The Overlord of Puluo

Li Banfeng was very shocked that Little Gen had come all the way here to activate land. When he saw Little Gen raise the bucket, however, mere shock was no longer enough to describe his reaction.

Li Banfeng hurriedly pressed his palm downward, signaling for Little Gen to put the bucket down first. "Gen, why have you come here to activate a plot of land?"

Little Gen slung the bucket onto his back and answered with a solemn expression. "Master Qi, didn't you say this was a good place? It is a little far away from everything, but there is food nearby. Big Bro Zhang and I are planning to set up a business, and this place is perfect for it."

Zhang Wanlong coughed beside him, warning Little Gen not to reveal too much.

The warning was pointless. No matter what the matter was, Little Gen would never hide anything from Li Banfeng.

"So you must be Big Bro Zhang?" Li Banfeng turned to Zhang Wanlong.

Zhang Wanlong hurriedly removed his sun hat and smiled at Li Banfeng. "My name is Zhang Wanlong. Little Gen and I only met recently, but we hit it off so well that we became friends."

Li Banfeng did not care in the slightest how they had become friends. They could have met in a ditch, fallen out of a tree together, or discovered each other hiding inside the same cupboard. What interested him was the business they had mentioned.

Judging by Zhang Wanlong's appearance and manner, the man had far more worldly experience than Little Gen.

"What exactly is this business you mentioned?"

"There is no business. We mainly came here to cultivate." Zhang Wanlong tried to brush the question aside.

Li Banfeng pointed toward Meng Yuchun's territory. "If you want to cultivate, you should go over there. That is where the food is, and there are more people around to look out for you."

Little Gen shook his head. "We cannot go there. Big Bro Zhang said no one else can be allowed to see what we are doing."

An awkward look crossed Zhang Wanlong's face.

Li Banfeng asked Little Gen, "What kind of business is it that no one can see?"

Little Gen lowered his voice. "We came here to make people."

Li Banfeng looked at Little Gen, then at Zhang Wanlong. He studied the two of them with perfect seriousness and asked, "How exactly are the two of you planning to make people?"

Zhang Wanlong waved both hands frantically. "Master Qi, you misunderstood. Little Gen likes to joke. We are not making people."

Little Gen raised his bucket. "We can. We only need the right materials."

"Gen, put the bucket down." Li Banfeng spoke with the grave patience of a man trying to prevent a terrible mistake. "I do not think the material in that bucket is suitable for making people."

Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "Master Qi, please forget about making people for a moment. We only want to activate a plot of land and grow something."

Little Gen nodded. "Big Bro Zhang is an Agrarian Cultivator. He can grow all sorts of wonderful things, but they need New Land if they are going to grow properly. They also need my golden juice. I thought we should find a quiet spot on the New Land where no one would disturb us, so I chose this place."

Little Gen had chosen this place only after careful consideration.

He could have activated land near Properfolk Village, but he did not trust Zhang Wanlong and refused to risk bringing trouble to the village. There was plenty of New Land available, so why had he not simply chosen some random stretch of wasteland? Because if Zhang Wanlong turned on him in an isolated place, Little Gen might die without ever knowing what had happened.

Li Qi had recommended this place before, which meant he might know the land deity. If Little Gen really lost his life here, Li Qi would at least hear about it.

Once Li Banfeng pieced everything together, he understood what Little Gen had been thinking. He turned to Zhang Wanlong. "Brother Zhang, you said you came here to grow something. What sort of remarkable crop is it? Can I have a look?"

Zhang Wanlong smiled modestly. "They are only a few insignificant tricks, hardly worth mentioning. Since Master Qi has asked, allow me to display my humble skills."

Zhang Wanlong smiled modestly. "They are only a few insignificant tricks, hardly worth mentioning. Since Master Qi has asked, allow me to display my humble skills."

Around ten minutes later, the seed broke through the soil and grew into a sapling more than a foot tall.

Li Banfeng had seen Sylvan Cultivators make trees grow even faster, so this alone was nothing remarkable. However, when he touched the sapling, it spoke in the soft, delicate voice of a young woman.

