The Overlord of Puluo

「Winter has arrived, and the snow stretches endlessly.

Darling, seeing you suffer leaves me brokenhearted.

Do you know how deeply and truly I love you?

I will add another room for you, my love~ 」

When the Gramophone finished singing the song, she blasted Hong Ying with steam until she turned bright red.

The Gramophone snapped, "You wretch, why didn't you sing with me?"

Hong Ying snapped back, "I served him all night, coming up here and then going down repeatedly. Now, I still have to sing for him too? What exactly do I owe him?"

"You wretch, you're serving the man of our household, yet you're complaining about suffering? Sing with me. Sing loudly! If you don't sing, it's a hundred strokes with the military rod. I'll beat you to death, you wretch!"

***

While the two women were quarreling, Li Banfeng fell into a deep sleep and slept for three full days.

After the third day, Li Banfeng woke up. He glanced at the illustrated calendar and asked Dream Virtue, "What time is it now?"

"Mister, it is now a quarter past midnight."

A quarter past midnight was the time when Freewind Wharf was the liveliest.

The key was still inside Freewind Wharf. In the past, Li Banfeng would have avoided showing himself at this hour, but things had changed. Li Banfeng was now a level-eight Homebound Cultivator. Even if he appeared out of thin air right in the middle of Freewind Wharf's grand dance hall, ordinary people would not notice him.

Nevertheless, to be safe, Li Banfeng did not emerge from the Pocket Dwelling in the dance hall. He recalled the backstage area of the grand dance hall. There was a large wardrobe there. If he were to emerge from that, it would further lower his chances of being noticed.

After stepping out of the Pocket Dwelling, Li Banfeng realized something had gone wrong. He had indeed emerged inside a wardrobe, but it was not the one backstage. It was the wardrobe in Jiang Mengting's dressing room.

And Jiang Mengting was currently changing clothes in that very room. She had just performed five songs in a row on stage and was drenched in sweat, so she had stripped bare, intending to change every piece of clothing she had worn.

Li Banfeng said nothing. He simply pulled the brim of his hat lower and prepared to walk straight through the wall.

However, Jiang Mengting suddenly cried out, "Master Qi!"

She actually saw me?

As far as Li Banfeng knew, Jiang Mengting was not a cultivator.

How did she manage to notice me?

In truth, Jiang Mengting had not noticed Li Banfeng at all. Lately, she had often been in a daze, and everyone she saw resembled Li Qi. Whenever she was alone, she often called out for "Master Qi".

Nevertheless, Li Banfeng did not know that. He believed he had been discovered, so he admitted openly that she was right.

Li Banfeng nodded. "It's me."

Hearing Li Qi's voice, Jiang Mengting shuddered. She fixed her eyes on him, looking him up and down for a long while.

"Master Qi, it really is you..."

Li Banfeng raised a finger to his lips, signaling Jiang Mengting to stay quiet. Jiang Mengting covered her mouth and nodded vigorously as tears streamed down her face.

Li Banfeng was quite surprised by her tears. He and Jiang Mengting were well acquainted, but he was her boss, and she was a singer working for him. Other than that, they had hardly interacted.

Where did these feelings come from?

Where had they come from? They had come from Jiang Mengting and Li Banfeng facing down death together.

Flowery, romantic words and vows of undying love did not count for much to Jiang Mengting. She had heard far too much of them. She had lost count of the men who had knelt before her and sworn to marry no one but her. However, when her life had been hanging by a thread, Master Qi had not abandoned her. She truly could not forget that bond.

Jiang Mengting wiped away her tears and wrapped her arms around Li Banfeng. "Master Qi, forgive me for overstepping. But please let me hold you for a little while."

Li Banfeng furrowed his brows lightly. "You can hug me for a while, but put your clothes on first."

While Jiang Mengting got dressed, Li Banfeng took the opportunity to leave the dressing room. He hurried toward the backstage exit.

The backstage exit was by the side door. Jiang Mengting stuck her head out of the dressing room and whispered, "Master Qi, please be careful. I don't know what's happening, but lately, once people leave through this side door, they never come back here."

Once they leave, they never come back here...? That's bad!

Li Banfeng quickly left the backstage area and headed to the dance hall, where patrons were dancing.

He first dug his house key out from between the floorboards, then he heard a resolute murmur. "Even though the curtain has fallen, art still stands its ground."

Li Banfeng had slept for three days, and the Film Projector had stood guard here for three days.

"Brother, this was my fault," Li Banfeng replied, putting the Film Projector into his pocket.

Meanwhile, Jiang Mengting had finished dressing. Wearing a white trench coat and a white hat with a veil, she stood at the backstage entrance and waved to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng took Jiang Mengting to a private room and asked, "Where's Ma Wu?"

"Master Wu has been looking for you everywhere. The He Family's eldest daughter has been looking for you too. The Border Controller and the Three Heroes Sect are all searching for you. The whole of Greenwater City is talking about you."

"What are they saying?"

