Chapter 457: The Stranger In the Pocket Dwelling

Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains was, as the name suggested, an ability that allowed the cultivator to cross countless mountains and rivers through intent alone, gaining cultivation in the process.

Li Banfeng had practically mastered this level-eight ability even without anyone showing him the ways to do it. Its nature was highly compatible with the Pocket Dwelling, which made Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains especially well suited to him.

While inside the Pocket Dwelling, Li Banfeng only had to think of a destination, and it could carry him there. As he traveled with it, his cultivation would also increase to a certain extent. The underlying principle was different from Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains, but the process and result were quite similar.

This also explained why, back at Ink Fragrance Shop, Li Banfeng had been able to feel his cultivation increasing even though he had not gone anywhere himself.

He had spent all that time reading travelogues, traveling across countless mountains and rivers through the pages of those books. In doing so, he had completed his usual cultivation in a different way.

It seemed that Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains was simply an ability for increasing one's cultivation.

"Ying, with this ability, does that mean we Wand... I mean, you Wanderlust Cultivators won't have to keep running all over the place anymore?"

Hong Ying shook her head. "It's not that simple. Our cultivation path is a little unusual. Wanderlust Cultivators need to travel across countless mountains and rivers, but there are times when a cultivator simply can't go anywhere.

"Back when I was in the army, for example, if I took even one step outside the camp without permission, that wicked woman would have me beaten. If that went on for too long and delayed my cultivation, I would eventually suffer cultivation backlash.

"Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains can make up for some of the cultivation you miss and reduce the risk of backlash. But at Darling Qi's current level, it can't make up for much. Twenty to thirty percent would already be quite good. You will still have to travel the rest of the distance yourself."

Li Banfeng lowered his head. "I am not a Wanderlust Cultivator. I am just borrowing the ability."

Hong Ying stroked his cheek. "Darling Qi, you don't have to hide it anymore. It pains me just watching you. Why don't we find somewhere private and talk properly, where that wicked woman can't hear us?"

Smack! Smack!

The Gramophone flew into a rage and gave Hong Ying ten strokes of the paddle.

Hong Ying spent a long while rubbing the sore spot before she finally caught her breath. "I have met many Wanderlust Cultivators who use Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains simply to make up for lost cultivation. That's a misunderstanding. Intent can travel across a thousand mountains, and a thousand mountains can be traveled through intent. The real value of this ability is not about gaining cultivation. It lies in combat."

Combat? This ability could actually be used in a fight? Li Banfeng thought. He tried to imagine it. In the middle of a battle, he would pull out a painting, look it over, and increase his cultivation...

No matter how he pictured it, that did not seem very useful.

"Ying, I still don't understand how this is supposed to work in a fight."

Hong Ying suddenly raised her head, and an intimidating aura surged from her.

Li Banfeng shot to his feet. Thinking she had suddenly gone mad, he immediately readied himself for a fight.

Hong Ying's long hair billowed around her and seemed ready to launch an attack at any moment. To be safe, Li Banfeng took two steps back. Then a sudden sense of danger struck him from behind.

Li Banfeng glanced over from the corner of his eye, and every hair on his body stood on end.

He could not take another step back. The ground less than five centimeters behind his heels dropped away into a sheer cliff. Birds wheeled through the air beside the towering rock face far below.

Li Banfeng looked at Hong Ying. "Is this an illusion?"

"It is not an illusion. If you had fallen, you really would have been smashed to pieces," Hong Ying said as she caught Li Banfeng by the arm, and the cliff behind him vanished. "That cliff was part of a dangerous stretch of terrain I crossed during the war. Just now, I brought it here. I mean that literally. That's what it means for a thousand mountains to move at one's intent."

"You brought it here?" Li Banfeng stared at her in disbelief. "You moved an entire cliff into the Pocket Dwelling?"

Hong Ying shook her head. "I didn't bring the cliff itself. I brought the danger of that terrain. Wanderlust Cultivators are especially good at fighting in treacherous terrain. If we can bring that terrain onto the battlefield, we can turn the surroundings to our advantage and put the enemy at a severe disadvantage."

