Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 261 - 186: Tens of Thousands and Millions of Gold

His wife woke up and asked about the source of the fragrance.

Li Banfeng offered no elaborate excuses and simply opened the box.

"Wife, the Elixir has been refined."

His wife looked at the Elixir, then sniffed the fragrance, and repeatedly exclaimed in surprise, "This Elixir, this Elixir, it’s the Xuanyun Pill!"

Xuanyun Pill?

"What’s the effect of eating this Elixir?" Since his wife already knew, he figured he might as well ask for details.

"Oh dear husband, eating it will definitely have no effect on you. You’re a Home Cultivator. To improve your cultivation level, you depend on your Little Servant." While she spoke, the Phonograph’s voice still trembled a bit.

She was too excited.

Li Banfeng said, "What’s the effect if an ordinary Cultivator eats it? I need to make it clear to others so I can sell it for a good price."

"It has no effect on an ordinary Cultivator. Anyone below the Tenth Layer will see no effect if they eat it!"

Below the Tenth Layer, no effect at all.

Li Banfeng glanced towards the outer room, sensing something was amiss.

"Wife, to whom should I sell this Elixir then?"

"Such a person is not easy to find, husband. Don’t take this Elixir out; the fragrance of the medicine might attract disaster."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I was afraid the fragrance would spread, which is why I wrapped it in so many layers."

"Not enough, far from enough. Oh husband, your Little Servant just woke up and smelled this fragrance already. Outside, there are those with even keener noses than your Little Servant."

Li Banfeng stopped talking.

"Oh dear husband, this Elixir is wonderful!" The Phonograph’s bell was all misty.

"HMPH!" Li Banfeng suddenly laughed.

The Phonograph asked in surprise, "Why does husband laugh?"

Li Banfeng sighed. "Ultimately, it’s a devoted husband and wife like us who share true affection!"

TAP TAP TAP... CLACK!

"Husband, why suddenly say such pleasing words?"

"Wife, can you eat this Elixir?"

"Your Little Servant certainly can eat it, but such a good Elixir shouldn’t be wasted on me. If husband ever encounters danger, you can use it as a bargaining chip..."

"Husband, keep this Elixir safe. Wait until a good opportunity arises in the future, then you..."

Li Banfeng handed the Elixir to the Phonograph.

"Husband, are you giving this to me?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, for my wife!"

WHOOSH... WHOOSH...

The Phonograph was silent for a long while.

"Husband, such a precious Elixir, better keep it for now. Your Little Servant thanks you for your kindness, your Little Servant..."

Li Banfeng said firmly, "If there are good things, they must be for my wife to eat. One’s own wife must be well cherished!"

WHOOSH... WHOOSH...

There was a slight tremble amid the Steam’s emissions.

"Husband, do you know the value of this Elixir? This is something that even a fortune can’t buy."

Li Banfeng smiled. "No matter if it’s worth a fortune, or ten fortunes, or even a hundred fortunes, I won’t regret it one bit if my wife eats it."

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The Steam blew out repeatedly, winding around Li Banfeng non-stop.

"Husband, are you serious?"

"Wife, every word I say is heartfelt!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

"If you lie to me, I won’t spare you."

"If I’ve lied in that last phrase to my wife, may I die a terrible death!" Li Banfeng moved the Elixir close to the phono needle.

The Phonograph lifted the Elixir with two needles, which trembled continuously.

"Quickly eat it, wife."

The Phonograph carefully placed it in the water tank.

Steam rose, and the Phonograph was suffused with a blush.

The record on the tray spun rapidly, accompanied by the pipa and the guzheng, while the erhu sounded leisurely.

An old song from Yue Dong lingered upon Li Banfeng’s ears.

"Sweetheart,

Suddenly before my eyes,

My breathing quick and labored,

Ardently for you,

Hoping you might notice,

And return a string of yearning.

’Sweetheart’."

"Husband~"

"Wife!" Li Banfeng thought his wife, suffused with a blush, was beautiful.

"Dear husband!" His wife called out, lifting Li Banfeng with a cloud of Steam and stuffing him into the Big Horn.

"What are you doing? No..."

After struggling, Li Banfeng pulled his head out from the Big Horn.

"Husband~" The Phonograph sounded displeased. "Your Little Servant just wanted to be intimate with you for a bit, why are you avoiding me?"

"Intimacy? Weren’t you trying to advance?"

"Oh dear husband, you just advanced to the Fourth Layer. If I were to advance you again so quickly, how could your body withstand it?"

"Wife, first remove this scent from me."

"Husband, you think of everything~" his wife cooed, exhaling Steam to cleanse Li Banfeng of the fragrance. Then, she exhaled another cloud of Steam and embraced him for a long while.

In the outer room, Red Lotus’s Lotus Leaf trembled, as if gritting its teeth.

...

Li Banfeng arrived at Ma Wu’s plot of land to see Ma Wu standing nervously in front of his wooden hut.

Three Bagworm Moths lay on the side, silently watching Ma Wu’s wooden hut.

Ma Wu said, "Old Qi, we have guests."

Thanks to their long-standing understanding, Li Banfeng immediately read Ma Wu’s expression.

"Has the Local Deity arrived?"

Ma Wu nodded. "The guest is named Shui Yongquan. He wants to discuss matters of war with us."

Entering the wooden hut, Li Banfeng saw the Local Deity.

