Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Li Banfeng set off from Iron Thread River in the New Land of Blue Poplar Village at Greenwater Bay and hitched a ride with the Iron Thread Worm. After several twists and turns, he arrived at the New Land of Jiangyue Village in Medicine King Valley.

Li Banfeng truly hadn't anticipated this process.

Not to mention Li Banfeng, even Yu Nan, who was born and raised here, probably didn't know the reason behind it.

There were pathways between the New Lands, but their origin was unclear to Li Banfeng. He only knew one thing: after walking this path once, his cultivation level as a Second Layer Traveling Cultivator had increased by nearly a year.

Especially in the Thorn Bushes, walking a single mile felt like running an entire day.

If I strolled along this path frequently, wouldn't my cultivation level continuously soar? Would the high-ranking Traveling Cultivators know of this secret and often come here to cultivate? How high-ranking a cultivator must one be to defeat the human heads in the Thorn Bushes? Just one glance at those human heads could set a person ablaze.

Moreover, the cultivation conditions for high-ranking cultivators were much more arduous than those on the Second Layer.

Regardless of whether high-ranking cultivators had such skill, given the current situation, Li Banfeng did not want to walk it a second time.

It's better to consume the Gold Yuan Pill instead.

At this thought, Li Banfeng felt pity for Lu Dongliang.

Dongliang, oh Dongliang, you were a hero in your time, and yet you died just like that. If only you could come back to life once more. The elixirs you produced are hardly enough to go around!

"Heat some water, I'd like to take a bath."

Yu Nan was stunned. To think that upon a long-awaited reunion, his first thought was to take a bath.

Could this be some sort of hint?

Yu Nan hurriedly ordered someone to heat water for Li Qi, and she went back to her own room to dress up carefully.

She was overthinking things. Li Banfeng simply wanted to bathe.

Immersed in the hot water, Li Banfeng felt incredibly comfortable, almost falling asleep in the tub.

But after the comfort, Li Banfeng had to face a practical problem.

How will I return to Greenwater Bay?

He clearly couldn't stay and live in Medicine King Valley. Greenwater Bay held the foundation he had worked so hard to build.

Go back to the New Land and continue searching for the flow of Iron Thread River?

I really don't want to do that. This path is too dangerous.

Find a Guide Token and return to Greenwater Bay through official channels?

That's a good choice.

But hoping for Yu Nan's help was pointless. She didn't even dare to leave Yu Family Village.

To find a Guide Token, I'd have to go to Li Gou.

After taking a bath and eating something, Li Banfeng silently returned to his Portable Residence and slept soundly.

His wife was still asleep, the Copper Lotus Flower was still performing Alchemy, and everything at home was as usual.

After waking up, Li Banfeng found Yu Nan and inquired about the situation in Medicine King Valley.

Previously, there had been a major uproar in Medicine King Valley as they hunted for Li Banfeng. This had made Yu Nan worried about a possible connection between Li Banfeng and Li Qi. Firstly, she feared for Li Qi's safety, and secondly, she was afraid of bringing trouble upon herself. Consequently, she had stayed in the New Land, not daring to go out.

After Lu Dongliang's death, the storm surrounding Li Banfeng passed, and Medicine King Valley once again settled into its former tranquility. But Yu Nan still dared not return to Li Gou.

She had been so frightened by Geng Zhiwei that she even considered staying in the New Land for the rest of her life.

Li Banfeng suggested, "Manager Yu, if you can really settle your mind, cultivating well in the New Land isn't a bad option. But if you can't find peace, you might as well go back to Li Gou to do business."

Yu Nan sighed softly, "I'm afraid that Jiang Xiang Gang won't stop pestering me. Unlike Boss Qin, I don't have anyone to watch my back..."

Li Banfeng didn't know what to say. Yu Nan just isn't getting it.

She does have someone to watch her back—the strongest support in Medicine King Valley, no less.

She knew how to contact Old Master Yao, the Medicine King. But in her eyes, Old Master Yao was just a doctor who sold medicine.

I can't spell this out for her; revealing it would be disrespectful to Old Master Yao.

Moreover, Li Banfeng could see what Yu Nan was thinking. "You want the Three Heroes Gang to watch your back?" he asked.

Yu Nan looked at Li Banfeng expectantly. "I'm afraid my relationship with Boss Qin may not be strong enough..."

Li Banfeng was planning on making a trip to Li Gou anyway. From Yu Nan's description, it seemed safe enough to go now. He said, "I can pass a message to Qin Tianjiu for you, but if I'm not mistaken, the price the Three Heroes Gang asks won't be cheap. If you truly want to continue your business, you'll need to rely on your own abilities. Even if the Three Heroes Gang agrees to watch your back, they can only lend you their reputation. You shouldn't forget Geng Zhiwei's case; when real trouble comes, you still have to face it yourself."

In Puluo State, unless there is a special relationship, the support that the strong provide to the weak is always a quid pro quo.

With just that bit of business from her cloth shop, how many Hua Hongs could she offer the Three Heroes Gang? How much effort would they be willing to expend for her? Instead of discussing those Jianghu rules with the major gangs, she'd be better off thinking about how to do some business with Old Master Yao.

Yu Nan thanked Li Banfeng profusely. After topping up his water supplies, he left Yu Family Village that day.

Just like that, he left?

Yu Nan had longed to see Li Banfeng every day, and after only one meeting, he left just like that.

Standing at the entrance of Yu Family Village, Yu Nan was filled with anticipation, hoping that Li Qi could connect her with the Three Heroes Gang.

But as she watched Li Banfeng's departing figure, she felt a pang of loss.

Will I ever see him again?

Late at night, Qin Xiaopang had his fill and returned to his small courtyard to sleep. As soon as he entered the house, he saw Li Banfeng sitting in a chair, pouring himself some tea.

"Brother Seven, when did you come back? You left without a word last time. You really worried me."

"Nothing serious, I just went out for a little walk," Li Banfeng answered casually. He didn't mention anything about Greenwater Bay. Once the Lu Family stabilizes, they'll likely resume their search for Red Lotus. Saying too much could put Little Fatty at risk.