Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'
Chapter 58 - 47 The Greatest Hero

Chapter 58: Chapter 47 The Greatest Hero

Li Banfeng was very disappointed by the loss of a corpse meant for alchemy.

He genuinely lamented this for a full minute before starting his search for the House Spirit.

The House Spirit was currently Li Banfeng’s most urgent desire—bar none.

With a House Spirit, his Home Cultivation could advance. This was the only way to bridge the gap between his Traveling Cultivator path and Home Cultivation path, a matter of life and death for Li Banfeng.

Of course, having a House Spirit also meant Li Banfeng would have to live in this house from now on. He would need to maintain a certain amount of travel each day to sustain his Traveler cultivation, and also remember to return home promptly to preserve the foundation of his Home Cultivation.

It sounded highly contradictory, yet Li Banfeng believed he could find a solution.

What did a House Spirit look like? Probably humanoid, right? Since it’s called a ’spirit,’ it must be humanoid.

There were three tile-roofed houses and one storage shed in the courtyard. The shed was the Seedling Room and contained only a pile of firewood—no humanoid creatures there.

He went to the eastern room. Inside were many bottles and jars, along with pestles and earthenware pots.

This must be Decai’s room; these were all tools for poison Refinement.

Is the House Spirit here?

Li Banfeng still saw no humanoid creatures.

Exiting Decai’s room, Li Banfeng saw a human-like figure.

"Benefactor, we haven’t thanked you yet," Xiao Yeci said, looking at Li Banfeng with apprehension.

The sight of him killing earlier had left Xiao Yeci still shaken.

Behind her was another person, her daughter Lu Chunying, who timidly peeked her head out and glanced at Li Banfeng.

"No need for formalities." Li Banfeng had no time for the mother and daughter. He bypassed them and headed straight for the central tile-roofed house.

"Benefactor, what are you looking for?" Xiao Yeci followed him.

"I’m looking for my wallet; they took it," Li Banfeng said dismissively. "You must have had many things stolen too, right? Hurry up, find your things, and then leave."

"Benefactor, it’s best not to barge into this house. There’s a House Spirit inside."

She knows there’s a House Spirit in this house?

Li Banfeng didn’t rush to open the door. Feigning ignorance, he asked, "What was that you said about a House Spirit?"

"A House Spirit is a spirit nurtured by a Home Cultivator. That old lady is a Home Cultivator; Benefactor, you know that, right?"

"What’s a Home Cultivator? I have no idea!" Li Banfeng continued his pretense of confusion.

"Home Cultivators are from a Taoist Sect whose members stay within their residences. This Taoist Sect isn’t very formidable outside their homes, but inside, they’re incredibly powerful. Take that old lady from earlier; despite her age, she was so strong. The Benefactor couldn’t injure her, and I couldn’t persuade her. She’s probably only First Layer, but within her home, even a Second Layer cultivator might not defeat her. It’s all thanks to the House Spirit assisting her."

This woman seemed quite experienced. Li Banfeng suppressed his intense curiosity and asked impassively, "What does a House Spirit look like?"

"That’s hard to say. Some House Spirits look like water vats, some like rice ladles, some like roof beams, and others like the old yellow watchdog by the gate."

Li Banfeng was stunned. "Are there any House Spirits that look human?"

Xiao Yeci thought for a moment. "I’ve never heard of such a thing."

Li Banfeng stared at Xiao Yeci for a moment, then asked, "Have you ever seen a House Spirit?"

Xiao Yeci shook her head. "No, I haven’t."

"You’re spouting nonsense when you haven’t even seen one! You Mouth Cultivators are too much!" Li Banfeng had no desire to engage with her further.

Xiao Yeci’s cheeks flushed. "Benefactor, ’Mouth Cultivator’ is a derogatory term. Our Taoist Sect is actually called Literature Cultivators. Because we possess the Spouting Lotus Technique, people often call us Mouth Cultivators. Everything I just told you, I read in books."

Lu Chunying peeked out from behind her mother. "My mom has read many books! She’s very knowledgeable, and her speaking skills are incredibly sharp!"

Li Banfeng casually retorted, "Yeah, impressively tight."

So this woman is a Literature Cultivator. What kind of skills do Literature Cultivators possess?

Before Li Banfeng could ask, the woman proactively explained, "Cultivating our Taoist Sect requires reading many books. Only by reading extensively can one learn what to say to different kinds of people and how to respond to various situations."

Li Banfeng asked earnestly, "When you encountered that old lady, how did you respond?"

"You’re making fun of me, Benefactor," Xiao Yeci said, lowering her head. "I’m actually quite proficient with the Spouting Lotus Technique, but I’d never encountered a Home Cultivator before, nor did I expect that old woman to be so impervious to both reason and pressure. Her two sons, however, were swayed by my words. If it weren’t for that old woman, her sons would definitely have let me go. Her younger son, Demao—I don’t know where he is now—was the one who told me his mother was a Home Cultivator. He also said the House Spirit was in his mother’s room."

So she’d managed to extract this information from Demao. It seemed quite reliable.

"Did he mention what the old lady’s House Spirit looks like?"

Xiao Yeci shook her head. "He didn’t dare say. He claimed the House Spirit would hear him. He only mentioned it was a relatively small item."

A relatively small item?

