Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

After hiding for half an hour, Li Banfeng stepped outside again. The floating head had already disappeared.

Li Banfeng calculated that the head appeared roughly every six hours. With his current pace, it was impossible to escape the Thorn Bushes within that time.

Without a Portable Residence, what would I do if I encountered this head? I could only hide in the Thorn Bushes on either side. But would it be safe to hide in the Thorn Bushes? No, it wouldn't be.

Firstly, the base of the Thorn Bushes is charred black—not from weathering, but from being scorched by the head. Moreover, the head likes living beings, and it has taken a particular interest in me. If I hadn't hidden in the Portable Residence earlier, the head would likely have pursued me. In these Thorn Bushes, or rather, on this barren wasteland, my stamina is severely depleted. The head would catch up to me quickly. I might be burned to death by it, or worse, become its plaything. As for whether the head is gentler than the Straw Moth Lady, that's unknown.

An ordinary person would find it difficult to get out of these Thorn Bushes unless they could defeat the head. But even defeating the head might not be enough. I just want to leave these Thorn Bushes quickly; I don't know if other creatures are lurking here.

Li Banfeng trekked through the Thorn Bushes for a day and a night. The head appeared four times, and he evaded it each time by relying on his hearing and sense of smell. Doing so not only prevented him from replenishing his stamina but also neglected his Home Cultivation.

Why not hide inside the Portable Residence and get some sleep? Because it isn't safe. I'm not sure if there are other creatures in these Thorn Bushes, or if they would signal their approach like the head does, giving me a chance to hide. I also don't want to leave the key in the Thorn Bushes for too long; I'm not sure if some strange creature might take it.

The last encounter with the head had been three hours ago. An exhausted Li Banfeng had wanted to rest when he suddenly heard the sound of wind again.

Is the head coming again? No, that's not right. The sound is different. The wind isn't growing in volume; it's steady, maintaining the same intensity. This isn't the sound of the head. And I don't smell any smoke.

Li Banfeng broke into a sprint. He knew what this wind signified.

The edge of the Thorn Bushes is near! I'm about to get out of this place!

Though his body still felt heavy, Li Banfeng gritted his teeth and ran with all his might. After more than half an hour, he found the exit from the Thorn Bushes.

A forest! There's a forest ahead!

Elated, Li Banfeng rushed out of the Thorn Bushes and into the woods.

He listened intently with his Silk-pulling Earrings. The squirming noises continued, but he could no longer trace the Iron Thread River.

That's strange. In the Thorn Bushes, I always chose a path close to the Iron Thread River, and the sound never stopped. How could the Iron Thread River suddenly vanish after I left the Thorn Bushes?

While he was puzzled, the Earrings responded, "Master, the movement is coming from below."

Below?

Li Banfeng crouched down, placing the Earrings on the ground to listen attentively.

The wriggling sound was indeed coming from below; the Iron Thread River had turned into an underground river.

This is troublesome. Did I choose the wrong tributary before? Or is part of the correct route an underground river?

Glancing back at the Thorn Bushes, Li Banfeng had no intention of retracing his steps. Given the current situation, he could only continue onward, guided by the sound from the Earrings in the direction of the underground river.

After traveling for over thirty miles, Li Banfeng's pace began to quicken. His body, previously heavy, felt as though it had suddenly been freed from shackles, becoming considerably lighter.

It seems the problem wasn't my physical condition, but some peculiar force in that barren land.

The cause was a mystery, but Li Banfeng ran faster and faster.

However, the sound of the underground river grew fainter. The Earrings occasionally reminded him, "Master, the sound is getting deeper."

After another fifty miles, the sound of the underground river vanished completely.

Lost? Am I completely lost now? What should I do? No worries, there's still a way...

In the midst of the boundless forest, an utterly weary Li Banfeng opened the Portable Residence, dived into bed, and fell asleep.

「...」

「Hai Chi Ridge, First Ridge.」

Downstairs at the Shiweitian Restaurant, it bustled with crowds. Among these people were local tycoons from Hai Chi Ridge, wealthy merchants, members of various gangs, and some famished commoners with sallow, gaunt faces.

The Hundred Joy Gate is a renowned establishment in Greenwater City, and the Shiweitian Restaurant is similarly a landmark of Hai Chi Ridge. The restaurant consisted of one main building and two auxiliary buildings. The main building had five layers, and the auxiliary ones three layers each. It sprawled across a vast area and was built by the river. All its halls and private rooms were once fully occupied; it was said they could accommodate up to three thousand patrons at once.

But the restaurant had since closed down. Hai Chi Ridge was facing starvation. All edible food had been hoarded by the wealthy, and the restaurant's owner held onto his ingredients tightly, giving none away.

What were these people doing, congregated before the shuttered doors of the restaurant?

They were waiting for Lu Dongjun. Today, Lu Dongjun was set to exterminate the mosquitoes.

Wan Jinxian had originally wanted to wait another two days, but Lu Dongjun did not want to wait any longer. He was under great pressure from all sides and eager to prove his strength.