So the key to Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains is in bringing dangerous terrain into a fight. Li Banfeng thought and asked, "Then why isn't it called something like Ten Thousand Perils?"

Hong Ying smiled. "Because sometimes you bring something over for real, and sometimes you only bring the semblance of it. And what you bring isn't always dangerous terrain. Sometimes, it's rouge and powder."

Li Banfeng looked puzzled. "What would you bring rouge and powder over for?"

"Darling Qi, watch closely!"

A rich fragrance of rouge and powder suddenly filled the air. Li Banfeng looked around, but this time there were no sheer cliffs or deadly weapons. Instead, he found himself surrounded by a group of alluring, completely naked women.

Li Banfeng stared at them. "What use is this?"

Hong Ying explained, "This works against lechers. On the battlefield, every man who's ever seen this sight has ended up dying beneath my blade. It has never failed."

The women vanished in the blink of an eye.

Li Banfeng looked at Hong Ying. "Were they really brought here too?"

Hong Ying shook her head. "That wasn't really brought here. It was only an illusory manifestation. Darling Qi still can't use that ability yet."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "What's the difference between the two?"

"When something is really brought over, what appears is connected to the real place. When you saw that cliff just now, did you hear any birds?"

"I did. I even saw a few of them."

"That means there really were birds around the cliff at the time. To really move a place over, you must have seen it before and understand where its dangers lie. Only then can you focus your intent on that place and bring its real scenery and real danger of that place onto the battlefield.

"The second time was an illusory manifestation. Those women weren't actually there. I imagined them. This is a Cloudborne Layer ability, so Darling Qi won't be able to learn it yet."

Imagined them? Li Banfeng thought back to what he had just seen. One of those women had seemed rather busy, doing two kinds of business at once.

"Ying, what exactly do you spend your time thinking about?"

Hong Ying stumbled over her words. "I-I just let my mind wander sometimes."

The Gramophone gave a cold laugh. "Back when she was in the army, she read Fragrant Verses every chance she got. She could hardly put it down. What do you think she spent her time imagining?"

Hong Ying hurried to defend herself. "I read that book for battle! It was so I could seize the advantage on the battlefield!"

"For battle..." The Gramophone scoffed. "Next time I beat you, I will pull your pants down first. Let's see if you have any sense of shame then!"

The illusory manifestation could bring forth whatever its user imagined, which meant that one could reshape the battlefield almost at will.

What an incredibly powerful ability!

Even if Li Banfeng could not learn the illusory manifestation yet, the actual moving of a treacherous place still seemed more than useful enough. He had traveled through plenty of treacherous places himself.

He gave Hong Ying his most ingratiating smile. "Ying, perform the ability one more time. I will buy you a pair of gold earrings tomorrow."

"Darling Qi, it's not that I don't want to teach you, but you will have to give me some time to recover. With my current physique, I can only use Intent Travels a Thousand Mountains three times a day at most. That illusory manifestation just now took too much out of me, so I probably won't be able to do it again today."

Li Banfeng grew anxious. "You used the ability too quickly just now. I didn't get a good look at it."

"Darling Qi, even if I were back at my peak, I couldn't slow the ability down by much. With my current physique, it's even harder. I can sustain True Manifestation for three breaths at most, while Illusory Manifestation lasts little more than a single breath."

Three breaths meant only six or seven seconds. A little over one breath was around three seconds.

That was far too short, and with Li Banfeng's current ability, he probably could not keep either ability active for even that long.

When Li Banfeng remained silent for a long while, Hong Ying tried to reassure him. "Darling Qi, don't be impatient. Let's learn the fundamentals first. We can practice right here, just to spite that wicked woman."

The Gramophone was not angry. She was more concerned about something else. "Darling Husband, you already know the ability A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles. With Stubborn Step, you can even force yourself to use abilities above your level. Don't mind this little wifey nagging, but using an ability from a higher level can really cost you your life. Husband, you mustn't be reckless again."

Li Banfeng laughed. "Why would I do something like that? Besides, A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles doesn't seem all that useful anyway."

Hong Ying immediately took offense. "That's not true at all! A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles is incredibly useful!"