"Gentle there."

This tree can talk. Li Banfeng froze.

Li Banfeng had neither used Perceiving the Spirit's Melody nor put on the Threaded Earring. Even so, he heard it clearly. The little tree really was speaking.

Little Gen said, "Master Qi, I wasn't exaggerating. Big Bro Zhang really does have some impressive skills."

Li Banfeng stared at the sapling for a long while.

He had seen talking trees before. There were quite a few of them within Shui Yongquan's and Qiu Luoye's domains. However, these aberrant creatures all had unusual origins. Some had once been humans, and not low-level cultivators at that. After their deaths, their souls had drifted into the New Land and attached themselves to trees, becoming aberrant creatures.

Others had originally been ordinary trees that had gradually absorbed the influence of the New Land over many years, eventually turning into aberrant creatures with spirit essence.

According to Shui Yongquan, however, trees like these needed at least a century of growth before they had any chance of developing spirit essence. As for whether they would ever learn to speak, that depended on whether they encountered the right fortuitous opportunity.

Yet Zhang Wanlong had somehow cultivated something this bizarre. It had learned to speak in barely a dozen minutes. His methods were anything but ordinary.

Yet this reminded Li Banfeng of something deeply unsettling. The watermelons that could fight.

Li Banfeng turned to Zhang Wanlong. "Brother Zhang, how did you get rich before this?"

Zhang Wanlong shook his head with a smile. "Get rich? I wandered from place to place and did whatever I could to put food on the table."

"Brother Zhang, you are being too modest. An Agrarian Cultivator may suffer through a great many bitter years before finally reaching a fruitful season. Once he reaches level five, he can rule a region and live like a lord. From what I can see, you passed level five a long time ago. I would even guess that you are above the Terranean Layer.

Zhang Wanlong waved both hands. "Master Qi, please don't embarrass me. My cultivation is hardly worth mentioning. I would never dare parade it in front of you."

Little Gen looked at Li Banfeng. "I boarded the train at Medicine King Gully, and I met Big Bro Zhang not long after we set off."

The meaning was obvious enough. Zhang Wanlong had probably come from Medicine King Gully too.

Zhang Wanlong said, "We only want a quiet place where we can grow a few flowers and plants. Then we will sell them as little novelties for people to amuse themselves with. That is all. I really have no other talents."

Li Banfeng looked down at the sapling and asked, "This is meant to relieve boredom?"

Little Gen nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, it can really relieve boredom. Big Bro Zhang has a flower in a pot that is ever so much cleverer than this little tree. It can talk all day without growing tired, and it understands people almost as well as a person does."

All the while, Little Gen kept glancing at Li Banfeng.

He knew very well that Zhang Wanlong was no ordinary man. He possessed remarkable abilities, but he was also the sort of person one had to be very careful around. Staying with him might lead Little Gen into all kinds of trouble.

Little Gen knew it was dangerous, but he still hoped Li Banfeng would give him a chance to continue getting to know Zhang Wanlong as the man could lead him to opportunities beyond anything he had ever imagined.

Li Banfeng nodded. "Gen, when you meet a capable man like Brother Zhang, you should learn all you can from him. I have other matters to attend to, so you can stay here and activate the land with him. However, we must agree on one thing first. You are not to activate this territory using your method."

Little Gen looked down at his bucket. "Master Qi, what is bad about my method?"

"Your method is rather too good at making local land deities angry," Li Banfeng replied. "You are only activating half-a-kilometer of land so your Big Bro Zhang must have some other way of doing it."

Zhang Wanlong nodded so quickly. "I quite agree. Little Gen's method is not at all suitable. Even if we activated the land that way, we would have a dreadful mess to clear up afterward."

Li Banfeng glanced once more at the sapling Zhang Wanlong had planted. Then he pulled the brim of his hat lower and walked away.

Was that little tree really meant for nothing more than to relieve someone's boredom? Such nonsense, Li Banfeng thought. He was sure that once those saplings grew into proper trees, they would be every bit as dangerous as the watermelons at the Geng Family Medicinal Trading House. Zhang Wanlong was probably the disappointing Agrarian Cultivator disciple Old Xu had mentioned.

