Chapter 413: Yuan Shoul
Inside the Pocket Dwelling, Li Banfeng inspected his enchanted artifacts and weapons one by one.
The Gramophone asked, "Husband dear, who are you planning to deal with this time?"
"Wifey, Yuan Shoulü blocked my path, so I'm planning to kill him."
"Yuan Shoulü?" Hong Ying was startled. "Where is he?"
The Gramophone blasted out a puff of steam that made Hong Ying shudder. "You wretch, my man called for his wife. Why are you answering?"
Hong Ying did not dare make a sound.
The Gramophone turned her horn toward Li Banfeng, and her voice immediately became gentle. "My darling husband, how do you know that man was Yuan Shoulü?"
Li Banfeng said, "That man was a Beggar Cultivator, and his cultivation level was at the Cloudborne Layer."
"You fought him?"
Li Banfeng roughly recounted the fight. "His abilities were very unusual, and he was very experienced. I almost suffered a huge loss."
Hong Ying said, "Husband dear, if it really is Yuan Shoulü, you must avoid him in the future. With your current cultivation level, you're still no match for him."
The Gramophone snapped, "Bitch, who gave you permission to call him 'Husband dear'?"
Then she turned back to Li Banfeng with a gentle voice. "My darling husband, after Yuan Shoulü left the military, he switched to the Beggar path. He was originally a Martial Cultivator, and his combat skills were excellent. Are you absolutely sure you didn't mistake him for someone else?"
"I'm sure. His combat skills were indeed excellent. I didn't have much of an advantage even in close combat."
"A Beggar Cultivator?" Hong Ying was stunned silent for a moment. "He really became a beggar?"
The Gramophone sneered. "Blind old woman, you once told me that Yuan Shoulü said he'd rather beg than fight in a war. He really got his wish."
Hong Ying turned to Li Banfeng. "Darling Qi, if it really is him, you truly need to steer clear of him."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I can't. He's blocking the only road that leads to Properfolk Village."
Hong Ying replied, "Then just travel back and forth through our house. The train station has already been built anyway."
Li Banfeng looked at Hong Ying in surprise.
When they built the train station, Hong Ying had carried soil alongside Muskmelon Hong Ying and worked extremely hard. Muskmelon Hong Ying had been worked to the point of exhaustion. After repeated failed attempts to restore Muskmelon Hong Ying to a better condition, Hong Ying had ended up eating her.
For some reason, Hong Ying's sense of belonging toward this home had grown stronger. She was now even actively helping Li Banfeng come up with ideas, something that had been very rare before.
Something must have happened between her and Wifey.
Li Banfeng looked at the Gramophone, then at Hong Ying, and reached a rough conclusion.
While I was away, those two definitely got intimate!
Using the train station to travel was fine for one person, but bringing someone else along was troublesome. Moreover, the Pocket Dwelling could only remain in one place for an hour. Li Banfeng could not do much within that time.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I can't let Yuan Shoulü block this road. I need to find a way to send him on his way."
Hong Ying said, "Darling Qi, it's too much for you to handle alone. I'll go with you. Yuan Shoulü is still afraid of me."
The Pocket Dwelling refused adamantly, "No!"
Hong Ying pointed at the Gramophone. "Why can that wicked woman go out, but you won't let me go out?"
The Pocket Dwelling declared, "From now on, neither of you are going out. This is not up for discussion."
Huff~
The Gramophone sang, "Husband dear, don't be anxious. Beggar Cultivators are difficult to deal with, but it's not impossible to defeat them. As long as you choose the right opportunity and lure him into our house, you still have a chance of winning."
Li Banfeng nodded. "I'm not anxious. I really do need to find the right opportunity. What do you think about tonight?"
"Husband dear, you've got such a bad temper," the Gramophone reprimanded with a soft sigh. "You should first learn about the Beggar abilities. This Daoist path is rather disgusting. I don't know that much about it, so I can only give you a basic overview.
"From the moment someone enters the Beggar path, they learn the ability Begging for Mercy and Pleading for Pity. From level one to level three, this is the only ability they have, which shows just how difficult this path is.
"Through pleading, a Beggar Cultivator can stir pity in their target's heart and obtain alms. Once they receive alms, they can seize part of their enemy's combat power. The higher the Beggar Cultivator's cultivation level, the more valuable the alms they receive, and the more combat power they can take away.
"Husband dear, the opponent you encountered is at the Cloudborne Layer, so his cultivation level definitely gives him an advantage. But as long as he doesn't take anything that's very valuable from you as alms, he can't take away a lot of your combat power.
"At levels four and five, Beggar Cultivators has the ability Playing the Chi to Beg for Food. The result is similar to Begging for Mercy and Pleading for Pity. It also takes away some of the opponent's combat power.