Li Banfeng pulled over a chair and sat down. He looked at her seriously. "I really don't believe you. What exactly is this ability good for?"

Hong Ying began, "The key to this ability is..."

The Gramophone really did yank down Hong Ying's pants this time and gave her a merciless beating with the paddle. "Running your mouth again! Always running your mouth! Tomorrow, I will glue those lips of yours shut!"

***

Li Banfeng spent the entire day practicing the ability, trying again and again to bring something over. By the time evening came, he had not managed to summon so much as a scrap of anything.

That night, he took Little Chuan with him and boarded a train for Blackstone Slope. They had not been gone long when a group of bricklayers recently hired by the Noble Qi Restaurant arrived.

One of the bricklayers went up to the foreman. "Do you happen to know where Master Qi is?"

The foreman frowned. "What do you want with Master Qi?"

The bricklayer looked troubled. "Something's happened at home. I was hoping Master Qi could help."

The foreman really did go and ask around for him. He had worked under Li Qi for quite some time and knew his temperament well. Whenever one of his people ran into trouble, Li Qi would help. It did not matter whether they were important or insignificant. If Li Qi could help, he would.

The next morning, the foreman found the bricklayer. "Bad timing. Master Qi had business elsewhere and left on the train last night."

The bricklayer blinked. "He left? Where did he go?"

The foreman's brow furrowed. "Is that something you should be asking?"

The bricklayer lowered his head and said nothing.

The foreman waved it off. "All right. If Master Qi isn't here, go find Master Wu. If Master Wu isn't around, Chief Zuo will do. That's how things work under Master Qi. If someone can help you, they won't brush you aside."

The bricklayer nodded and went off to mix mortar. By lunchtime, however, he had vanished. He had not even stayed to collect his half-day's wages.

***

When Li Banfeng reached Blackstone Slope, he went straight to the newspaper office.

The place had changed quite a bit since his last visit. Li Qi and Ma Wu had taken over most of the local businesses, and the wages they paid were far better than before.

With more money in their pockets, the workers could finally afford to spend a little. Shops had sprung up along the streets, business was livelier, and even the newspapers and bookshops were doing better than ever.

The Night-Blooming Jasmine newspaper office was still housed in the same old factory, though the place had been rearranged quite a bit.

The front yard now held the boiler room and printing works. The first row of factory buildings had been turned into the sales department, where newspapers were folded, magazines were bound, film reels were packed, shipments were sent out, and everything was carefully counted.

The second row had become a studio for filming pictures and taking photographs.

The third row was much quieter. This was where the writers worked. Editors and reporters sat there putting together their articles, while Bai Qiusheng, Yu Wenqi, and the others had their offices there as well.

Li Banfeng walked through the newspaper office from end to end before finally frowning. "Why is this place so cramped?"

Bai Qiusheng smiled. "Master Qi, business isn't what it used to be. We now have thirty percent of Blackstone Slope's book and newspaper trade in our hands. The business has grown, we have taken on more people, and naturally the place is starting to feel a bit cramped."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Then buy more space! If you need money, come and tell me!"

Yu Wenqi spoke up. "Master Qi, this place really isn't small. You won't find another newspaper office in Blackstone Slope that's anywhere near this size."

"You call this big?" Li Banfeng was not pleased. "I just went to see where the workers are staying. Eight people crammed into one room! How is anyone supposed to live like that?

"Buy up those buildings around us. Everyone gets a room of their own. And bring me every newspaper and magazine from the last three months."

Back in the Pocket Dwelling, Li Banfeng carried the thick stack of newspapers into the sixth room and went through them one by one. He kept at it until the small hours of the morning, but nothing in particular caught his eye.

After that, he turned to the magazines. The girls were certainly pretty, and some of the poses were rather imaginative, but even that was not enough to keep him awake for long.

Blackstone Slope clearly did not have anything like the strange power of the Ink Fragrance Shop, and Li Banfeng felt none of that overwhelming urge to keep reading. Since the sixth room had a bed, he washed up, climbed in, and went to sleep there.