Can I let him stay here and activate the land? Li Banfeng thought.

The answer depended on one's perspective. If Zhang Wanlong had been important enough to attract Old Mister Xu's attention, then he could not be an ordinary cultivator. Li Banfeng had enough helpers nearby to drive him away, but killing him would be far more difficult.

But what's the point of kicking him out of my territory? Li Banfeng continued. It would be useless. He can always wander to another territory, activate another plot of land, and continue growing his strange flowers and stranger plants.

The worse thing was that if both sides fought, Little Gen would probably be the first person Zhang Wanlong killed.

For now, Zhang Wanlong had shown no sign of malice. And so, Li Banfeng decided it would be best to leave him be and keep a careful eye on him.

There were too many things a land deity would need to deal with. Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead and felt quite worn out by it all.

After returning to the Pocket Dwelling, he told Wifey, "The plot was successfully activated, and now two more groups have arrived to activate land."

"Husband dear, congratulations. Your territory is flourishing more and more by the day. That is a good thing."

"It is a good thing, but the more people there are, the more troublesome matters seem to appear. What am I supposed to do about all this when I am away from the territory?"

Wifey had already given the matter plenty of thought. "That depends on how much you care about the reputation of your territory. If you do not care about it, you can simply leave the plots here and pay them no attention."

"What if someone who successfully activated a plot comes to me for help? Am I supposed to ignore them as well?"

"That would depend on their luck. If they are fortunate enough to meet Meng Yuchun, she should be willing to lend them a hand. Afterward, you can give her a portion of the cultivation gained from the territory as payment."

"And what if they don't?"

"Then they can only blame their poor luck and fend for themselves. Of course, if someone sheds blood to call for help and the land deity never responds, the reputation of this territory will soon be ruined."

No. I can't let that happen. If those who successfully activate the land cannot count on the local land deity's protection, who will ever dare come here to activate another plot?

"Heyaaaa~ Wifey dear, I care very much about the reputation of my territory."

"Then you cannot wander too far. You must watch over all fifty kilometers of your territory with care. Deal with any enemy you can handle yourself, and call Meng Yuchun at once when you cannot. With your speed, that should not be too difficult."

Li Banfeng sniffed. "Can I even move that fast?"

"I meant that you could use Deep Court Domain to borrow a few abilities from Hong Ying."

Hong Ying nodded eagerly. "Darling Qi, you only have to ask. I will gladly lend you whatever you need. First, though, you must tell me how a person goes about doing two kinds of business at once..."

Smack!

The Gramophone slapped a rag across Hong Ying's face, then continued saying to Li Banfeng. "Husband dear, you must think about the gains and losses carefully. It is already extremely difficult for you to take the land deity's standing by force. The slightest mistake could cause all your previous efforts to come to nothing."

Consider the gains and losses carefully? Li Banfeng thought. This is hard.

The following afternoon, Li Banfeng left the Pocket Dwelling and went to inspect He Yuxiu's plot.

He Yuxiu had already prepared for the trial of worthiness. Nectarine followed behind her and asked with concern, "You will be gone for three days. Why don't we wash up before you go?"

"No need," He Yuxiu said as she shook her head and thought, This Nectarine girl is a bit too friendly and enthusiastic...

Nectarine was certainly diligent. Yesterday, she had not only fetched hot water but had also helped wash He Yuxiu from head to toe, cleaning every part of her with extraordinary care. Even now, the memory still sent tingles through He Yuxiu's body.

Not long after He Yuxiu entered the plot, the first aberrant creature arrived to test her worthiness.

Anyone bold enough to activate one-and-a-half kilometers of land naturally possessed some ability. The aberrant creatures willing to test such a person were also of an entirely different caliber.

This time, the challenger was a mosquito as large as Nectarine.

Despite her enormous size, the mosquito acted with great caution. She spread her membranous wings and flattened herself against the ground, blending perfectly among the dead branches and fallen leaves without leaving the slightest trace.

