Li Banfeng said he would help Qiu Luoye pass all three challenges tonight.
His wife hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "Beloved husband, that’s not going to work. He is probably not ready for the first and third challenges."
"Then let’s prepare together." Li Banfeng whispered into the left horn of the Phonograph, saying a lot in a hushed voice.
The Phonograph shivered for a mont, speaking softly, "Beloved husband, don’t speak so urgently. Little Servant’s ears are so ticklish."
Li Banfeng spoke slower, and the Phonograph felt even more ticklish, giggling non-stop.
"Husband, how did you co up with this thod?"
"Since I learned the Body Masonry Technique, I’ve been thinking about this for days. I just don’t know if it will work."
His wife pondered for a mont. "Logically, it makes sense. However, the Contract Book has been targeted by Inner State. If any variable is perceived, Inner State might resort to other thods. If you are risking your life to test this, Little Servant will absolutely not agree."
Li Banfeng also considered this point. "I can find soone, soone who isn’t afraid of Inner State’s thods."
"Little Servant doesn’t believe there’s anyone in the world who isn’t afraid of death. Where would you find such a person? If they’re not willing and were deceived by you, beloved husband, they might renege at a critical mont. You might regret it too late."
"This person absolutely won’t renege! I just fear he might not have a resonance with the Contract Book." Li Banfeng ntioned this person to his wife while pressing close to the horn.
His wife smiled upon hearing this. "It’s to your credit for thinking of this, husband. They’re all from the sa lineage, so there should be a resonance. However, it’s uncertain whether the nickna will work."
Li Banfeng was very confident. "It works better than Li Furong."
The Phonograph beca sowhat worried again. "If Qiu Luoye takes it too seriously, I fear it might lead to complications."
Li Banfeng assured, "Don’t worry. He doesn’t recognize it himself, but it definitely works!"
Wrapped in Steam, the Phonograph said to Li Banfeng, "Since you have such a clever plan, husband, let’s accomplish this task tonight together."
Li Banfeng patted the Phonograph’s rear cabinet door. "Why don’t we get it done right now?"
WHOOSH.
A puff of Steam pushed Li Banfeng away. "A big event is upon us, and you’re still not serious, husband. We must calculate the ti precisely. Little Servant has thought it through; the timing here is extrely tight. If any step is delayed, it could throw everything off."
Timing was indeed a critical issue. Li Banfeng called ng De over, clarifying every single step. He then turned ng De into a Pocket Watch and carried it on his person.
His wife instructed, "Once the Contract Book is excavated, let Qiu Luoye soak in hot water. His flesh will fall off quickly without him feeling pain, preventing the first challenge from dragging on too long."
Soaking in hot water, waiting for all his flesh to dissolve... This probably wouldn’t work. Seeing one’s own flesh falling off, how could anyone not be afraid?
His wife also instructed, "As soon as he’s separated from his flesh, his Soul won’t see anything. This is the best opportunity to act, so the faster the flesh falls, the better!"
He won’t see anything! Li Banfeng thought. That makes things much easier.
After leaving the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng asked Ma Wu to prepare a large basin for Qiu Luoye, one big enough to fit two of him.
The right basin was hard to find. Ma Wu, having no other recourse, rented an entire bathhouse, remarking, "This is the only suitable place."
Li Banfeng surveyed the bathhouse’s surroundings. "This place will do, it’s just a bit far from the mountain."
Ma Wu sighed. "Then I’ll keep looking."
"No need to look further; this is the place," Li Banfeng decided. Tricking Qiu Luoye into taking a bath here would be far better than making him soak in a wooden basin.
Li Banfeng looked around the bathhouse and scooped up so gray mud from the pool. This mud was scraped from people’s bodies.
Ma Wu quickly explained, "The bathhouse was just rented out. We haven’t changed the water yet; soone will co to clean soon."
Li Banfeng gazed at the gray mud and smiled. "This stuff is excellent! I was thinking of using Li, but this is much better."
Ma Wu glanced at the mud in Li Banfeng’s hand and asked tentatively, "Old Qi, you’re not joking, are you? You say this stuff is good?"
"Good! Exceptionally good! Brother, get a sack of it!"
"A whole sack?" Ma Wu was bewildered for a mont. "Where are we supposed to get that from?"
"From the bathhouses! If that’s not enough, call over our brothers. Those who haven’t bathed can scrape so together!"
Helplessly, Ma Wu summoned Chuanzi and had him and his n gather the mud.
What was he going to do with this stuff? Chuanzi wondered.
Chuanzi didn’t understand and didn’t dare to ask too much. He and his n ran through several bathhouses in town and only managed to scrape together half a sack.
For the remaining half sack, they resorted to what Li Qi had said: they gathered a group of n who hadn’t bathed and had them scrape it off on the spot.
Collecting enough gray mud wasn’t the end of it. Ma Wu then instructed Chuanzi to set up a checkpoint with his n between Qiu Luoye’s territory and Wuqin Village, prohibiting passage after eight o’clock that evening.
Li Banfeng went to the marketplace, buying up all the Spinning Tops, Slingshots, Bamboo Dragonflies, Glass Marbles, and Shuttlecocks, and had them all delivered to the Portable Residence.
Buying these playthings was to please the Portable Residence, enabling its art of peaceful living to take effect.
"Old Man, I’m about to undertake a significant task today, and I need good luck on my side," he said.
The Portable Residence harrumphed. "You think this will buy you luck? Where’s your sincerity?"
"The sincerity is there!"
Li Banfeng spent the afternoon playing with Spinning Tops with the Old Man, and the Portable Residence was very satisfied.
At night, Li Banfeng and Ma Wu took Qiu Luoye to the bathhouse.
Qiu Luoye was uncomfortable with the place. "The floor here is too slippery, even more so than the Stones in the river. When my cultivation level was at the Earth Skin realm, I disliked bathhouses. Bathing in the river is so much better!"
Li Banfeng laughed. "Big Brother, let’s start with a bath here and enjoy a good drink. Then we’ll get down to serious business. I’ve discussed with you before about excavating your Contract Book; we’ll start tonight. Big Brother, if you have any regrets, it’s still not too late."
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