Standing at the main entrance of the main building, Lu Dongjun ordered his men to unload the cargo.

Dozens of servants carried twenty iron chests and placed them in front of the restaurant.

When the chests were opened, the onlookers grew restless. All the chests were filled with white rice. People gazed intently, especially the starving commoners, many of whom were about to rush forward to seize the food.

The Supports shouted and kicked, maintaining order. The starving commoners, unafraid of being beaten, only wanted to grab something to eat.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, Lu Dongjun waved his hand. A powerful pressure forced the crowd to retreat.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lu Dongjun announced, "this grain cannot be eaten. It contains medicine specifically meant to kill these pests. Today, I, Lu Dongjun, will use this grain..."

He hadn't finished speaking when a dark swarm of mosquitoes, blotting out the sky, surged over.

When Lu Dongjun said the major families weren't diligent in eliminating the mosquitoes, it wasn't truly that they weren't diligent; it was that these were no ordinary mosquitoes. As soon as they smelled grain, mosquitoes from miles around would quickly gather.

They swarmed the iron chests, seizing the rice grains and starting to suck them dry. In less than ten minutes, all twenty chests of white rice were reduced to empty husks.

This was the insect plague of Hai Chi Ridge—the terrifying plague that made people tremble at its mere mention.

A woman holding a child, despite being hit and kicked by the Supports, rushed to the chests. She grabbed a handful of white rice and tried to feed her child, only to find that what she held was crushed fragments.

The woman cried out in anguish, and the child wailed with her.

The mosquitoes, having fed, dispersed in all directions, seemingly unaffected.

The onlookers started cursing.

"What the hell use is that? It didn't kill a single mosquito!"

"So much grain wasted! Why not give us a bite to eat?"

"This man is too wicked! He doesn't deserve to be the Family Head of the Lu Family!"

The outcry grew louder, and the uncontrollable crowd looked ready to mob Lu Dongjun.

This kind of scene, however, did not truly worry Lu Dongjun. He coughed twice, and the crowd quieted down again.

Lu Dongjun scanned the onlookers, his expression indifferent. "I, Lu Dongjun, live at First Ridge. I believe many of you know my residence. In three days, if the insect plague at First Ridge has not been contained, you can come to my home to claim my life!"

The crowd was awed into silence by his declaration, all except for one beggar. This beggar wasn't looking at Lu Dongjun. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the mosquitoes in the sky, watching them circle, land, and mate.

There were many beggars in Hai Chi Ridge now, but this one looked particularly ghastly. His body was covered with pustules: some oozing white fluid, some red, others green pus. His face was completely disfigured, unrecognizable. If one didn't look closely, he was almost identical to a Greenwater Beggar. The only difference was his head of blond hair—he was a Foreigner.

A bleeding pustule on him oozed a bit more green fluid.

Cui Tiq's cheeks twitched. I'm at my limit. He had ingested the pus of a Greenwater Beggar, and it was now corroding his body.

He glanced again at the mating mosquitoes and murmured to himself, "So, a fellow disciple is here. He must have been the one who caused He Haiqin to become so gravely ill back then."

「...」

After sleeping for a full eight hours, Li Banfeng woke up, but his wife was still asleep.

Li Banfeng drank some water, ate some food, and then left the Portable Residence again.

Food supplies are plentiful, but water is running low. I need to save some for my wife and find a way out of this New Land as quickly as possible. What if I can't find a way out? I still have a plan. If I still haven't found a way out after two days, I'll set up the altar table and open up a new patch of land.

The Local Deity near the Orange Orchard doesn't like me. But other Local Deities probably don't know me yet. I only opened up a plot one *li* square near the Orange Garden. That Local Deity wouldn't go around gossiping about such a small matter. As long as the Local Deity here accepts me, I'll have a water source. I can figure out food later.

After walking through the forest for a whole day, Li Banfeng came to a halt. He stood still for a moment, then suddenly looked up.

This place... it seems familiar... No, it's not just 'seems.' I've definitely been here before. My memory of this place is too vivid. Right at this spot, something once hung down. The child of the Straw Moth Lady!

Once a Traveling Cultivator has been to a place, they never forget the way.

Following his memory, he continued forward, his pace quickening.

Ahead lay a stretch of wilderness. In the middle of the wilderness was a patch of light. Beneath the light stood two rows of wooden huts, each row containing seven or eight.

At the end of the first row of huts stood a woman. She was wrapped in a red cotton coat, a lady's cigarette held between her lips, seemingly lost in thought.

When the woman saw someone approaching from afar, she found his silhouette familiar but couldn't recall his name. As the man drew closer, the woman found this big-bearded man less familiar.

It wasn't until Li Banfeng took off his top hat that the woman finally recognized him.

"Seventh Master, you've returned!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "It has been a long time, Manager Yu."

This time, Li Banfeng finally understood why the same Straw Moth Lady had appeared in both Jiangyue Mountain's New Land and Blue Poplar Village.

PS: I kind of miss the Straw Moth Lady. Her distinct disposition is very liberating.