The mosquito crawled along the ground until she entered the plot, yet neither He Yuxiu nor Nectarine noticed her.

She was remarkably patient. After settling beside Nectarine, she waited for a full two hours without making a move.

When the two women began to relax and their attention wandered, the mosquito quietly rose and thrust her long needle toward the back of Nectarine's head.

If she succeeded, she would not even need to inject her venom. The motion itself would be able to kill Nectarine. Just as the long needle reached Nectarine's hair, He Yuxiu caught it with one hand. She twisted her wrist, and the needle snapped at once.

The mosquito was horrified. She beat her wings furiously and tried to escape. In response, He Yuxiu casually threw the broken needle after her and it pierced straight through the mosquito's skull.

The mosquito died on the spot. He Yuxiu nudged the corpse with her foot and laughed. "Something at this level dares to test my worthiness? The aberrant creatures in this territory doesn't seem very impressive!"

Li Banfeng felt as though he had been mocked.

Nectarine showered her with praise. "Sister, you are so capable! Have some water. Eat something. You are sweating. Let me wipe it for you."

He Yuxiu took the handkerchief from her. "I can wipe myself. Stop reaching into my clothes."

Li Banfeng left. There was no need for him to continue watching He Yuxiu's trial of worthiness. The aberrant creatures in this territory were no match for her.

Little Gen had already prepared the offerings, and Li Banfeng had been genuinely worried that he would place his bucket on the offering table.

Fortunately, Zhang Wanlong knew what was appropriate. He had placed a jug of corn liquor on the offering table, and it gave off an enticing aroma.

Li Banfeng didn't dare to drink. He took the liquor and lit up the entire plot.

The next day, Li Banfeng flew to the plot on the Judge's Brush to see how they were going to activate the land. However, he didn't see Little Gen at all. He only saw Zhang Wanlong working the field with a hoe.

Little Gen, where are you? Li Banfeng's heart tightened. He searched the plot from above and soon spotted Little Gen lying perfectly still among the weeds at its center.

What's going on?

Li Banfeng looked back at Zhang Wanlong. A leech more than five meters long had curled its body and was wriggling toward him, yet Zhang Wanlong had not noticed it at all.

The leech crept up behind him, suddenly reared up, and swallowed his head in one bite.

Zhang Wanlong's body shriveled at once. The rings along the leech's body rippled one after another as it sucked away his flesh and blood.

In less than a minute, all that remained of Zhang Wanlong was a dried, empty skin lying on the ground.

The leech sniffed around as though it had caught another scent, then began crawling toward Little Gen.

Little Gen remained perfectly still, without the slightest trace of fear on his face. When it was still twenty or thirty meters away, the leech reared up once more.

What is this leech doing? Is it going to attack Little Gen? But it's too far away to do that?

The leech suddenly plunged its head into the earth, then jerked it back up. Violent ripples ran through its body as it curled itself into a knot and stretched out again, plainly suffering a most dreadful pain.

Small bumps appeared beneath its rough black skin. Then a tender green shoot poked through.

The shoot grew with astonishing speed. Roots burst through the leech's skin and burrowed into the ground, while the green stem grew thicker and produced more and more leaves. The stems and leaves twisted together until they formed a round eggplant more than a meter wide upon the leech's body.

The eggplant slowly split open, and out climbed Zhang Wanlong with a hoe in his hand. He dusted himself off and calmly returned to tilling the soil.

The leech was still writhing on the ground as more roots and leafy stems burst from its body. They quickly twisted themselves into another enormous eggplant. It split open, and out climbed yet another Zhang Wanlong, carrying a hoe. Without the least fuss, he joined the first one in working the field.

Neither of them was the real Zhang Wanlong.

They were Zhang Wanlongs he had grown himself.

The real Zhang Wanlong rose from the tangled weeds nearby and calmly played with the seeds in his hand.

Author's Note:

PS: An Agrarian Cultivator may suffer through a great many bitter years to reach a fruitful season. This is a high-level Agrarian Cultivator.