Chapter 414: Rest Assured, My Lord

Li Banfeng carried the Tang Saber as he walked through the night.

"My lord, this humble general..." the Tang Saber began, hesitating for a long while. He did not know what to say.

"When did it start?" Li Banfeng asked as he walked. "When did you start referring to yourself as 'this humble general'? If I remember correctly, it was after we left Iron Gate Fort."

"My lord, you remember correctly. There were some things I never told you. It wasn't because I intended to hide them from you but because they were too shameful to mention."

"What was so shameful about them?"

The Tang Saber said very quietly, "General Hong and the Chief Commander once said that among the three vanguard commanders, only one fled. That one... was me."

"I didn't know you back then. After you started following me, you've never fled."

"I did..."

"At least you struck three times before you fled. At least when we fought Qiu Luoye to the death, you didn't flee."

"The Chief Commander's life had been hanging by a thread. My lord, you were fighting with your life on the line. If I had fled again, I..." The Tang Saber sighed. "Let's not talk about that anymore. I hid this from you, my lord. I can't deny that. Allow me to fight this battle for you, and afterward, you may deal with me however you wish."

Li Banfeng was silent for a moment. Then he said, "My wife said from the beginning that you weren't an ordinary enchanted artifact. Did she know your true identity all along?"

"I would never dare to guess the Chief Commander's thoughts. When I first met the Chief Commander, I truly didn't know who she was."

"At home, you've never said 'With every slash, a head is taken' except that one time, when we were about to fight Qiu Luoye to the death. Did you think my wife couldn't hear you?"

The Tang Saber said quietly, "Even by then, I still didn't dare acknowledge that she was the Chief Commander. She's different from how she had been back then."

"When the Glove tried to take advantage of Muskmelon Hong Ying, you almost cut him down. You really were protecting General Hong."

"General Hong should be entrusted to someone like you, my lord. She must not be defiled by petty thieves!"

The Glove did not like that. "What do you mean by 'petty thieves'? Besides, that was just a muskmelon, not the real Miss Hong."

"Don't interrupt," Li Banfeng told the Glove. He turned back to the Tang Saber. "Every time Hong Ying argued with my wife, you urged them not to give way to each other, insisting that they argue until there was a clear winner. I thought you were deliberately stirring up trouble between them, but in fact you were trying to uncover the truth about what happened back then, weren't you?"

The Tang Saber let out an awkward laugh. "Nothing can be hidden from you, my lord."

"You call that not hiding? You hid it incredibly well."

The Tang Saber stammered, "I... have wronged you, my lord. After this battle, grant me a Corrosion Pill, and I will end myself."

"Don't talk nonsense. This isn't a big deal." Li Banfeng smiled. "If we were to switch places—if I became the saber and you became the madman, there are things I would hide from you too. Besides, there are many things I never even asked you about. But there's one thing you must tell me honestly."

"My lord, I've become what I am today, so I've forgotten many things. But anything I can still remember, I'm willing to tell you."

Li Banfeng asked very seriously, "Between Shoulü[1] and Second Saber, which name do you actually prefer?"

The Tang Saber thought about it very seriously. "To be honest, I don't like either of them. But if you combine the two names, it's not bad."

Combine them...

Li Banfeng got it. "Then from now on, I'll call you Second Donkey!"

The Glove wiggled his fingers, indicating that he thought the name was excellent.

The Tang Saber pondered for a moment and said, "When I was in the army, I was thin and skilled with the saber. My lord, what do you think of the name Lean Saber?"

The Sickle thought it was a bad name. "Whether a household prospers depends on whether their big blade is fat. Why would you call yourself Lean Saber?"

The Tang Saber retorted, "You're the big blade of our household. As long as you're fat, that's enough."

Li Banfeng quickened his pace. "Lean Saber, can you still use Beggar abilities?"

"I can't. After the Greenwater Beggar defeated me, I lost all of my Beggar Cultivation power. I'm left with just this little bit of my Martial Cultivation power."

"When we encountered that beggar, you were the first to attack. Did you recognize him?"

"I didn't. He's probably a junior Beggar Cultivator. Judging by his methods, he shouldn't be above the first level of the Cloudborne Layer. I'm very familiar with his abilities."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Good. We'll kill this beggar tonight, and another day, we'll go find the Greenwater Beggar and avenge you."

Avenge me?

That was something the Tang Saber had never dared to imagine.