"Begging for Mercy and Pleading for Pity asks for alms through pleading, while Playing the Chi to Beg for Food forces the listener to give alms. You heard that beggar's song as well. If you're up against a level-four Beggar Cultivator and listen to them sing an entire song, you'll involuntarily give alms. The better the beggar plays, the more alms you'll give, and the more combat power you'll lose.
"At level five, this ability changes. You no longer need to hear an entire song. Just hearing a short segment of it is enough for the ability to take effect. How long that segment must be depends on the difference in cultivation levels."
Li Banfeng frowned. "That's incredibly troublesome. One day I could see someone playing music by the roadside and end up getting caught by a Beggar Cultivator."
"Husband dear, what you say is true. Beggar Cultivators are extremely difficult to guard against. Some of them don't even play music. They sing ballads or clap bamboo boards, and they can still obtain alms.
"At level six, they can learn the ability of Seizing Alms by Force. Instead of forcing you to give them alms, they will just seize them from you. The more alms they seize, the more combat power you lose.
"At level seven, they learn the ability of Thick-Skinned and Shameless. From what you described earlier, this is the ability you encountered during your fight. Among defensive abilities, Thick-Skinned and Shameless is considered top-tier. It provides solid defense and consumes little energy, but it is slow to activate."
Li Banfeng recalled the fight and shook his head. "He managed to activate it before I activated Passing Flowers on Horseback. I wouldn't call that slow."
"Heyaaa~ Husband dear, you can already use Passing Flowers on Horseback!"
Li Banfeng remained calm. "I borrowed it from Hong Ying."
Hong Ying stood beside Li Banfeng and linked her arm through his. "That's right. Darling Qi borrowed it from me."
Smack!
The Gramophone swung a wooden board and struck Hong Ying hard across her backside. Then she continued, "The reason that Beggar Cultivator could defend himself against Passing Flowers on Horseback is that he's a veteran and had prepared in advance. Otherwise, he shouldn't have been able to act before you did.
"At level eight, Beggar Cultivators can learn the ability Thousand-Jin Bowl. This ability—"
Hong Ying interjected, "There's no need to worry about that ability. It just traps someone under the beggar's bowl. A Beggar Cultivator only has one bowl, and until he retrieves it, he can't use the ability again. We Wanderlust Cultivators have no reason to fear it. One use of Path of Unhindered Steps, and we're out."
Smack! Smack!
The Gramophone swung the wooden board and gave Hong Ying's backside a brutal beating. "What Wanderlust Cultivator? Who's a Wanderlust Cultivator with you? All Wanderlust Cultivators deserve to be killed!"
Hong Ying rubbed her backside and said aggrievedly, "I meant Darling Qi could borrow Path of Unhindered Steps from me..."
The Gramophone turned back to Li Banfeng. "Oh, husband dear, don't listen to this wretch's nonsense. Thousand-Jin Bowl can be countered by a Wanderlust Cultivator ability, but there may be variations, so it's still best to be cautious.
"At level nine, Beggar Cultivators learn the ability Making Insatiable Demands. This is the deadliest Beggar ability at the Terranean Layer, and you must guard against it with all your might. Whether it's Begging for Mercy and Pleading for Pity, Playing the Chi to Beg for Food, or Seizing Alms by Force, if you are affected by any of those abilities and give away alms, it can trigger Making Insatiable Demands. Unlike the previous abilities, Making Insatiable Demands doesn't take combat power. If the difference in cultivation level is large enough, he can demand almost anything.
"Once a Beggar Cultivator reaches the first level of Cloudborne Layer, they gain the ability Escalating Demands. This one is even more deadly. Making Insatiable Demands only demands one item, but Escalating Demands builds on top of it and keeps demanding things from the target. If Making Insatiable Demands takes the target's left eye, Escalating Demands can then demand the right eye. Once the right eye is obtained, it counts as alms, allowing Making Insatiable Demands to be used again to take the target's left hand. Then Escalating Demands can follow again and take the right hand as well."
Li Banfeng was stunned. Is this even an ability? Isn't it an infinite loop? How can there be such an unreasonable ability?
"So as long as it hits once, there's no chance to fight back?"
"Husband dear, there are plenty of opportunities to fight back. Beggar abilities are vicious, but they have many restrictions. First, there must be alms. Without obtaining alms, they can't use any abilities except Thick-Skinned and Shameless and Thousand-Jin Bowl.
"Second, the Beggar Cultivator has to catch the alms. There is a saying that a beggar's food must never touch the ground. No matter how the alms are obtained, the Beggar Cultivator must catch them before they hit the ground. If they do hit the ground, they must be picked up immediately, or they will become ineffective in the blink of an eye.
