The Overlord of Puluo

Li Banfeng went to Properfolk Village and met with Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye to ask them to lend him some men.

Shui Yongquan fell silent for a while before saying, "Li Qi, I haven't been to Proper Land for many years, so there might be things I no longer understand. Still, I feel I must warn you. If you intend to confront the Border Control Office head-on, I am afraid it won't end well."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "The time is right. We have to confront them head-on this time."

Shui Yongquan felt so helpless. "I know you have your own plans, but I need more time to think about whether I should lend you men. I already sent Huo Ling and Qin with you before, and I have been worried about them ever since."

Qiu Luoye snorted. "What are you so worried about? Huo Ling and Qin are both my people!"

"It was because of my ability that they could enter Proper Land," Shui Yongquan said.

Qiu Luoye gave a cold little laugh. "What are you afraid of? That someone will trace those abilities back to you?"

Shui Yongquan sighed. "Greenwater City is the Green Beggar's territory, yet we keep sending people there. Aren't you worried that he will come after us?"

Qiu Luoye remained perfectly calm. He was not speaking out of anger. "What is there to worry about? Do you really think he can attack us here? We are right on our own doorstep. Let him come and try."

Shui Yongquan sighed again. "You have always been really reckless."

Qiu Luoye laughed. "And you think your way of doing things is sensible? Are you even more sensible than those land deities around Greenwater Bay? They certainly know how to play it safe. Every time Green Beggar appears, they cower before him. I heard one land deity has already lost seventy percent of his territory. He has less than thirty percent left, and no one knows how much longer he can hold on.

"Plenty of people around Greenwater Bay are activating New Land, but not one of those territories has managed to become Proper Land. This is because whenever the land is almost becoming a Proper Land, Green Beggar swoops in and takes it for himself.

"I am not good with math, but I know how big seventy percent of a territory is. We have only been safe because our territory is a little far away. Once that Green Beggar has swallowed up all the territories around us and finally reaches out for ours, do you think playing it safe will spare you from a beating?"

Shui Yongquan shook his head. "He couldn't possibly reach this far. By the time he does, our territory might already have become Proper Land. We can measure ourselves against him then. There is no need to rush."

Qiu Luoye sneered. "With courage like yours, you still expect this place to become Proper Land? Don't you feel pathetic saying that?"

Shui Yongquan frowned. "Do you know how strong the human presence in Greenwater City is? Do you know how high Green Beggar's cultivation has reached? If he finds out that you have been sending aberrant creatures into his territory, do you even know what the consequences will be?"

Qiu Luoye turned and looked at him seriously. "I do. Green Beggar's cultivation is far above either of ours. If you are afraid, then you can spend the rest of your life cowering in this patch of New Land. If you are not, then let's make a stand and fight for it."

He then said to Li Banfeng. "Li Qi, I will send you the men. Every one of them will be a capable fighter. If Old Shui doesn't dare help you, I will find someone else who will. We only need to conceal their identities, don't we? We have plenty of ways to do that!

"Now, let's talk about the price. How many people can you bring in to activate our land?"

Regardless of whatever grudges in the past, Li Banfeng still rather admired Qiu Luoye's bold, no-nonsense way of doing things.

Li Banfeng stretched his hand out and said, "Five hundred."

Li Banfeng's businesses had been running smoothly. With the money and influence he now possessed, getting five hundred people to activate the land was not difficult at all.

Qiu Luoye thumped the ground with a fist, making it wobble several times. "Now that's what I call straightforward! Come on, let's go choose the men."

Shui Yongquan pursed his lips. "Five hundred people... That really is quite a number."

It was indeed a lot of people.

Before Li Banfeng came along, neither Shui Yongquan nor Qiu Luoye had ever found anyone who could successfully activate a plot in their territory. A person capable of activating land was so precious that the two of them would even fight over a single one.

Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye had both reached level two of Cloudborne Layer by gathering human auras from the great crowds of aberrant creatures under them. During that time, they had given up all hope of having enough people activating their land.

Then Li Banfeng came along, and hope came with him.

Ever since they met, Li Banfeng had arranged for people to activate dozens of plots in each of their territories. This time, he was planning something far bigger.

Qiu Luoye grinned. "Old Shui, feeling hungry? There is a great fat piece of meat sitting right under your nose. Do you want a bite? Then you better do something to earn it! Brother Li Qi has come asking us for help. Do you know what helping means? It means showing him something useful. Stop standing there putting on the airs of some grand old master!"

Shui Yongquan gritted his teeth. "Fine! Let's do it."

Qiu Luoye was not a man to dawdle. He very quickly found six excellent fighters for Li Banfeng.

The first one was a headless woman named Miss Severed-No-Grudge. She was a level-six Nightfiend Cultivator. Her figure and clothes were no different from any other woman's. The only unusual thing about her was that she had no head and that she would usually speak through her navel.

