Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

"You want me to join the path of Foolish Cultivation?"

Sun Tiecheng nodded. "I am a straightforward person, and that is indeed what I want. The world has tried to completely eradicate Foolish Cultivation, but I want to ensure there are still living Cultivators in this Taoist Sect."

Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly. "It's impossible for me to join your Taoist Sect. I have already undertaken Dual Cultivation with two other Taoist Sects."

Sun Tiecheng still nodded. "This is what makes it difficult for me. With your current situation, cultivating three Taoist Sects simultaneously will undoubtedly lead to certain death. But I can wait, wait until you have the strength, and then let you Enter the Path Gateway."

Wait? Could such a thing even be feasible? I am a Fourth Layer Home Cultivator now. If I were to add another Taoist Sect, I'd be a beginner without any layer. A difference of four layers between the two Taoist Sects, and I'd simply drop dead instantly. What feasibility is there?

Li Banfeng couldn't be bothered thinking about the future and focused on the present.

Gauging by strength, I definitely can't beat him. We're not even on the same plane of existence; even my wife now might not be a match for him. I need to find a way to extricate myself from his clutches first.

"Since you hold me in such high regard, why don't you wait a few more years for me? When I have the ability, we can discuss Entering the Path Gateway," Li Banfeng said, fighting off sleepiness as he stood up from the bed.

Sun Tiecheng nodded. "No rush. The matter of Entering the Path Gateway can wait, but we haven't finished talking about the reward."

"I don't want any plots of land in Fool's City. Going into Fool's City one more time, I might not come out alive."

Sun Tiecheng nodded. "That's why I have another reward for you: a technique."

"A Foolish Cultivation Technique?"

Sun Tiecheng nodded again.

"I'm not a Foolish Cultivator. Can you still give me a technique?" Li Banfeng didn't understand the principles at work here.

Sun Tiecheng said with pride, "Others can't, but I can."

What rank is this person? Even a Local Deity couldn't do this sort of thing, right? Learning a technique from him, could it affect me? It shouldn't. If he wanted to harm me, there would be many ways...

Li Banfeng started to fret again. It seemed I had once again fallen for the tricks of Foolish Cultivation. Forget it. Even if he wanted to harm me, I couldn't stop him. Learning a technique is no big deal.

Li Banfeng agreed.

Sun Tiecheng watched Li Banfeng with a smile. "Choose any technique you like. Just pick the layer, and that will suffice."

"Tenth Layer!" Li Banfeng replied decisively.

Sun Tiecheng's cheek twitched as he looked at Li Banfeng. "Can you even learn a Tenth Layer Technique?"

Li Banfeng snorted. "Then what's the point of saying 'pick any'?"

Sun Tiecheng stared at Li Banfeng for a moment. "Do you realize who I am? Do you know that I've killed tens of thousands? Do you know that I am your senior? Is this the right way to speak to me?"

Li Banfeng didn't want to bicker with him. "I ran into a fortune teller in the city. He had a technique that could make people think a lot, a very distressing technique."

Sun Tiecheng put his hands together and squatted down, resuming a more humble appearance. "Can we not learn this one? Let's switch to another."

"Why can't I learn this one? The fortune teller said he was Second Layer. The technique's layer couldn't be too high, right?"

"It's not about high or low. That technique... Fine, I'll teach you!"

Sun Tiecheng, after some internal struggle, finally agreed. "This is the Second Layer Technique of Foolish Cultivation, the Fool's Thousand Concerns Technique."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. This matched the description of the Judge's Pen.

Sun Tiecheng explained, "There's a saying: 'Even a fool's thousand concerns will lead to one gain.' In truth, that's a deceptive saying. A fool's thousand concerns don't necessarily lead to any gain. Instead, it can cause one to be preoccupied with gains and losses. It seems like comprehensive thinking, but you're unable to take even one step forward. This is why ordinary people can't escape from Fool's City."

Is this what the Judge's Pen meant by thinking too much?

Sun Tiecheng continued, "The essence of this technique is to say things that will perplex your opponent. The more your opponent believes you, the more they will overthink, getting tangled between gains and losses. In that confusion, with just a little guidance, they will make choices that are favorable to you."

With a wave of his sleeve, Sun Tiecheng sent a breeze that caused Li Banfeng some pain. This was similar to the pain he felt when he first Entered the Path Gateway and sprinkled Medicinal Powder, but it wasn't as intense.

Sun Tiecheng cautioned, "The Fool's Thousand Concerns Technique can be controlled with your thoughts. However, while the technique is easy to learn, it's not necessarily easy to use. One needs to know what concerns to invoke. For example, if someone is extremely hungry and wants to eat, and you insist on taking them to a brothel, they won't respond, nor will they be troubled by it. To make them conflicted at that moment, you need to ask what they want to eat. Do they prefer meat or vegetables? Oil or vinegar? To use a Foolish Cultivation Technique, you have to put in some effort."

After a while, the pain subsided, and Li Banfeng asked, "You mentioned the technique's essence is making others believe me. What if they don't believe me? What then?"

"Then find a way to make them believe you."

Li Banfeng nodded. "How do I go about that?"

Why did Li Banfeng end up believing an ointment salesman, after all? That was why Sun Tiecheng was reluctant to teach Li Banfeng the Fool's Thousand Concerns Technique. Because the technique worked best when paired with a First Layer Technique.

Sun Tiecheng curled his lips and turned his head away, avoiding looking at Li Banfeng. "I can only teach one technique."

Li Banfeng copied the gesture, crouching beside Sun Tiecheng. "After so many years, only two people have passed the assessment. Shouldn't you give me some special consideration?"

"But I have already given you three rewards."

"How about one more, as a bonus? Buy three, get one free—that's a common sales promotion."

"No! You're not a member of my Taoist Sect, yet you want to learn two techniques from my Taoist Sect?"

"But I have one more reward that hasn't been redeemed, right?"

"The third reward isn't a technique anymore."

"Then let's switch."

Sun Tiecheng suddenly became conflicted.

He looked up at Li Banfeng with indignation. "Are you using the Fool's Thousand Concerns on me?"