Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

On the pitch-black path, Li Banfeng carried a chicken feather duster, proceeding cautiously.

This path was called Little Yellow River. The old hunter had repeatedly stressed that this stretch was the most dangerous and one should never rush through it.

Dense fog lined both sides of the narrow path, seeming to conceal wild grass and trees, and perhaps even creatures creeping forward.

According to the old hunter, one could only walk along this path. Stepping off it was strictly forbidden; even one extra misstep could be a matter of life and death.

Beyond that, one must always pay attention to the wind's direction while walking.

If the wind blew south, one could keep moving forward but must never look back, as there was no telling how many things might be following.

If the wind blew north, one must stop and stand perfectly still. Taking even one more step could lead to an unknown encounter.

If the wind blew east, one should place some food and drink on the ground. Not much was needed; a token of intent was enough. As long as the offerings vanished, one could continue forward.

If the wind blew west, one should light a cigarette and keep the ember burning. As long as the cigarette end did not extinguish, the journey could continue.

If the wind direction was irregular, one had to turn around and walk backward until the wind blew favorably again.

The old hunter had reiterated several times, "These rules were told to me by others. As for the reasoning behind them, I'm not clear on that either. But I have seen those who did not follow the rules on Little Yellow River. Even if they erred only once, their lives were gone in the blink of an eye. One can't see Ghosts, and in the end, they died without knowing how."

Li Banfeng, however, was quite optimistic, as he could see Ghosts.

But that didn't mean he wanted to watch himself walk to his death.

The rules about wind direction still had to be followed, and the best tool for judging the wind was the chicken feather duster.

Li Banfeng walked south, holding the feather duster. A light southerly breeze blew, causing the feathers to drift southward, making his journey very smooth.

After walking more than ten li, the wind suddenly stopped.

Li Banfeng also stopped, unsure what to do next.

The old hunter hadn't mentioned a situation where the wind stopped.

The old hunter had said the wind on Little Yellow River would always blow.

But now the wind had indeed stopped, and the chicken feather duster didn't move an inch.

This should be considered an incorrect wind direction, right?

Li Banfeng turned around, ready to walk backward, when he suddenly saw a cluster of green flames following him.

It wasn't just one cluster, but a whole trail of them.

Countless Ghost Fires, arranged in neat rows, followed Li Banfeng.

It seemed I shouldn't have looked back.

Just as Li Banfeng was pondering whether turning back around would resolve the situation, a wave of malice surged from within the Ghost Fires.

With no time for further thought, Li Banfeng immediately took out the Blood-Thirsty Pendulum, his only Magical Treasure capable of attacking Lost Souls.

BANG!

The Blood-Thirsty Pendulum was struck hard and, along with Li Banfeng's body, trembled violently.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The relentless impacts forced Li Banfeng to retreat repeatedly.

"Master, I can't hold on!" the Clock Pendulum cried out in agony.

With one hand, Li Banfeng opened the door to the Portable Residence. He dropped the keys but left the door ajar.

Since you're all here to serve yourselves up as a meal, I won't be polite.

Cluster after cluster of Ghost Fires followed him in, swirling around the room for some time, but the Phonograph showed no reaction.

Li Banfeng dodged left and right inside the main room, calling out, "My dear wife, dinner is served!"

HUFF! HUFF!

The Phonograph finally responded, "Husband, please wait in the outer chamber. Little Servant has been starved for many days, and my eating manners are somewhat unsightly; I do not wish for you to see."

"It's just the two of us here, why do you care about that?"

Li Banfeng couldn't understand the Phonograph's intention. Besides, he couldn't go to the outer chamber right now.

About a dozen Lost Souls were attacking, another dozen provided support, and yet another dozen blocked his escape routes.

These Lost Souls acted with coordination and tacit understanding, like a well-trained army, leaving Li Banfeng struggling to fend them off.

What's wrong with my wife?

I've brought back the groceries; why isn't she showing any enthusiasm?

