"I, I," Sui Donglan stamred, eventually responding, "I was willing, Peddler Sir. I realize my mistake. I won’t dare do it again!"
Li Banfeng sighed. "Alright, I’m a generous man. Go back to Iron Gate Fort and return all the money you scamd, to each and every household. After you’re done, kowtow three tis to them. Then I’ll give you the antidote. Go now."
Sui Donglan fell to the ground with a thud. "Peddler Sir, I’ll do it right away! Please, just dull the pain for a mont. I really can’t bear it."
The severe pain made her convulse. Li Banfeng took out his Wine Gourd, poured a cup of wine, and gave it to Sui Donglan.
Sui Donglan took the cup and drank it all in one gulp. Before long, the pain eased.
"Thank you, Peddler Sir!" Sui Donglan kowtowed twice and got up to leave.
Was she really going to return the money?
She wasn’t going to return it.
Having been swindled out of three hundred thousand by the "Peddler," her heart was still bleeding; how could she bear to part with more money?
Seeing her about to leave, Li Banfeng tossed her a mirror. "Don’t rush. Take a look at your face first."
Sui Donglan looked in the mirror. The character for "deceive" was written on the left half of her face, and "cultivator" on the right.
Sui Donglan frantically rubbed her face, but the two characters wouldn’t co off.
"Peddler Sir..."
Li Banfeng’s smile vanished. "You wanted to be a Deceive cultivator, didn’t you? I’ve made your wish co true. These two characters will never wash off for the rest of your life. No matter where you go, others will know you as a Deceive cultivator."
"Peddler Sir, please forgive this once! I truly know I was wrong!" Sui Donglan ran back to Li Banfeng and continued to kowtow.
Li Banfeng frowned. "Why are you kowtowing to ? Go to Iron Gate Fort."
"Sir, with my face like this, how can I show myself to anyone!"
"If you don’t want to show yourself, then just wait for death. By this ti tomorrow, once the alcohol wears off, the pain will return, and you’ll die in agony. Even in death, your face will still bear those two words."
Having said that, Li Banfeng pushed his cart and shook his rattle, preparing to leave. Sui Donglan clung to his pant leg, crying, "Sir, I’ll go return the money now! But... but I gave all my money to you. I have nothing left..."
Li Banfeng turned back with a smile. "All of it to ? Didn’t you keep a little for yourself?"
"I... I kept a little..." Sui Donglan didn’t dare to lie.
"Bring it all out!"
Sui Donglan went back to her dwelling and took out the remaining sum, over two hundred thousand.
Li Banfeng said, "First, return the money you have on hand. The other three hundred thousand must also be returned, but that’s a debt you owe . You’ll pay it back with yourself."
Sui Donglan blushed. "Then... can you give so sort of status?"
"Yes, there’s status for you. From now on, you’ll be a cart puller!"
A cart puller?
What kind of status was that?
Li Banfeng handed his goods cart to Sui Donglan. He then headed toward Iron Gate Fort, shaking his rattle.
Sui Donglan pulled the cart, following behind. As they walked, Li Banfeng asked her about Iron Gate Fort.
"How many Ho Cultivators are there in Iron Gate Fort?"
Sui Donglan replied, "There are two to three hundred households. Iron Gate Fort is very large, stretching for several miles from the entrance inward."
"Is there another exit at the end of the mountain stream?"
"No, Iron Gate Fort is a dead end, with only one gate for entry and exit."
"Did these Ho Cultivators undergo Entering the Path within Iron Gate Fort?"
Sui Donglan shook her head. "I haven’t been here long, but I’ve never seen anyone Entering the Path here. The few Ho Cultivators I know all moved from outside."
Li Banfeng looked back at Sui Donglan, doubting her honesty. "How could Ho Cultivators just move so casually? Abandoning their houses and House Spirits?"
"I wouldn’t know about that. I’m just a White Lamb; I don’t understand much about cultivation level matters. I only heard an uncle say that he carried his House Spirit over."
Moving with a House Spirit?
The key for Ho Cultivators is the balance between the house, the House Spirit, and the Cultivator. A House Spirit that leaves its ho turns into an Evil Spirit. What risks must this uncle have taken to move with his House Spirit?
"Why did he move to Iron Gate Fort?"