"Some say you killed the Three Heroes Sect's leader. Others say their leader killed you. Zhang Xiuling said that you and Bao Yingchen, the Three Heroes Sect's leader, got along well and became sworn brothers. And that you both retired from the jianghu to avoid further conflict."

"What was she thinking..." Li Banfeng muttered in exasperation. He simply could not understand that talented woman's way of thinking. "What about the Three Heroes Sect? Hey, why are you spacing out? I'm talking to you."

Jiang Mengting had been staring at Li Banfeng in a daze. "Ah, the Three Heroes Sect. Right now, Second Boss Shen Jinzhong is currently the one handling sect affairs, but he's only acting as the leader. He can't actually become the Big Boss."

Li Banfeng frowned. "What about Third Boss Yang Xingbo?"

"He Yuxiu killed him. I heard he died horribly. To find you, He Yuxiu had him tortured for an entire day."

The Three Heroes Sect had only three Golden Seals. Two of them were gone, so why was Shen Jinzhong still unable to take over as the sect's leader? Li Banfeng could not figure it out.

Jiang Mengting, however, knew a little about the Three Heroes Sect's internal struggles. "Chu Huaijun recommended one of the sect's elders to replace the Third Boss."

"The Three Heroes Sect has elders?"

"They're really just very senior Silver Seals. When a Silver Seal is unable to advance to a Golden Seal, they become an elder. This particular elder is Dong Kaibin. His cultivation level and seniority in the sect are both very high. They say he joined the sect even earlier than the Second Boss."

The Chu Family was still making moves. By pushing Dong Kaibin forward, Chu Huaijun clearly intended to keep the Three Heroes Sect firmly under his control. If Bao Yingchen could be found, Chu Huaijun hoped he would continue leading the sect. If he could not, then Dong Kaibin and Second Boss Shen Jinzhong would be left to tear each other apart.

Bao Yingchen's head still existed. Li Banfeng had deliberately told Crimson Lotus not to consume it. The head was a bloody mess, but with some restoration, it could still be useful.

If I handed Bao Yingchen's head to Shen Jinzhong now, would it help him become the Big Boss? No, I absolutely cannot do that.

Not only would it fail to help him rise to power, but it would saddle him with the grave crime of murdering a Golden Seal. Shen Jinzhong would not only lose any chance of becoming the next Golden Seal; he would become the mortal enemy of the entire Three Heroes Sect.

What should I do now? Is Bao Yingchen's head completely useless?

Li Banfeng pondered for a long while before asking Jiang Mengting, "The story that Zhang Xiuling wrote about me and Bao Yingchen becoming sworn brothers—where did you read about it?"

"Xiuling's Night Talks. It's a magazine that Zhang Xiuling publishes. Master Qi, if you'd like to read it, I have every issue."

Jiang Mengting brought over several magazines, and Li Banfeng flipped through them. To his surprise, Zhang Xiuling had fabricated the story with remarkable detail. The bloody battle practically came alive on the page.

If the fabricated story spread far enough, Li Banfeng and Bao Yingchen might truly become a famous tale of rivals who became friends through battle.

Li Banfeng took the magazines with him and said to Jiang Mengting, "I have business to attend to. Don't tell anyone that I've returned."

Jiang Mengting blinked her large, sparkling eyes in surprise. "Not even Master Wu?"

"Not even him."

Jiang Mengting's heart was pounding. Master Qi has returned. He didn't even tell Master Wu, only me. He came all the way to the backstage and ran into my dressing room just to let me know he's safe? Am I overthinking this...?

While Jiang Mengting's thoughts continued to wander, Li Banfeng stood up, lowered the brim of his fedora, and left. Jiang Mengting watched him depart, and her cheeks burned hotter and hotter.

When she returned to her dressing room, the stage manager was so frantic that he was about to lose it. "Miss Jiang, it's your turn to go on."

"Which song is it again?"

"'Rose, Rose, I Love You.' Dozens of guests requested it together."

"Tell the band to move that song back. I'll sing 'Blossoms Under the Full Moon' next."

The stage manager froze. "Change it now?"

"Hurry up! Just go!"

Jiang Mengting changed into a qipao, picked up a round silk fan, and stepped onto the stage, surrounded by her backup dancers. Accompanied by the music, she began to sing "Blossoms Under the Full Moon."

「As the drifting clouds scatter,

The bright moonlight illuminates the path.

There is no day more perfect for this blissful reunion.

Mandarin ducks play in the shallow pond.

Emerald leaves and crimson petals part,

Twin lotus flowers blooming under the full moon.~ 」

The audience below stared at Jiang Mengting in astonishment.

Why was she so sweet today? Her smile was sweet, and her singing was even sweeter.

***

Li Banfeng went to Eastmeadow Teahouse and found Chubby Qin in a private room.

The moment Chubby Qin saw Li Banfeng, he dropped to his knees in anguish. "Big Bro Qi, you're alive. I knew you were alive. I failed you, Big Bro Qi. There was a mole among my men, someone planted by the Big Boss. If anything had happened to you, I wouldn't have wanted to go on living."