His blade trembled slightly. "My lord, do you still trust me?"

"When have I ever not trusted you?"

"If my lord trusts me, can we make a few adjustments to tonight's tactics?"

"What kind of adjustments?"

"The grand strategy of a major campaign is the Chief Commander's domain, and I can't speak to that. But when it comes to a single battle, I still know what I'm doing. My lord, that beggar doesn't know that you are running two businesses, and he has never seen such bizarre Agrarian abilities. According to your plan, he will definitely suffer at the start. However, the problem is that Beggar Cultivators are all narrow-minded. Once they start to lose, they will retaliate desperately. That is the nature of the Beggar path. My lord, if you are willing to take one gamble, this battle is almost certain to be won!"

"I'm willing to gamble. Are you willing to gamble with me?"

The Tang Saber straightened his blade. "Rest assured, my lord. With every slash, a head is taken!"

***

The beggar sat by the roadside, occasionally glancing at the two sides of the road.

It was already late at night, and the road had long since emptied of pedestrians, but he did not dare relax in the slightest. The sores on his face itched unbearably, as if reminding him that the Greenwater Beggar could take his life at any moment.

Then he heard a burst of footsteps, moving at an incredibly fast pace.

Could it be Li Qi? Probably not. He just suffered a loss, so he can't have returned so quickly to find me. Unless... he brought help?

The beggar grew tense. Li Qi alone was a strong opponent, and his helper would surely be no weakling either. If it was a losing battle, then he could not fight with everything he had. But if he did not, then the Greenwater Beggar would never spare him.

After hesitating for a moment, the beggar took out a bamboo flute and began playing a song.

For a Beggar Cultivator, taking the first move was more important than anything else in a battle. Li Qi had already fought him before, so the beggar knew there was no way Begging for Mercy and Pleading for Pity would work again. Playing the Chi to Beg for Food had become his key move.

With his high cultivation level, two phrases of a song would be enough for Li Qi to fall under the influence of his ability. The only problem was that this bamboo flute was newly made, and its quality was not as high as that of his old bamboo flute.

As the music began, a figure in white flashed past him and reached for the beggar's bamboo flute.

What a mighty presence! And such incredible speed. Li Qi's helper was truly extraordinary!

As the man in white closed in, the beggar immediately put the flute away, causing the man in white to stumble. This was a tactic the beggar had used countless times before.

"Since you've already given it, give a little more!" the beggar said, casually tearing a piece of cloth from the man in white's clothing.

Seizing Alms by Force had succeeded. Making Insatiable Demands had succeeded as well.

This was what made Beggar Cultivators so disgusting. If he used Playing the Chi to Beg for Food, his ability would activate successfully as long as his target heard the song. However, trying to stop him from playing it would still allow him to seize alms from you.

The man in white turned and ran into the distance, and the beggar immediately chased after him.

The beggar yelled, "Since you've already given it, give me an Achilles tendon too!"

Why did the beggar not simply take the man in white's life? This was due to his battlefield experience.

The amount of alms that Making Insatiable Demands could obtain depended on the difference in cultivation level between the two parties. The greater the difference, the more the Beggar Cultivator could demand. If the difference was small and he asked for too much, the ability would fail. This beggar was at the Cloudborne Layer, but he didn't know the cultivation level of the man in white before him. If he demanded too much, he might end up getting nothing at all.

Making Insatiable Demands had already succeeded. As long as it was used properly from here on, he could enter the Escalating Demands loop. There was no need to take excessive risks with Making Insatiable Demands itself.

Demanding an Achilles tendon first was an extremely wise choice. If a Wanderlust Cultivator's Achilles tendon were severed, their combat ability would be severely compromised. The beggar could ensure his own victory while also preventing his opponent from escaping.

Up ahead, the man in white continued forward, now limping desperately. The beggar pursued him closely.

Cedric jolted awake from a dream and tried to follow, but he could not keep up with them.

It was so late that Cedric had assumed nothing would happen and had decided to take a short nap. To his surprise, something had indeed occurred.

He hurriedly drove the nail into his heel, only to find that the beggar had already disappeared into the night.

How is he running so fast?

The beggar was puzzled as well. That man in white had lost an Achilles tendon, so why was he still running so fast?

Did I actually get the Achilles tendon?

He looked at the alms bowl in his hand. It did not look large, but it could hold a living person, and inside it lay a tendon neatly coiled up. It looked like a human tendon, but there was no blood on it, only a fragrant scent.