The other one had the name Trusty-Doubty, a woman with two heads. The rest of her was perfectly ordinary, but the heads had separate names. One was Trusty, and the other was Doubty. Together, they were the twins Trusty-Doubty. Whenever they had nothing better to do, they would bicker with each other.

Shui Yongquan looked at the headless woman, then at the woman with two heads, and rubbed his forehead. He felt rather troubled. "Can't the two of you just divide those heads out more evenly? Elephant Qiu, how am I supposed to hide their identities when you pick people like these?"

Aside from these two, there was a Physique Cultivator named Mr. Hundredhands. He lived up to his name rather splendidly, for he had more than a hundred hands.

The level-six Spycraft Cultivator was Mr. Look-Everywhere. This man had sixteen eyes.

There was also a level-six Gourmandism Cultivator, whose name was Madam Gobble-the-World. This woman was even fatter than Qiu Luoye.

The last one was the Street-Cursing Crone. This was an old friend so there wouldn't be any need to introduce her.

Shui Yongquan roared, "Elephant Qiu, you are intentionally making life hard for me! You chose them like this on purpose, didn't you? How in the world am I supposed to take people like these into Greenwater City?"

Apart from the Street-Cursing Crone, each of the other five presented Shui Yongquan with a very serious technical problem.

"Old Shui, it's not so easy to earn five hundred land activators. Brother Li Qi asked for ruthless fighters, and truly ruthless fighters rarely come with everything arranged in the usual places. Figure out a way!"

Five hundred land activators were far too tempting to let slip away, so Shui Yongquan pulled out every trick he knew. He used his ability of Hundred Transformations with Hundred Streams and forced the five fighters into shapes that looked rather more ordinary.

The ability took some time to take effect. As Shui Yongquan worked, he warned them again and again, "The moment you feel the transformation weakening, drink some water and wash yourselves with it. As long as you have enough water, you can restore the transformation!"

Both men had put a great deal on the line, and neither had taken a small risk. Li Banfeng hurried back to Greenwater City and began gathering the land activators.

Time was now his greatest worry. According to Shan Baowen, Chu Huaijun would make his move within the next few days. Whether the reinforcements from the New Land could arrive in time was another matter entirely.

Once the six helpers from the New Land finally reached Greenwater City, Li Banfeng felt much more at ease.

The two-headed woman Trusty-Doubty, Gourmandism Cultivator Madam Gobble-the-World, and Physique Cultivator Mr. Hundredhands were sent ahead to guard Lu Chunying's house.

The Street-Cursing Crone, the Spycraft Cultivator, and the Nightfiend Cultivator were all placed under Luo Zhengnan's command. Their job was to keep watch on the Chu Family and report any movement, while also serving as messengers between the different groups.

Shen Rongqing and Zhang Xiuling had also made their preparations and stood ready to provide support at any moment.

Li Banfeng stayed in Freewind Wharf. He continued managing the business while recruiting more people.

He then wanted to ask Zhang Wanlong for help. And so, he went back to his territory. This time, Li Banfeng was ready to fight to the bitter end if the Border Control Office decided to come after them for real.

However, Zhang Wanlong refused him. "Master Qi, I really do want to help you, but I am just a farmer. I am no good when it comes to fighting battles. I do have two bags of seeds and some potions. You can have it all. This is the extent of my capabilities. Please don't make life hard for me."

Li Banfeng was already very content that Zhang Wanlong was willing to do this much. It was indeed true that Agrarian Cultivators weren't really suitable for fighting in battles. Besides, Zhang Wanlong was not a Wanderlust Cultivator. It would take him a very long time to walk from Li Banfeng's domain to Greenwater City, and Chu Huaijun would probably have made his move long before he arrived.

Li Banfeng did not take the seeds and potions for nothing. He had Zhang Wanlong work out the price on the spot and paid him in silver dollars.

After returning to Greenwater City, Li Banfeng continued to keep a close eye on Chu Huaijun. Yet Chu Huaijun was surprisingly patient. He didn't show any signs of making a move.

Li Banfeng couldn't help but wonder if Shan Baowen had given the wrong information. Could it be that the target was not He Yuxiu, Ma Wu, or Lu Chunying?

He was also worried that Chu Huaijun was deliberately dragging things out. The longer nothing happened, the more likely everyone was to let down their guard. One careless mistake would be enough to ruin all the preparations they had made.

Still, the Chu Family just was not making any moves.

It was late at night and Li Banfeng had just closed Freewind Wharf down for the night. He was thinking about what to do next. For a moment, he even considered marching straight to the Chu Family's doorstep and striking first.

But then, he thought about it and felt that it would be a foolish thing to do. He had prepared everything carefully and already held the advantage. All he needed to do was wait for the enemy to come to him, yet somehow he was the one growing impatient.

Wifey is always saying I'm too impatient, Li Banfeng muttered inwardly. She's not wrong. I will pay her a visit and oil her up a little to calm myself down. I will think about the next move after that.