Two hours later, the door slowly crept open. The Film Projector floated into the sixth room and turned its lens toward the newspapers on the table.

A beam of light swept across them. By the time it faded, nearly half the stack was gone. Without making a sound, the Film Projector slipped back out of the room.

Li Banfeng sat up in bed and quietly stared at the door.

A faint glow leaked through the crack beneath the door. Li Banfeng knew the Film Projector was in the room next door.

When he had first taken it in, the Film Projector could barely move at all. It had only been able to project images from a fixed position and angle.

After spending some time in the Pocket Dwelling and eating plenty of good things, the Film Projector had gradually learned to move. Even then, it had been terribly clumsy, clumsier even than the Music Box.

Now, however, it could not only fly, but dart about nimbly. There had to be a reason for such a change.

What does he want with the newspapers? Is he sulking and deliberately trying to get back at him? No. There had to be more to it than that.

Li Banfeng listened for a while with Insightful Spirit Hearing. There seemed to be some movement in Room Five, and he could just make out the murmur of voices, though the words themselves were too faint to understand.

The Threaded Earring was not by his side, but Li Banfeng saw no reason to lose sleep over it. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next morning, he left the Pocket Dwelling and found Bai Qiusheng. "Besides our Night-Blooming Jasmine, which newspaper is the most popular in Blackstone Slope?"

"There used to be One Pole Rises," Bai Qiusheng said, "but they are not doing so well anymore. Their material is far too explicit, and they are getting fewer and fewer readers.

"These days, the only paper that can really compete with us is Fragrance of Spring. They have got some genuine skill. We control thirty percent of Blackstone Slope's book and newspaper trade, they control twenty percent, and everyone else fights over the remaining half."

Yu Wenqi leaned in. "Master Qi, are you planning to deal with that newspaper office? I have been wanting to go after them for ages. They are shameless. Whenever we put out a special edition, they put one out too. If we give away an illustrated poster, they do the same. Whatever we come up with, they copy it. It's as if they spend every day thinking of ways to compete with us."

Li Banfeng laughed. "A bit of give-and-take is what makes it business. If you get rid of Fragrance of Spring, then tomorrow someone might start up a Fragrance of Autumn. If we crush everyone else's business, wouldn't that make us nothing but bullies?

"Get me copies of Fragrance of Spring from the past three months as well. Buy as many as you can find. If that's too difficult, then just get me the issues from the last two days."

Li Banfeng did not insist on getting the full three months as he knew that this was a hard task. He knew old issues from another newspaper would not be easy to track down.

Bai Qiusheng, however, did not seem troubled in the slightest. He sent a few men out to buy them, and before long they came back with three months' worth and not a single issue missing.

Li Banfeng stared at the stack in surprise. "Where did you get all these?"

One of the men answered, "Ru Family Bookhouse. They have got just about everything there. Bit expensive, though."

The Ru Family Bookhouse again? They opened another branch? Li Banfeng thought. He nodded and said, "I will have to pay that place a visit sometime."

He carried the newspapers back to the Pocket Dwelling and spent another entire day reading through them. Once again, he found nothing unusual.

So where on earth was the power of words in Blackstone Slope hiding? All the newspapers seemed to offer him were hearts, peaches, and doors. He turned page after page, hunting for some hidden pattern or peculiar rule behind it all, yet the longer he looked, the less sense any of it made.

That night, he tidied up the papers and slept in the sixth room again. This time, however, he kept the Threaded Earring with him.

Sometime after midnight, the Film Projector slipped into the room once more. Its lens swept across the stack on the table, and in an instant, half the copies of Fragrance of Spring were gone.

The Film Projector slipped back into the fifth room without making a sound, and that same faint light began flickering beneath the door.

Li Banfeng put on the Threaded Earring and crouched outside, listening carefully. At last, he heard the Film Projector speak.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

Who is he talking to? Li Banfeng muttered inwardly.

A woman's voice answered from inside. "Oh my, how embarrassing!"

Sweat broke out across Li Banfeng's forehead as he thought, Who was that?

He was inside his own Pocket Dwelling, yet somehow, he had just heard the voice of a woman he had never met.