The scent of muskmelon. There's a trick at work here? Even if there was some trick involved, I'm not afraid of him!

The beggar did not bother investigating the source of the trick. Beggar abilities all had time limits, so he hurriedly used Escalating Demands.

He yelled, "Since you've already given me an Achilles tendon, give me an eyeball too!"

Plop.

An eyeball appeared in the beggar's bowl.

It doesn't matter what trick you used. I'll just dismantle your entire body!

The beggar shouted, "One eyeball isn't enough. Give me another!"

Once both eyes are gone, the man in white definitely won't be able to keep running.

When another eyeball appeared in the bowl, the man in white really did stop running.

However, he did not just stop. He stood there with his back to the beggar and said, "You've taken so many things from me. It's time to pay your compensation!"

A Devotion Cultivator!

The beggar was startled. He had encountered his natural enemy.

Devotion Cultivators and Beggar Cultivators were each other's weakness. It all came down to who struck harder.

If I had known he was a Devotion Cultivator, I wouldn't have held back earlier. Now the Devotion Cultivator is coming to collect compensation. What should I do? Just run away?

Since this guy can run that fast, that means he cultivates a second Daoist path—the Wanderlust path. Devotion Cultivators run even faster when they're collecting compensation. There's no way I can outrun him.

The beggar threw out the alms bowl. It expanded in midair and trapped the man in white under it.

Wasn't he afraid that the man in white would use Path of Unhindered Steps to slip out? He truly wasn't.

The bowl had been specially made to be of a higher quality and could delay Path of Unhindered Steps to a certain extent. As long as the opponent's cultivation level was not incredibly high, it would definitely take some time for them to escape. The beggar could use that window of time to avoid the Devotion Cultivator's attack and look for another chance to strike.

When Li Banfeng sensed the bowl falling, he smiled. The first half of the plan had succeeded.

After trapping the man in white, the beggar turned and ran. He had only gone a few steps when the man in white appeared beside him and yelled, "You've taken so many things from me. I'm here to collect compensation!"

He got out? That quickly?

The beggar panicked. The man in white should not have been able to escape the beggar's bowl so easily.

In truth, the previous man in white had not escaped at all and was still trapped beneath the bowl. That was Muskmelon Hong Ying. Empowered by Golden House of Hidden Beauty, she had inherited only two of Hong Ying's traits: an imposing presence and incredible speed. She could not use an ability like Path of Unhindered Steps.

Then why had this man in white appeared beside the beggar? Because this was another Muskmelon Hong Ying.

Li Banfeng's original plan had been to use himself as bait and lure the beggar into making the first move, but the Tang Saber had changed the plan. "My lord, the people Beggar Cultivators deal with are all ordinary people. He will never be able to discern such a rare Agrarian ability."

Li Banfeng had thought that there was no way a cultivator at the Cloudborne Layer could fail to notice the flaw. Nevertheless, the Tang Saber understood Beggar Cultivators really well. The beggar truly believed that the man in white had broken out of the bowl and caught up with him.

The beggar stopped running. Faced with a Devotion Cultivator collecting compensation, he was convinced he could not outrun the Devotion Cultivator.

He waited for the Devotion Cultivator to demand compensation. He was planning to block it with Thick-Skinned and Shameless. As long as he survived this one attack, he could continue demanding alms and turn the tide of the battle in his favor. The crucial point now was how vicious the demanded compensation would be and whether Thick-Skinned and Shameless could withstand it.

The beggar was fully prepared. He knew from his ample combat experience that he could activate his ability at any moment and did not need to be afraid of a sneak attack.

Thud!

Muskmelon Hong Ying slashed the beggar. A fresh wound opened up on the beggar's face.

That's it?That's the compensation?

The beggar stood there in stunned silence before realizing that something had gone terribly wrong.

Li Banfeng's strategy had succeeded.

It was too difficult to try and find an exploitable weakness in the chain of Beggar abilities: Wailing for Mercy, Playing the Chi to Beg for Food, Seizing Alms by Force, Making Insatiable Demands, and Escalating Demands. Then they had a good idea—use Hermit's Lockdown to trap the beggar and then finish him with Wanderlust Cultivator abilities.

However, Li Banfeng was not proficient in Hermit's Lockdown, and the beggar's Thick-Skinned and Shameless might be able to withstand its light beam. If the beggar managed to steal something from him or play a tune, Li Banfeng would be in serious trouble.

