Having buried the contract book and the land seal, Li Banfeng exited the Dark Dimension Space. He turned a red spoon three times clockwise, two and a half times counterclockwise, and one more time clockwise, setting a password to lock the door.

After handling his own matters, Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Residence, where he got his wife and the clock pendulum to help him disguise himself as Green Flower. At ten in the evening, he returned to Longmen Road.

Green Flower’s house certainly still has a lot of good stuff. Gloves already mentioned they only found some elixirs, the contract book, and the land seal, without even a single magical treasure in sight.

Greenwater Bay is so prosperous, and Green Flower is so powerful; how could his house possibly lack a magical treasure? It doesn’t match his status at all.

Li Banfeng wasn’t greedy for Green Flower’s magical treasures; he just thought that since he sent the Greenwater Beggar to Knife Ghost Ridge, it would be a while before he returned home. With so many good things, he felt uneasy if they were stolen by someone else.

As he walked beside a streetlamp, Li Banfeng fumbled with the begging bowl, just about to unlock the door, when two malevolent presences assaulted him from front and back.

One source was directly in front, from within Green Flower’s house.

The other came from behind at the Muyuan Teahouse.

Realizing something was wrong, Li Banfeng quickly fiddled with the red spoon, turning it two times counterclockwise, one and a half times clockwise, and then a half turn counterclockwise, adding another lock to Green Flower’s house door.

Afterwards, Li Banfeng walked away with the begging bowl in hand. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Thanks to Li Banfeng’s quick departure, he didn’t enter Green Flower’s house.

Inside Green Flower’s house, Feng Chongli and Mu Yuejuan were rummaging for the contract book, clearly able to see every move outside. When they saw Green Flower approaching the lamppost, both of their hearts jumped into their throats.

They weren’t afraid of losing to Green Flower; both of their cultivation levels surpassed Green Flower’s.

But they had to adhere to the peddler’s rules; with their status, they couldn’t casually make a move on Green Flower in Greenwater Bay.

When they saw Green Flower leaving, Feng Chongli breathed a slight sigh of relief, but Mu Yuejuan was still nervous. "He might come back later. Maybe he noticed a slip-up on our part," she said.

Feng Chongli glanced towards Muyuan Teahouse. "Don’t worry," he reassured, "we have someone inside the teahouse."

Soon, an elderly man with graying hair and a beard emerged from the teahouse, quietly following Green Flower.

Mu Yuejuan recognized the person, "Isn’t that An Zongding? What’s his cultivation level?"

Cultivation level isn’t something to inquire about casually, but given the current situation, if An Zongding’s cultivation level surpassed Above the Clouds, he couldn’t randomly make a move on Green Flower in Greenwater Bay.

Feng Chongli continued manipulating a delicate abacus, still treasure hunting in Green Flower’s residence. "Don’t worry," he said, "his move on Green Flower doesn’t count as breaking the rules."

Mu Yuejuan remained concerned, "If Green Flower is alive, we shouldn’t meddle with his contract book!"

Feng Chongli flicked a bead on the abacus, "If it were someone else, indeed we shouldn’t touch it. But now, with our backing, what are you afraid of? Do you really think a peddler can deal with Snowflake Beach?"

Mu Yuejuan felt a wave of anxiety. She really didn’t want to get caught up in this turmoil, but now she couldn’t find an opportunity to extricate herself.

...

Li Banfeng walked ahead, with An Zongding tailing behind him.

If it were the real Greenwater Beggar, he might not have detected An Zongding. An Zongding acted naturally, like just another old man strolling, without a single flaw.

But Li Banfeng had the Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Skill passed down from a coachman. Even though An Zongding was excellent at tracking, Li Banfeng still noticed him.

Crossing Longmen Road and entering the String of Alleyways, Li Banfeng headed towards a less crowded area.

An Zongding followed leisurely and tailed him all the way to Yangjiao Garden.

Yangjiao Garden is a park. In Puluo State, a park is something novel. Only large cities like Greenwater City and Black Stone Slope have parks.

This park was constructed by the Defense Agency, initially meant to provide residents a communal space for visiting and relaxing, and also to bolster the agency’s reputation.

However, the Defense Agency clearly misjudged the customs of Puluo State at the time; the locals didn’t have the habit of visiting parks, and the park instead became a battlefield for gang conflicts.

At eight thirty in the evening, Yangjiao Garden stood in silence as Li Banfeng prepared to test the old man’s skills. An Zongding was a Nightmare Cultivator from Above the Clouds, ready with his Ghost Servant, poised for an ambush.

Both sides aimed to seize the initiative, neither expecting a thin young man to emerge from the bushes and seize it first!

The thin man was none other than Qin Tianjiu!

Qin Tianjiu swung an axe down at An Zongding’s head.

Li Banfeng was stunned, and so was An Zongding.

This kid had been hiding in Yangjiao Garden, and neither of them had noticed.

Did Little Fatty have this kind of ability?

No, he didn’t.

The one who truly hid him was his wife, Green-clad girl Feng Yuqiu.

Feng Yuqiu was a Cold Cultivator, and Cold Cultivators are very skilled at concealment.

Back when An Zongding visited Qin Xiaopang’s house, he brought along many gifts for Qin Xiaopang and offered much guidance on cultivation. Feng Yuqiu genuinely considered An Zongding a friend. The next day, when An Zongding paid another visit, Feng Yuqiu wasn’t on guard and accidentally got captured by him.

Now Feng Yuqiu, having discovered An Zongding’s trail, had hidden with Qin Xiaopang in Yangjiao Garden, successfully deceiving An Zongding.

But while they may have fooled him, could they defeat him?

Little Fatty stuffed a bag of dry rations into his mouth, risking everything to engage An Zongding in a frontal confrontation, while Feng Yuqiu circled around, aiming for a sneak attack on An Zongding.

They needed to win with one strike. Qin Xiaopang was currently at the third layer of cultivation, but having just eaten, he struck quickly and fiercely, putting up quite a daunting front.