Not a wisp of Ghost Fire, the Local Deity now had a human form—a middle-aged man in his fifties.

He was of average height and somewhat lean, with a hunched back and a partially bald forehead. He had thick eyebrows, small eyes, and a bulbous nose. When he smiled, wrinkles piled up, making him seem like a very amiable uncle.

"Gentlemen, I apologize for disturbing you. I’ve come specifically to offer an apology. I encountered some issues just now, and I’ve already explained it to Brother Ma Wu. When Brother Li Qi called for help, I failed to assist in time. I hope you can forgive me."

After Shui Yongquan made his apologies, he looked at Ma Wu.

Ma Wu turned his face to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng stood up and said, "It’s a small matter, don’t take it to heart. Chuanzi, see the guest out."

UH...

Shui Yongquan was quite embarrassed.

But Ma Wu understood.

Li Banfeng had come to discuss with Ma Wu how to deal with the Local Horn, but the Local Deity hadn’t even given them time to confer, instead showing up directly at their door.

Li Banfeng wasn’t falling for it. He decided to send the Local Deity away first, planning to discuss matters properly with Ma Wu afterward.

Shui Yongquan refused to leave.

"Brother Li Qi, you’re in too much of a rush. I haven’t finished talking yet."

"Didn’t you say you came specifically to apologize? That matter is past, we brothers don’t mind. Chuanzi, see the guest out!" Li Banfeng insisted on having the Local Deity shown out.

Shui Yongquan chuckled awkwardly. "Let’s not talk about past matters for now. There’s an important issue concerning our territory, and I was hoping to discuss it with the two of you."

Shui Yongquan’s plot was called Water Spirit Forest, and the neighboring Local Deity Qiu Luoye’s plot was called Fallen Leaf Slope. These two plots were closely adjacent, and the two Local Deities had many years of friendship.

Last year, some Pioneers set up an offering table and, due to ignorance, placed it on the Border Line between the two plots.

This situation was rare, and Shui Yongquan thought the matter should be first come, first served. He arrived first and took the Pioneers in.

This incurred Qiu Luoye’s resentment, and their relations began to sour.

At the beginning of the year, more Pioneers came to claim the land, once again on the Border Line, and Shui Yongquan was the first to act.

Qiu Luoye wouldn’t accept it; he directly snatched the Pioneers away. The two almost came to blows.

Just today, another group of Pioneers arrived, still targeting the border of their territories. Shui Yongquan was quick to act, snatching the people away once again.

Qiu Luoye was even quicker; he went ahead and injured Shui Yongquan.

Shui Yongquan demanded an explanation from Qiu Luoye, but Qiu Luoye wouldn’t provide one. Instead, he sent Shui Yongquan a declaration of war and directly initiated hostilities.

After explaining the situation, Shui Yongquan sighed and said, "These matters are usually only known by the local chiefs. I genuinely admire you two brothers, so I’m breaking the rule just this once to share them with you."

Li Banfeng frowned and looked at Shui Yongquan.

Ma Wu listened quite seriously. "Senior Shui, may I ask, are there not many people who come to your esteemed land to pioneer?"

"Well..." Shui Yongquan looked a little ashamed. "Blocked by the Iron Thread River and the Little Yellow River, not many people can actually reach my Water Spirit Forest. Since I took charge, only two Pioneers have successfully established themselves here."

Li Banfeng glanced at Shui Yongquan. "Senior, you’re not talking about us two, are you?"

Shui Yongquan looked at them with sincere admiration. "Precisely, you two talented young men!"

In fact, Shui Yongquan himself felt ashamed. He took a sip of tea and continued, "Brothers, both of your Pioneering methods are quite special, and I am indeed easygoing, so I didn’t fuss over it. Had it been any other territory, things wouldn’t have been so easy."

Due to its remoteness, two Local Deities squabbled over Pioneers.

Li Banfeng didn’t want to hear any more blathering. "Get to the point. Are you wanting us to join the war this time?"

"Straight to the point!" Shui Yongquan expressed his approval, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Since Brother Li Qi brought it up, I take it as an agreement."

Shui Yongquan was being shameless, so Li Banfeng decided to be shameless right back.

"Yes, we’ve agreed! We brothers will do our utmost to defend these two one-mile plots of land."

"Does Brother Li Qi mean Guardian Pass?" Shui Yongquan sounded disappointed. "With your talents, if it is Guardian Pass, I’m afraid you’d miss out on a great achievement."

Ma Wu shook his head and smiled. "Senior flatters us, but we brothers really don’t have much talent. We haven’t even been in the Taoist Sect for a year."

"Why so modest?" Shui Yongquan gave a profound smile, pulling out a map from his robe. "This is the full view of Water Spirit Forest. Please take a look.

"Water Spirit Forest and Fallen Leaf Slope share a thirty-seven-mile border. Along these miles, it’s all steep mountains and peaks, with only two passages critical for troop movements.

"This valley is called Hundred Vine Valley, a ten-mile ravine, narrow and winding, with treacherous terrain on both sides, easy to defend but hard to attack.

"This cave is called Hundred Leg Cave, with countless branching paths inside, but only one pathway connects the territories of both parties. If you hold the key location in the cave, one man can hold off thousands."

During his speech, Shui Yongquan kept glancing at Ma Wu.

Shui Yongquan went on to say, "If you can hold just one of these paths, I am willing to grant you ten miles of land. Do you young talents have the courage to try!"