SCRITCH! SCRATCH! SCRITCH!

The sound of the qin slowly began to resonate, accompanied by crackling static as the Phonograph began to sing a song:

In spring, green grass grows, war clothes finely sewn.

In summer, red flowers bloom, drums and trumpets loudly resound.

In autumn, yellow leaves fall, enemy heads taken on the battleground.

In winter, white snow flies, blood is spilled as a Blood Sacrifice to the heroic spirits.

WHOOSH~

The sound of wind arose, so realistic it seemed a real breeze was blowing through the Portable Residence.

Within the sound of the wind, he could hear his wife's singing—the most beautiful voice Li Banfeng had ever heard.

What song is this?

Perhaps I shouldn't focus on that; whatever song my wife sang, it could calm the Lost Souls.

These well-trained Lost Souls were no exception; they immediately ceased all movement, lining up neatly in formation, silently listening to the song from the Phonograph.

A puff of Steam spurted out, pushing open the door to the outer chamber.

Understanding the cue, Li Banfeng entered the room and closed the door behind him.

He took out his Silk-pulling Earrings and listened carefully to the sounds from outside the door.

The song continued, and he faintly heard sobbing—the sobbing of Lost Souls.

At first, it was one or two sobs, but soon it grew into a chorus, as if all the dozens of Lost Souls who had entered the room were weeping.

Were they moved by my wife's singing?

Was it merely because they were moved?

After the song ended, the Phonograph spoke:

"I had planned never to see you again, yet here we are. What you owe me, you cannot repay, nor do I need you to. Just go, and never bother that man again."

My wife knew them?

Knew these lonely Lost Souls roaming the New Land?

Li Banfeng was stunned. Just then, he saw the door to the outer chamber open.

Dozens of clusters of Ghost Fire stood in neat rows, waiting for Li Banfeng to open the main door.

His wife resumed her usual singing tone, chanting slowly, "Oh, husband, these resentful Lost Souls must have been dead for ages. They're old and tough, bitter and acrid—truly unappetizing. Please send them away quickly, won't you?"

Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

Li Banfeng had heard everything the Phonograph said to the Lost Souls.

The Phonograph also knew that Li Banfeng had heard everything.

But Li Banfeng didn't ask a single question. He opened the door and led the group of Lost Souls out of the Portable Residence.

He had just stepped outside, not yet having a chance to pick up the key, when a large wave of Ghost Fire rushed towards him from outside.

The Ghost Fire that had come from inside the Portable Residence circled Li Banfeng, pushing back the external Ghost Fire. Once Li Banfeng picked up the key, they escorted him southward.

Inside the Portable Residence, Red Lotus spoke, "Seeing old acquaintances, did it almost tear your heart out?"

The Phonograph scoffed. "If you want to taunt me, at least get your facts straight. Do I even have a heart anymore?"

The Red Lotus's petals opened and closed slightly, as if mocking the Phonograph. "Only you know if you have a heart. What they did to you—have you forgotten? You had a chance for revenge, yet you didn't take it. You actually let them go?"

HUFF! HUFF!

"What would killing them accomplish? What difference does it make whether I seek revenge or not? It's precisely because I no longer have a heart that I also no longer care."

Li Banfeng was escorted by the group of Lost Souls, traveling a full hundred li.

Blue Poplar Village wasn't large, but this New Land is truly vast!

The narrow path gradually widened. As the cold, damp fog slowly dispersed, his surroundings transformed into an open expanse of wilderness.

Li Banfeng had left Little Yellow River.

The rest of the journey was entirely over flat land. He occasionally encountered some strange creatures, but thankfully, they were not high-level, and Li Banfeng managed to evade them using his Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Skill.

After running frantically across the wilderness for two hours, Li Banfeng saw a large Orange Grove.

From a distance, these orange trees looked no different from the ones Li Banfeng was familiar with, merely having more leaves and slightly larger oranges.