"He said Iron Gate Fort is a good place and the Fortress Lord is a good person."
"Is the Fortress Lord also a Ho Cultivator?"
"I’ve heard he’s an Eighth Layer Ho Cultivator, but I’ve never seen him. That uncle I ntioned only saw him once, when bandits from Flying Eagle Mountain broke into the fortress. The Fortress Lord personally took action and drove them away."
So, Ho Cultivators ca to Iron Gate Fort seeking sanctuary.
The Fortress Lord is an Eighth Layer expert. It seems I can really learn a lot this ti.
But how can I get close to the Fortress Lord?
"I have a friend who wants to settle down in Iron Gate Fort. Does he need the Fortress Lord’s approval?"
Sui Donglan nodded. "First, you need the Fortress Lord’s approval. Then, you buy a piece of land from him, build a house according to his rules, and sign a Contract Book. Only after paying monthly rent can you settle in Iron Gate Fort."
"I bought the house, so why do I still have to pay rent?"
"That’s the rule of Iron Gate Fort. Not just them; everyone who does business in Iron Gate Fort has to pay rent to the Fortress Lord."
As they spoke, they arrived at Iron Gate Fort. Sui Donglan, with tears in her eyes, said, "Sir, please give another dose of the dicine to remove the writing from my face first."
Li Banfeng smiled kindly. "That won’t do. Repay the money first."
Sui Donglan sobbed twice, found a headscarf, covered her face, and began going door-to-door to repay the money.
The words "Deceive cultivator" were written very large. The headscarf ultimately couldn’t cover them. The Ho Cultivators who had been cheated out of money had various reactions when they saw Sui Donglan at their door, apologizing, repaying the money, and even kowtowing.
So chose to forgive her.
So not only forgave her but even sympathized with her.
So were very angry but didn’t pursue the matter after receiving their money. The young man who had pointed the way for Li Banfeng was one of them.
He was very annoyed with Sui Donglan but very grateful to Li Banfeng. He voluntarily told Li Banfeng his na and cultivation level.
"My na is Wu Yongchao. I’m a Fourth Layer Ho Cultivator." He was the type of person who would pour his heart out to anyone who was good to him.
Li Banfeng, also a straightforward person, responded, "I’m a Peddler."
Wu Yongchao stared at Li Banfeng for a mont, then shook his head. "I’ve seen Peddlers before, but you seem..."
Ho Cultivators take their lifestyle very seriously and generally don’t forget people’s faces. He rembered that Peddlers didn’t look like this.
Li Banfeng explained, "The Peddler you saw is my junior brother."
"You’re from the sa Master’s Sect? Then your cultivation level is like his..." In Wu Yongchao’s impression, the Peddler had a very high cultivation level.
Li Banfeng answered evasively, "I’m a little different from him."
Watching Sui Donglan apologize from house to house, Wu Yongchao strongly agreed with Li Banfeng’s statent. "If it were that other Peddler, he wouldn’t bother with this kind of thing. You’re a better person than him."
Li Banfeng sighed. "Anyway, we’re different..."
Sui Donglan apologized to everyone she could and repaid what money she could. So money she simply couldn’t repay.
So of it had already been spent.
"I do business here and also have to pay rent to the Fortress Lord," she explained. "I had no choice but to charge the Ho Cultivators a bit more."
Li Banfeng frowned. "Even swindlers pay rent?"
"Yes! And more! The Fortress Lord said soone like shouldn’t even be allowed inside the fortress and must pay double."
Knowing she was a swindler, why did they still let her in?
Li Banfeng silently furrowed his brow.
"Peddler Sir, I’ve repaid all the money. Now please give the antidote."
"No rush. I have other things to ask you. Do you know where the Fortress Lord lives?"
Sui Donglan shook her head. "I’ve never seen the Fortress Lord. I’ve only seen his two subordinates..."
Before she could finish, a loud siren blared.
WEE-OO! WEE-OO!
Wu Yongchao was startled. "Oh no, the main iron gate is closing!"
Sui Donglan exclaid, "Peddler Sir, quickly, let’s go! If we don’t leave now, we won’t be able to get out!"
PS: Why did they suddenly close the gate?
Because the bandits are coming!
What kinds of techniques do Eighth Layer Ho Cultivators have? I’m really looking forward to it!
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