digging a deep hole beneath the desk in the sixth room on the second floor.

He first sprinkled blood on the Iron Token, then wrote a Paper Contract, also dousing it in blood.

Soon after, the Iron Token displayed a line of text: Li Qisheng Zhao Nongbao, gains the entire realm.

Thus, Li Banfeng became the Local Deity of Greenwater Bay.

Once burying the Contract Book, he topped with a layer of soil, about to retrieve the Land Seal when suddenly he felt suffocating pressure on his chest, stifling him.

"Little brother, don’t rush; have a sip first." The Wine Gourd offered Li Banfeng a sip of wine, mouth to mouth.

Having a sip eased him significantly.

This was medicinal liquor specially prepared by the Wine Gourd under the Phonograph’s instructions because the Phonograph knew Greenwater Bay’s status was immensely heavy. With Li Banfeng’s current cultivation level, shouldering such significant status might suffocate him.

Once catching his breath, Li Banfeng found his chest gradually relaxed, then stored the Land Seal in the box, together burying it under the earth.