Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1277 607: Lifeline Rope_2

Li Banfeng didn't understand what the Peddler meant: "Why would you hide your battle power?"

"Exactly, how much battle power do you even have, what's the point of hiding it? Don't tell me you're getting ready for promotion?"

Does promotion have anything to do with Cloud Gate Skill?

Some unexpected gains?

Li Banfeng directly picked up the thread: "I really should start getting ready."

The Peddler froze: "You've reached the Third Layer?"

"Home Cultivation has, Traveling Cultivator hasn't." One sentence of truth, words carved in stone; that slope got a bit more solid.

The Peddler asked: "You're not planning to head for Above the Cloud?"

"Who'd want to go to Above the Cloud? Above the Cloud doesn't even have layers, the name sounds rustic as hell!"

The Peddler strongly agreed: "I think it's rustic too. Back in the day some people called Above the Cloud 'Star' and some called it 'Star Battle'. I said, do you even know where the stars and Star Battle are? One by one, shamelessly slapping on such flashy names.

In my view, this Above the Cloud is not the proper path of cultivation at all. You don't even have layers anymore, just walking blind with your eyes closed. That's clearly unscientific!"

Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly: "I also think that road's unscientific, that's why I want to learn Cloud Gate Skill."

"Cloud Gate Skill is indeed one way, but do you know how that way is supposed to be used?"

"I've only heard a bit of rumor, don't know any of the details, I just figured I'd learn the Technique first and worry later!" Li Banfeng looked at the Peddler sincerely; the slope was laid, just waiting for him to walk down.

"It's still early. From Cloud Top Third Layer upward, whether you go to Above the Cloud or to Cloud Fourth Layer, you need huge amounts of human energy to surge up. First focus on stockpiling enough human energy."

The Peddler didn't follow the slope.

Li Banfeng's eye-corners drooped; he was very displeased with this outcome.

"I've already been stockpiling human energy, almost enough. The key is, I don't know what to do next. If I use the wrong method and end up shooting into Above the Cloud, wouldn't all my Gong be wasted?"

The Peddler shook his head slightly: "You're thinking too simply. Going from Cloud Top Third to Fourth needs an enormous amount of human energy. It's not something one Greenwater Bay can solve."

Li Banfeng shivered.

The Peddler laughed: "What's wrong, Brother, what are you scared of? You've long since become the Local Deity of Greenwater Bay. Did you think I didn't know about that?"

Li Banfeng clasped his hands and smiled honestly: "I never planned to hide it from you. Between Brothers, what can't be said?"

"Then why didn't you say it when we met last time?"

"I wanted to, but didn't your sweetheart mess things up right then?"

The Peddler let out a cold snort: "Fine, either way you've smoothed it over. Green Flower reached Cloud Top Third Layer long ago, stockpiled so much human energy and didn't use it, just waiting to charge Cloud Fourth Layer. Now he's gone to Knife Ghost Ridge to play living immortal; all that hard-earned human energy, and you got to gorge on it."

Li Banfeng asked: "Green Flower had that much human energy and still couldn't rise to Fourth Layer?"

"He had enough, but he couldn't ascend because at the time I didn't acknowledge his Taoist Sect, wouldn't give him Entry Medicine Powder. After Cloud Top Third Layer, he couldn't find the path, and he refused to go to Above the Cloud, so he stayed stuck at Cloud Top Third Layer.

Though he was Third Layer, plenty of Above the Cloud cultivators couldn't beat him. It's a pity about that talent of his. Disease Cultivation is just too sinister; for the sake of cultivation, Green Flower often spread disease foci. I wanted to kill him, but right when I was about to make a move, he did something truly good."

Li Banfeng thought for quite a while: "What good thing could Green Flower possibly do?"

"The Inner State spread a plague in Puluo State; many people died. That plague was cured by Green Flower." At this point his smoke ran out, so Li Banfeng lit another for the Peddler.

The Peddler recalled the situation back then: "That was a hard one to handle—losses and gains, it all evened out. In everything I do I have to keep things fair. Green Flower saved Puluo State, I couldn't kill him, but I couldn't just let him roam free either.

I set up a Contract Book with him: once a year he's allowed to come out and beg. He can go anywhere he likes—a village, a town, a city—even if that place isn't in Greenwater Bay, I'm not allowed to interfere.

But wherever he goes, there's one condition: he has to beg all the way across that territory. As long as three people give him alms, he must return to his dwelling."

"And if he doesn't get three people?"

"He will spread a plague."

Li Banfeng thought of his experience in Blue Poplar Village: "Back then, when the Greenwater Beggar went to Blue Poplar Village to beg, was he planning to spread plague there? But Blue Poplar Village is his own territory; what was his purpose in doing that?"

The Peddler shook his head: "That's something I still haven't figured out."

Li Banfeng asked again: "And one more thing: to spread plague, you have to consider population density. Why didn't he go to a crowded city? Blue Poplar Village is so remote, the plague might not spread."

"According to the Contract Book, if he went to a city, he'd have to walk across that whole city. With so many people, he'd definitely get three alms, and then he'd lose his chance to spread a plague. That's the beauty of the Contract." The Peddler's tone shifted as he turned to Li Banfeng,

"You want to learn Cloud Gate Skill, I can teach you. Let's also sign a Contract Book. I'm not trying to limit you; this is to help you accumulate human energy. Puluo State has a place where human energy is extremely prosperous, called De Song Cliff, an excellent spot for cultivation. Go there and be the Local Deity for three years…"

"Not going!" At the mention of De Song Cliff, Li Banfeng's stomach twisted. "Virtue Cultivation territory—why are you sending me to be the Local Deity there? Where's their original Local Deity?"

The Peddler let out a long sigh: "The previous Local Deity of De Song Cliff was named Wang Zhengde, a Person of Great Virtue. Maybe because he got old, his mind's not quite right; he ran off to Black Stone Slope to open a lecture hall, specializing in teaching Virtue studies, and even recruited quite a few disciples,