He was just about to go back to the Pocket Dwelling when Chubby Qin suddenly arrived at the Freewind Wharf.

Chubby Qin shook his head and said, "Big Bro Qi, we can't be bothered with that anymore. The second boss asked me to tell you that our big boss gathered more than fifty capable fighters, and they left the Horned Goat Garden two hours ago."

Li Banfeng's brow twitched. At last, he understood why the Chu Family had been so patient. They had never intended to make the move themselves. Their plan was to make the Three Heroes Sect to do it for them and the Three Heroes Sect had actually agreed. Was it all for the sake of that pair of Judge's Brushes?

The Horned Goat Garden was in a remote part of the city but it was not far from Lu Chunying's house. The Three Heroes Sect had indeed chosen a convenient place to gather.

Very well, Li Banfeng thought. Once they reach Lu Chunying's house, not one of those fifty men will leave alive. Wait... It takes less than two hours for them to move from the Horned Goat Garden to Lu Chunying's house. Someone should have already sent me a message if a fight broke out there? But I haven't heard anything.

He asked Chubby Qin, "Are you saying your Golden Seal gathered all those men but didn't lead them straight into the attack?"

Chubby Qin shook his head and said, "He couldn't possibly do that. He has already gathered his men. If he doesn't make a move now, is he waiting until word gets out that he's attacking?"

Li Banfeng said nothing. A moment later, cold sweat soaked through his clothes.

These men were not going to Lu Chunying's house. They were not after He Yuxiu, Lu Chunying, or Ma Wu.

Li Banfeng turned to Chubby Qin, "Go find your Second Boss now and ask him if he wants to be the Big Boss. If he does, he should take the position tonight."

Chubby Qin blinked. "Big Bro Qi, tonight?"

"Now."

Chubby Qin did not dare waste another second. He turned and hurried away.

Li Banfeng shouted, "Don't use the front door. Use the back door. Avoid anyone you meet! Whoever it is! Just ignore it and go straight to your Second Boss."

Chubby Qin then ran out from the back door.

Li Banfeng called Cao Zhida over, "How many people do we have at Freewind Wharf?"

Cao Zhida did a mental calculation and said, "There are no guests staying over tonight, so everyone here works for us.We have seventeen support hooks, three singers who live here, more than thirty backup dancers and dance partners, and around ten musicians. If we add up the bookkeeper, the chef, and the odd-job workers, there should be close to a hundred people."

"Tell them all to leave. All of them."

Cao Zhida glanced at the grandfather clock. "Leave? Now? It is already the middle of the night."

"Yes! Get them out at once!"

Li Banfeng planned to hide inside the Pocket Dwelling when everyone escaped.

Cao Zhida did not dare ask any more questions. He was about to gather the others when Li Banfeng stopped him again.

Li Banfeng had calculated the distance from the Horned Goat Garden to Freewind Wharf. It was then that he realized that it was too late. It was too late for these people to leave. By the time Cao Zhida gathered nearly a hundred people and led them outside, they would run straight into the Three Heroes Sect.

The Three Heroes Sect had quite the reputation, but it was ultimately a gang in the jianghu. Its men would kill everyone and destroy Freewind Wharf.

What would happen then? Li Banfeng thought. Would I simply hide inside the Pocket Dwelling while everyone outside was being butchered.

Li Banfeng muttered, "They are coming one way or another. What difference does it make where they come?"

Cao Zhida stared at him. "Who is coming?"

"They cannot leave."

"Not..not leave?"

"No," Li Banfeng said as he stood up. "Gather everyone in the main dance hall. Keep them inside, and do not let anyone wander off."

Cao Zhida hurried away.

Li Banfeng took out a circuit board, fitted it with a battery, connected the antenna, and attached the dial. Once the device was ready, he contacted Luo Zhengnan.

"Tell Ma Wu that the men from the Three Heroes Sect are almost at Freewind Wharf."

Luo Zhengnan's head buzzed at the news. "Master Qi, they are coming for you. You need to leave!"

"I am not leaving! I am staying here to hold them back. Tell Ma Wu to bring everyone here at once. Every one of our people. Tell Shen Rongqing and Zhang Xiuling that the Three Heroes Sect is getting a new Big Boss. Ask them to come and serve as witnesses. Have someone keep an eye on Chu Huaijun's house. The moment Chu Huaijun shows up, send me a message."

Cao Zhida came and reported, "Master Qi, everyone is now in the dance hall."

Li Banfeng nodded. He lifted his dagger and went to the dance hall.

Cao Zhida froze. "Master Qi, what are you going to do?"

"UNLEASH BLOOD!" Li Banfeng shouted. He held the dagger in his grip and scanned everyone in the dance hall.

Author's Note:

PS: Master Qi is going crazy and Jiang Mengting is so scared that she peed herself. He's really going to unleash blood.