Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Xiao Chuanzi approached Ma Wu, lowered his voice, and asked, "What is this master's real name? I want to ask, but I don't dare to."

"You just call him Seventh Master and don't ask anything else."

"Seventh Master, is he your brother?"

"Haven't I told you? Don't ask anything!"

Ma Wu ordered everyone to clean up the dance floor. Xiao Genzi, carrying a bucket and wielding a spoon, walked in front.

"Root!" Ma Wu quickly caught up. "For something like cleaning, you need not bother. Go to the cashier and get five hundred Ocean Dollars. Tonight, you are the one who achieved the most."

Xiao Genzi received five hundred Ocean Dollars and tucked them into his chest.

He patted the bucket on his back, then the spoon in his hand, walking with extra swagger.

He decided to always carry the bucket with him, even when sleeping!

Since Xiao Chuanzi shared a room with him, he decided to move somewhere else.

...

Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Residence and sorted through Liu Liangyi's belongings.

Born among Grass Bandits and quite renowned on the Green Forest Path, Liu Liangyi surprisingly carried less than two thousand in cash and only a dozen Ocean Dollars, which Li Banfeng found quite contemptible.

Apart from the money, Liu Liangyi also had a good amount of Incense Candles. With a HUFF, the wife said, "Oh, my husband, these are tools used by Nightmare Cultivators to control Ghost Servants."

"If you know the Nightmare Cultivation Technique, these items are quite useful. Even if you don't, they can still attract some lonely ghosts and spirits, saving you the trouble of buying groceries."

If his wife said they were useful, Li Banfeng naturally had to keep them.

There was also a stack of Yellow Paper with strange Runes drawn on it.

The Phonograph explained, "My husband, these are Contract Books for Nightmare Cultivators and Ghost Servants. Nightmare Cultivators often carry them, but they are of no use to you."

Contract Books?

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "When I dealt with Du Hongxi, how come there weren't any of these?"

"There were, but Red Lotus, that wench, ate them."

Li Banfeng was taken aback again and glanced at Red Lotus. "Why would you eat these things?"

Red Lotus did not respond. Even if she had, Li Banfeng wouldn't have understood her.

CHITTER.

The wife answered for her, "Contract Books have a Spirit Attribute and aren't considered goods. Red Lotus likes this kind of thing the most."

"Even though she ate them, it's harmless. She can refine them into something. It's just that the Contract Books she ate last time were too few; probably not even enough for one Lotus Seed."

"Du Hongxi had only fifteen Ghost Servants, so there were only fifteen Contract Books."

Liu Liangyi had sixty Ghost Servants. If all sixty Contract Books were fed to Red Lotus, who knows what she could refine them into?

Li Banfeng was about to hand the Contract Books to the Copper Lotus Flower, but he saw that its petals had already opened.

The wife cried out in surprise, "Heavens! That wench sneaked a bite!"

The Lotus Heart whipped up a gust of wind, devouring all the Incense Candles Li Banfeng had carefully sorted!

Before Li Banfeng could react, the Contract Books in his hands were also eaten by Tonglian.

Li Banfeng said angrily, "This is outrageous! Starting to eat without asking first!"

The Phonograph was also irritated. "That base mare deserves a beating! My husband, if you don't enforce household discipline, there will be no order in our home!"

The Phonograph was about to get angry, Steam barely spewing out, when the Copper Lotus Flower opened again.

On top of the Lotus Heart were two Lotus Seeds. One was Liu Liangyi's corpse, still undergoing Refinement, and the other was fully ripe. Li Banfeng peeled off the ripe Lotus Seed.

The Lotus Seed burst open, releasing ten sheets of white paper.

Li Banfeng furrowed his brow. "What's the use of this stuff?"

The Copper Lotus Flower closed its petals, still offering no response.

After observing for a moment, the wife said in surprise, "Heavens, my husband, these are Contract Papers!"

"What are Contract Papers?"

TAP TAP TAP~ HEY!

The Phonograph, beating a slow rhythm and spewing Steam, sang, "Such a treasure! Lost for decades! I didn't expect Red Lotus, that wench, to still be able to refine them."

Li Banfeng was puzzled. "What's the use of these things?"

"They're of great use indeed! Contracts made with Contract Paper mean the violator will suffer severe punishment if broken."

Li Banfeng was very interested. "What kind of severe punishment?"

"That depends on what additives my husband uses. Take poison, for example. When my husband writes the contract, place the poison on the Contract Paper, and the paper will swallow it. Later, have the other party press their thumbprint. Should they breach the contract, they will be poisoned to death."

After pondering for a moment, Li Banfeng said to the Phonograph, "I'll write a Contract Book later. From now on, as husband and wife, we shall live together in harmony. If you plot against your own husband, let this Contract Book..."

WHOOSH!

Before Li Banfeng could finish, a blast of Steam scalded his entire face red.

HUFF! HUFF!

"My husband is using this to guard against your Little Servant! My husband treats Little Servant too poorly! Little Servant won't sign this Contract Book! I won't sign it!"

"If you won't sign, then don't. What's all this fuss about?" Li Banfeng rubbed his cheek and put away the Contract Paper.

...

「Three days later,」 Ma Wu brought back a few newspapers and handed them to Li Banfeng. "The Liu Family's old Shopkeeper, Liu Liangyi, has gone missing. He must be the one who attacked us that night."

Li Banfeng did not comment, instead asking, "The Si Family is above the Liu Family. What kind of person is the Si Family head?"

"The Si Family head is Si Wennian. It's said he has the cultivation level of the Fifth Layer. What Taoist Sect he belongs to is unknown, but he has many ruthless people under him."

"Ruthless people..." Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead. "The Elixir I gave you, have you taken it?"

Ma Wu shook his head. "Not yet. I'm a bit afraid of the Pill's Poison."

Li Banfeng gave a wry smile. "You'd better take it quickly. After that, find a girl and start your cultivation promptly."

"Brother Ma, you know how to make money, but with your current cultivation level, how can you guard your home?"

After speaking, Li Banfeng left.

This was a practical concern: Ma Wu was too weak, and Li Banfeng couldn't always be there to guard the place.

Ma Wu sat in the wooden house, not moving for a long time.

Li Qi was right; this couldn't go on.

He took the Gold Yuan Pill from under his bed and swallowed it with a gulp of water.

...

Si Wennian arrived at Lu Dongjun's mansion and sat in the Gatehouse for over an hour.