Only when he got closer did Li Banfeng realize the problem.

These orange trees were over ten meters tall, and each orange had a diameter of around fifty centimeters—much larger than the normal oranges Li Banfeng understood.

For the old hunters of Blue Poplar Village, the Orange Grove was a genuinely good place.

The oranges from this grove were edible, rich in sugar, and even contained fats, making them a rare food source in the New Land.

Orange peels were very precious spices and worth a great deal. At Ma Wu's, one jin of orange peels could sell for eight hundred yuan.

Besides orange peels, there were also Orange Maggots (a type of pest that parasitizes oranges). Those from this grove could be used in medicine and were highly effective for external injuries. A top-quality Orange Maggot could be sold at Ma Wu's for two hundred yuan.

Apart from Orange Maggots, there were also elephant beetles. The elephant beetles in this Orange Grove had exceptionally long proboscises, perfect for acupuncture. One Elephant Needle could sell for over five hundred yuan.

In the Orange Grove, one could peel oranges, search for Orange Maggots, and catch elephant beetles, but one must not go too far, especially not harm the orange trees. As the old hunter would say, this was called "Look up at the trees, look down at the saplings."

Some hunters came to the Orange Grove to catch Orange Maggots by felling the orange trees, gathering all the oranges, and crushing them one by one to find the maggots.

Such people would die, though no one knew exactly how.

Others, wanting to peel oranges, would pick over a thousand jin of them, regardless of ripeness, peel off the skin, and waste all the pulp. Such people would also die.

Still other hunters came to catch elephant beetles. Finding the undergrowth obstructive, they would clear paths with Sickles, cutting down orange saplings in the process. These people would also die.

Simply put, as long as one took resources in moderation and avoided excessive destruction, they would be safe in the Orange Grove.

The old hunter had told Li Banfeng that a Blue Leaf Poplar might suddenly appear among the orange trees. There was a significant difference between poplar and orange trees; as long as one was a bit careful, they would definitely not mistake them.

Li Banfeng walked in the Orange Orchard for two hours but, other than orange trees, he found no other species.

It had been a tiring day of walking, so Li Banfeng retired early to the Portable Residence to rest.

The moment he stepped inside, a warm cloud of Steam enveloped him, like a tight embrace from his wife.

"Husband~ You must be exhausted from your journey."

"Husband~ Quickly take off your clothes and change. Little Servant will wash them for you."

"Husband~ The hot water is ready. Little Servant will attend to your bath."

"Husband~ If you wish to be uninhibited, feel free to be so during your bath. Little Servant will clean up afterward."

Because the Phonograph had hidden some things from Li Banfeng and had also let down his kind intentions, it felt guilty and spoke with particular gentleness tonight.

Li Banfeng paid no attention to the Phonograph and crouched down to search for something in the cabinet.

HUFF... HUFF...

The singing sounded slightly tense: "Good husband~ Are you angry with Little Servant? I know buying food was hard work, but Little Servant truly couldn't muster an appetite today. Please don't blame Little Servant. Little Servant apologizes to you."

Li Banfeng took an Oil Pot from the cabinet and said with a smile, "I don't blame you, my dear. I just feel you're not speaking smoothly today. I reckon you're a bit stuck, so I thought I'd apply some oil."

The Phonograph became flustered, its song turning slightly off-key: "Husband~ Let's talk this over. There's no need for oil; Little Servant is running quite smoothly."

Li Banfeng, however, was insistent. Holding the Oil Pot, he went behind the Phonograph and opened its casing.

The Phonograph hurriedly explained: "Husband, Little Servant truly doesn't need oil!

"Husband, please listen! Little Servant didn't mean to hide things from you, nor was I being deliberately evasive. Those people are indeed old acquaintances, but Little Servant truly doesn't want to revisit the past.

"Husband, if you absolutely must apply oil, you have to use an oil brush! No other tools!

"Husband~ Husband~"

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