"Third, the abilities are linked together. To use Escalating Demands, they must first use Making Insatiable Demands. To use Making Insatiable Demands, they must first use Begging for Mercy and Pleading for Pity, Playing the Chi to Beg for Food, or Seizing Alms by Force. Making Insatiable Demands, in particular, depends on precise timing. The ability must be activated before the alms are obtained, but it only takes effect after the alms are received. That timing is very difficult to master."
Li Banfeng recalled his fight with the Beggar Cultivator.
He had handed the Beggar Cultivator a piece of dry rations, and before it landed in the bowl, the beggar had shouted, "Since you've already given it."
That had been Making Insatiable Demands. It had to be activated before the alms were received.
"Wifey, is that phrase 'Since you've already given it' required?"
The Gramophone said, "Yes, husband dear. That is the key to Making Insatiable Demands. As soon as he shouts that phrase, you must be on high alert and prevent him from obtaining the alms. If he can't use Making Insatiable Demands, then he can't use Escalating Demands either. Occasionally losing a little combat power isn't such a serious matter. Besides that, Beggar Cultivators spend their lives avoiding beatings, being cursed at, and dogs trying to tear them apart. By the nature of their path, they're all quite fast on their feet, so you must be careful."
Li Banfeng nodded. He had indeed experienced that firsthand. The beggar had not been able to catch him, but the beggar had managed to be hot on his heels for a short while.
The Gramophone continued, "Husband dear, it is not enough to merely know your opponent's abilities. He is, after all, a cultivator at the Cloudborne Layer. He will be extremely difficult to defeat. You must carefully consider your tactics as well."
Li Banfeng thought for a long time. "I've come up with a tactical plan. I'll have to trouble you to give me some guidance, Wifey."
Hong Ying smiled. "We're all family. Why be so polite?"
Smack! Smack!
The Gramophone delivered a flurry of blows that made Hong Ying's backside tremble.
She reprimanded Hong Ying, "My husband was talking to me. If you answer carelessly again, I'll tear your mouth apart."
Then Li Banfeng explained his plan.
The Gramophone pondered for a long time and praised, "This strategy is excellent, truly excellent. Husband dear, how did you think of it?"
Hong Ying praised him as well, "Our husband really is clever!"
The Gramophone was an expert at warfare. She refined Li Banfeng's strategy, and with Hong Ying offering suggestions too, they revised it repeatedly. After three hours, the plan was finally complete.
The night had grown deep. Li Banfeng ate a little, gathered the enchanted artifacts he would need, and prepared to depart. He had to bring the Liquor Gourd. She had experience fighting Beggar Cultivators. More importantly, he had to bring the Tang Saber. He had even greater experience with Beggar Cultivators than the Liquor Gourd.
Hong Ying murmured, "Darling Qi, don't leave yet. I think I forgot something."
The Gramophone sneered. "You forgot the beating you're due. Once he leaves, I'll teach you a proper lesson!"
Hong Ying waved her hand. "Wicked woman, stop interrupting me. It's right on the tip of my tongue. I'm about to remember it."
Li Banfeng did not want to wait any longer. "A tactical plan is bound to have some holes. Don't worry about it."
"It's not a minor hole. It's something important," Hong Ying replied. She thought hard for a long time and shouted, "Husband dear, wait. I remember now!"
Smack!
"Who gave you permission to call him that? You clearly haven't been beaten enough!"
The blow was sharp and vicious. Hong Ying clutched her backside and rubbed it for a long while as she said to Li Banfeng, "Darling Qi, Yuan Shoulü is exceptionally skilled with a saber. You must be extremely careful."
Li Banfeng was startled and sifted through his memories of the fight he had with the beggar. "I never saw him use a saber."
Hong Ying warned, "Then you need to be even more careful. Because that means he's still hiding a killing move. If you don't believe me, ask Xiaowan. Yuan Shoulü's ability with a saber is genuinely formidable!"
Pop... crackle... pop...
The Gramophone let out a puff of steam and said, "Is that true? I don't remember."
"How can you not remember?!" Hong Ying said anxiously. "Wasn't there a saying in the military specifically about Yuan Shoulü? How did it go? 'Three slashes at the battlefront. With every slash, a head is taken!' Yuan Shoulü's first three strikes are especially powerful. Darling Qi, you must be extremely careful."
The Pocket Dwelling fell silent. Every enchanted artifact except the Judge's Brush turned to look at the Tang Saber. The Tang Saber stood in the corner without saying a word.
Li Banfeng hung the Tang Saber at his waist and left the Pocket Dwelling.
Hong Ying asked in surprise, "Xiaowan, what's wrong with Darling Qi?"
The Gramophone said slowly, "It's nothing. As long as he has the Tang Saber with him, he'll be fine."