Li Banfeng pulled Chubby Qin to his feet. "I'll say this one last time. Do not kneel to anyone ever. Go arrange a meeting with your Second Boss. I have something to discuss with him. Remember, the location must be an absolute secret."

***

Li Banfeng entered one of his secondary residences. No one maintained it, and it usually stood vacant and unused.

After hiding his house key, Li Banfeng entered the Pocket Dwelling. Blood-Drinking Pendulum was still fixing up Bao Yingchen's head.

Li Banfeng gently patted her cheek. "You don't need to fix it anymore."

Blood-Drinking Pendulum flushed red. "Master, are you unhappy because I'm working too slowly?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's not that you're too slow. The situation has changed."

He took a seed from his pouch, drew a bit of Bao Yingchen's blood, and sprinkled it over the seed. He then buried the seed in the courtyard and added two drops of medicine.

A short time later, a Chinese cabbage sprouted from the ground. The cabbage split open, and a cabbage man crawled out, dressed in a pale green top and trousers. He stared at Li Banfeng with a vacant expression.

Li Banfeng ate two cabbage leaves. Beneath their sweet crispness was a distinctive acerbic taste. It made him break out in sweat, and from the inside out, he began giving off the unique scent of cabbage.

"Come," Li Banfeng ordered.

The cabbage version of Bao Yingchen followed Li Banfeng into the Pocket Dwelling.

Could this cabbage man take the place of the real Bao Yingchen? Obviously not. Anyone who had seen him before would notice the flaws, let alone someone who actually knew him well.

Li Banfeng turned on the Film Projector and played the scenes of his battle with Bao Yingchen. Bao Yingchen's clothing and appearance were displayed in full detail.

Using the projected image as the reference, the Gramophone got to work helping Blood-Drinking Pendulum dress the cabbage man up as Bao Yingchen. During the process, she stared at the glowing boundary line surrounding Li Banfeng and Bao Yingchen in the image, feeling that its shape was rather difficult to understand.

The Gramophone said, "Husband dear, level-eight abilities are refined together with one's home. Our home is rather special, so I can't really explain the essentials of cultivating it. You'll have to seek more guidance from the old man in the future."

Li Banfeng nodded, wrapped his arms around the Gramophone from behind, and held her close for quite a while.

The Gramophone let out an annoyed snort. "You smell of face powder. I wonder which shameless hussy left that on you. I've got so many sisters at home, serving you together. Husband dear, are you still unsatisfied?"

The scent of face powder had, of course, been left by Jiang Mengting.

Hong Ying snorted coldly. "You don't even have a front gate or a back door. What exactly are you using to serve him? All you can do is run your mouth!"

The Gramophone looked at the seeds in the pouch and chuckled. "You wretch, don't get so smug. I'll have a front gate and a back door soon enough[1]. Every sister here will have them!"

Li Banfeng paid no attention to the matter of front gates and back doors. What concerned him now was Bao Yingchen.

"Can you make him speak?" Li Banfeng asked.

The Gramophone possessed Sound abilities, so it was easy for her to make the cabbage man speak. The problem was that she had not heard Bao Yingchen speak before he died. By the time Li Banfeng dumped Bao Yingchen into the Pocket Dwelling, he had already been unable to speak.

"Heyaaa, husband dear~ The Film Projector needs some improvements. In the future, it has to be able to record sound."

"We'll worry about that later. Let's deal with the immediate problem first. Wifey, have him say something."

The Gramophone pricked the cabbage man with her stylus.

Then the cabbage Bao Yingchen said, "Brother Li Qi, I'll do whatever you say."

It was an old man's voice, but it did not sound like Bao Yingchen.

Li Banfeng instructed, "Make the voice a little clearer and more resonant. That old fellow had plenty of vigor."

The Gramophone adjusted the amount of steam. Li Banfeng listened to the cabbage Bao Yingchen speak again, but he still felt it was not quite right.

The Film Projector had not recorded sound during the battle, but he was highly sensitive to voices.

"The lower register needs a touch of raspiness. The higher register needs more breathiness. The speaking pace should also be just a little slower—"

The Gramophone tapped the Film Projector with her stylus. "Don't use that foreign devil accent when you're speaking to me!"

The Film Projector's accent might be odd, but his analysis of the voice was not wrong. Following his instruction and making gradual adjustments, Bao Yingchen's voice and manner of speech were slowly recreated.

Could this Bao Yingchen be used now? No, this cabbage man still lacked spirit essence.

Li Banfeng sprinkled a drop of his blood onto the cabbage man and used Golden House of Hidden Beauty. This time, the cabbage man gained spirit essence.

"Heyaaa, husband dear~ This thing can probably fool people at a glance, but if you really want to deceive everyone in the Three Heroes Sect, I'm afraid it won't work."

Li Banfeng handed a magazine to the Gramophone. "We don't need to fool everyone. We only need the obedient ones to silence those who aren't."

After reading the article in the magazine, the Gramophone thought for a moment and said, "This is something I'm familiar with. Let's write the script first, then find the obedient ones and have them rehearse their lines properly."

1. I was a tiny bit liberal here to get the meaning across. I assume you can all figure it out? ☜