With Li Banfeng's cultivation level, it was practically impossible for him to defend against the attacks of a Beggar Cultivator at the Cloudborne Layer. In a direct confrontation, the Beggar Cultivator would defeat Li Banfeng in just a few moves.

If Li Banfeng could not weaken the beggar's offense, then he had to weaken the beggar's defense. The moment the beggar used Thousand-Jin Bowl, half the plan had succeeded!

The remaining half was to deal with Thick-Skinned and Shameless. This ability was troublesome because the beggar was highly experienced and kept it ready at all times. There was only one situation in which he could not be ready to use the ability—immediately after he had just activated it.

And that was the very situation the beggar was currently in. He had just used Thick-Skinned and Shameless. A wound had opened up on his face. This brief interval was Li Banfeng's best opportunity to attack.

A figure flashed past in front of the beggar.

The beggar had not finished preparing to use Thick-Skinned and Shameless again. He had to keep his gaze locked on his opponent, or he would be struck by Passing Flowers on Horseback. Yet, he had no idea that the opponent he had locked onto was still Muskmelon Hong Ying, a third Muskmelon Hong Ying.

Li Banfeng suddenly appeared behind the beggar. This was an extremely dangerous proximity. The beggar might be able to steal something from him.

He used Stubborn Step, gambling everything on this move. Then he stomped down with Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers.

Part of the beggar exploded, sending flesh and blood flying and splattering onto the ground. The beggar was injured, but it was not fatal. As a cultivator at the Cloudborne Layer, he managed to withstand that strike.

Li Banfeng raised his leg and stomped again. But the beggar endured it once more. Even without Thick-Skinned and Shameless, he had an extraordinarily tough physique.

The beggar turned around and reached out, grabbing Li Banfeng's clothes. Li Banfeng did not dodge. Instead, he pulled out the key to the Pocket Dwelling.

"With every slash, a head is taken!" the Tang Saber shouted as he slashed down toward the beggar's forehead.

The strike was perfectly aimed. If the beggar did not dodge, it would split his forehead open. If he dodged, Li Banfeng would immediately use Passing Flowers on Horseback.

However, the beggar had another option, one that every Beggar Cultivator knew well.

Without hesitation, the beggar grabbed the Tang Saber and cried out, "Since you've already given it!"

When an opponent counterattacked, it was a standard Beggar Cultivator tactic to steal their opponent's weapon.

The beggar had just succeeded in using Making Insatiable Demands. This time, he was not going to hold back. He wanted Li Qi's head.

"Fine, then take it!" Li Banfeng replied. He seized the beggar and activated An Arrow Bound for Home.

What incredible strength! The beggar was startled. What kind of ability is this?

"Give me your head!" the beggar yelled. He activated Making Insatiable Demands again, but it failed this time.

Li Banfeng had used Stubborn Step to forcibly elevate An Arrow Bound for Home to level nine. With a gap of two levels between them, the beggar could not take Li Banfeng's head. If he had asked for one of Li Banfeng's hands instead, he might have succeeded.

Li Banfeng had dared to make the gamble because he had followed the Tang Saber's advice. The beggar had already suffered a loss earlier, so this time he was bound to strike hard.

"Fight!" the Tang Saber roared.

Dozens of Muskmelon Hong Yings rushed in from all directions and slammed into the beggar together.

The beggar had a combination of things working against him: the level-nine An Arrow Bound for Home, the Tang Saber desperately pulling him, a crowd of Muskmelon Hong Yings slamming into him, and his injuries. It resulted in the beggar being brought toward the doorway of the Pocket Dwelling.

This is a residence? That immense force was a Homebound ability? How can this person possibly be a Homebound Cultivator? How could a Wanderlust Cultivator possibly have also cultivated as a Homebound Cultivator?

The beggar could not figure it out, and he had no time to think about it either. Regardless, he refused to enter a Homebound Cultivator's residence.

The beggar grabbed Li Banfeng's clothes and tried to activate Making Insatiable Demands again. "Since you've already given it—"

"RWAAAAAAAR!!!" the Gramophone roared furiously from inside the Pocket Dwelling.

The beggar suddenly felt the world spinning around him, and he no longer had the strength to resist. Li Banfeng dragged him into the Pocket Dwelling.

1. It means “skinny donkey”. ☜