Chapter 262: Chapter 187 Sweetheart
The Local Deity, Shui Yongquan, had put forth a price: ten miles of land.
As long as they defended one road, he would grant ten miles of land to Li Banfeng and Ma Wu.
That ten miles of land was no small figure. The Lu Family and the Chu Family had once joined forces to open up a ten-mile radius of land, but they had failed. The Head of the Chu family even lost his life in the process.
Ma Wu looked at Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng thought deeply for a long time before asking, "This gorge and this mountain cave, do they belong to your family or Qiu Luoye’s family?"
Shui Yongquan said, "They are mine. According to the rules of the Local Deity, we can’t enter each other’s territory before the war starts. However, you can set up traps and defenses in the gorge and the cave. During these three days, you can arrange them as you wish."
Li Banfeng then asked, "Guarding one main passageway, and you give ten miles of land. Is that ten miles in radius, or a ten-mile-long strip?"
This had to be clarified. If it were a ten-mile-long strip, it would be a joke.
Shui Yongquan lifted his teacup and took a sip. "Brother Li Qi, you are too cautious. I may not be very capable, but as a master of this land, would I use such a childish trick to deceive you? Naturally, it is ten miles in radius!"
Li Banfeng further inquired, "This ten miles in radius, where exactly is it located?"
If it was ten miles of swamp, that would be a joke as well.
"The location can be discussed. As long as you win the battle, you can pick any good land you want. But there’s one condition: you cannot choose land within my home. I too have a residence; you can’t just drive me out."
Li Banfeng nodded, then asked, "Once we select the ten-mile radius of land, there’s no need to go through the process of clearing and settling the land, right?"
"What are you talking about? The land is already yours. Why would you clear it? When you see Heavenly Light and can draw well water, the plot of land will be yours, ready to use!"
The direct offer of ten miles of land was too tempting.
Li Banfeng had once thought, Why not claim one square mile one hundred times? Wouldn’t that also constitute a ten-mile radius? The idea wasn’t wrong, but according to Ma Wu’s memory, such a move would not be possible.
First of all, a Local Deity would not allow one person to claim a hundred parcels of land.
Even if, by some fortune, one really claimed a hundred parcels, those pieces of land would unlikely be contiguous. The empty spaces between territories would be constantly harassed by anomalies, never achieving any scale.
The Local Deity had laid it all out so clearly. Li Banfeng slapped his thigh and said, "Empty words bring no proof!"
The Local Deity laughed. "Put it in writing. Does that mean the two of you agree?"
"Not yet," Li Banfeng shook his head. "I’m just asking. We still need to discuss this matter further."
Shui Yongquan cursed inwardly. Damn it! If you’re not going to agree, why ask so many questions?!
Shui Yongquan looked at Ma Wu. "Brother Ma Wu, what do you think?"
Ma Wu, rubbing his chin, said, "I follow Old Qi’s lead."
Suppressing his anger, Shui Yongquan said to the two, "Young men should have youthful spirit! You two talents are being too cautious. The war will start in three days. If you make up your minds, let me know as soon as possible. Otherwise, if others seize this opportunity, you’ll regret it."
The Local Deity left, leaving the map on the table.
This was to whet their appetite.
Ma Wu was always cautious and said to Li Banfeng, "Old Qi, don’t bother looking at it. The battles of Local Deities are not something we can get involved with."
"I didn’t plan to get involved; I just wanted to take a look."
Ma Wu trusted that Li Banfeng wouldn’t act rashly, especially after he had resisted Shui Yongquan’s temptation earlier.
"Old Qi, I’ve told our men to stop working. If we can’t defend this place, we need to be ready to move at any time."
"You take care of that," Li Banfeng said as he pocketed the map and returned to his own plot of land.
...
Inside the Portable Residence, the Phonograph gasped continuously, steam spurting without pause.
"What’s the matter? After swallowing the Elixir, why do I feel like my soul is scattering?"
The Phonograph’s condition was abnormal, and it had been detected by Red Lotus.
"Wicked woman, your soul is incomplete, yet you dared to ingest the Xuanyun Pill? I’m afraid you won’t survive this."
HISS.
The Phonograph, still defiant, retorted, "It’s just an Elixir. I used to eat these things like meals."
Red Lotus scoffed, "You no longer possess your former abilities, and this is no ordinary Elixir. This Insect Leader has gained extraordinary powers; it should have produced two pills."
"You combined the two Elixirs into one?" The Phonograph was startled; she was well aware of her physical condition, and consuming two Xuanyun Pills at once would indeed be fatal.
Red Lotus sighed. "I didn’t want to combine them. But I haven’t seen Heavenly Light for many days, and there were some powers within the Insect Leader that I couldn’t neutralize. So, two Elixirs became one. Even deities would salivate at its scent!"
The Phonograph’s voice trembled severely. "You did it on purpose! You want the madman to carry the Elixir out, so that the one in the Heavens smells its fragrance, finds the madman, and then rescues you!"
Red Lotus scoffed. "Don’t put it that way. I refined the Elixir, but the madman took it himself. You, on the other hand, were greedy and insisted on consuming it. In any case, this is a matter between the two of you. How can this be blamed on me?"
"I wasn’t greedy," the Phonograph insisted, her consciousness growing hazy. "He... he willingly gave it to me."
"If you hadn’t acted coy, why would he have given it to you? Shameless, wicked woman! It serves you right if your soul scatters."
"I won’t die! Dream on, you harlot!"
"Wicked woman, don’t be stubborn. I know a herb that can save your life. If you help me, I can save you."
"How can I help you?"
"You haven’t agreed to help me yet, so I can’t tell you now."
HISS.
The Phonograph gasped, having guessed Red Lotus’s intention. "Help me? You still want to lure that person from the Heavens down here? If he really comes, will that madman survive?"
"Why do you care if he lives or dies? Worry about yourself first! Let me tell you, in Puluo State, no one but me can save you. You were sold off back then. And just because he said he’d willingly spend fortunes beyond measure for you without a second thought, you considered him your sweetheart?"