Li Banfeng recalled the old lady’s hairpin, and then the short knife.

If the House Spirit were a similar object, could it be carried on one’s person? If it could be carried, wouldn’t the conflict between Home Cultivation and Traveling Cultivation be completely resolved!

Li Banfeng mused aloud, "If a House Spirit could be carried on one’s person, then even if a Home Cultivator left their residence, they’d still have its protection. Wouldn’t Home Cultivators be invincible then?"

"Take a House Spirit out of its residence? No one would dare do such a thing!" Xiao Yeci’s eyes widened. "Benefactor, you truly don’t understand Home Cultivators at all! Most Home Cultivators don’t even know the true nature of their House Spirits, so how could they dare take them out?"

"And what would happen if they were taken out?"

"Some books say that House Spirits are actually Evil Spirits. Within a Home Cultivator’s residence, the Evil Spirit is kept in check, as if by chains. If taken outside the residence, those chains are gone. Once unfettered, who knows what an Evil Spirit might do? I’ve never heard of a Home Cultivator taking their House Spirit out. However, I have heard of House Spirits growing powerful enough to escape on their own. Such Evil Spirits would slaughter everyone they encountered; several nearby villages were wiped out. The Home Cultivator and his family fled, hiding for over a year, but ultimately, they couldn’t escape death. The entire household was massacred by the Evil Spirit, not a single soul spared."

Li Banfeng smiled. "It’s good they can’t be taken out. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to deal with Home Cultivators next time I encounter them."

Though he said this, Li Banfeng felt a sense of disappointment. The conflict between Home Cultivation and Traveling Cultivation, two seemingly incompatible paths within the Taoist Sect, was indeed not easily resolved.

Regardless, he had to secure the House Spirit first.

But before claiming the House Spirit, he had to get the mother and daughter to leave. Li Banfeng didn’t want others to know about his own cultivation path, and more importantly, he didn’t want any mishaps while he was taking control of the House Spirit.

Xiao Yeci said, "Benefactor, Decai told me that everything they stole is stored in a cellar in the backyard, not in the house."

The three of them went to the backyard. Xiao Yeci continued, "He said the cellar is under the large stone next to the well."

Indeed, there was a stone block next to the well. Just as Li Banfeng was about to move it, he paused and looked back at Xiao Yeci.

What if I move the stone block and she kicks me into the cellar?

Xiao Yeci, startled, quickly explained, "Benefactor, I’m not deceiving you! Everything I’ve said is true."

Whether she was telling the truth couldn’t be verified for now, but one thing made Li Banfeng curious.

Why do I find myself believing her? Is this the skill of Mouth Cultivation?

Xiao Yeci noticed his hesitation and hurriedly explained, "Benefactor, my Spouting Lotus Technique... sometimes it just slips out uncontrollably. Please don’t be suspicious. Look, I’ll move this stone, and I’ll go down to retrieve the items!"

The stone block looked like it weighed several hundred pounds; Li Banfeng didn’t think this woman could actually move it.

But Xiao Yeci was confident. "We are all cultivators; our strength is surely beyond that of ordinary people. Benefactor, just watch. You don’t need to help."

Li Banfeng just watched from the side. Whatever verbal ’flowers’ she might produce, he had no intention of lending a hand.

Xiao Yeci positioned herself, squatted deeply with her legs apart, tensed her Peach, wrapped her arms around the stone block, and took a deep breath.

Gritting her teeth, her pretty face flushed crimson as she summoned all her strength. And she actually managed to move the stone block aside.

Beneath the stone block, there was indeed a door. Panting heavily, Xiao Yeci said, "Benefactor, I’ll go down first and check. Chunying, you stay up here and don’t move!"

Li Banfeng made no move to assist, simply watching as Xiao Yeci entered the cellar. After a short while, she climbed out. "Benefactor, there are many things down there. I don’t know which ones are yours."

"Don’t worry about my things. Just grab your own belongings and come up quickly!"

Xiao Yeci climbed out of the cellar holding a wicker case. "Benefactor, all our belongings, my daughter’s and mine, are in here. What does your wallet look like? I’ll go back down and get it for you."

Li Banfeng narrowed his eyes, looking Xiao Yeci up and down. "Why are you so intent on helping me?"

Xiao Yeci lowered her head. "Benefactor, after what you’ve done... my daughter and I owe you our lives."

"So, you’re doing this to repay my kindness?" Li Banfeng was skeptical.

"It is to repay your kindness, but... but I also have a favor to ask," Xiao Yeci’s voice trailed off, growing softer.

Li Banfeng remained expressionless. "What is it?"

"My daughter and I need to go to Li Gou in Medicine King Valley. We’re unfamiliar with this area, and the journey is perilous. We were hoping to ask you, Benefactor, to escort us part of the way."

"I will not!" Li Banfeng refused outright. "It’s not far to Li Gou from here, just over thirty li. I can point you in the right direction."

With that, Li Banfeng drew a crude map on the ground.

Xiao Yeci looked at the map, then back at Li Banfeng, her expression pleading. "This is our first time in Medicine King Valley, and the journey so far has been terrifying. Benefactor, please, just escort us part of the way! We can pay you!"

"Even for pay, I can’t! I have to stay here and fight the House Spirit to the death! You two should leave quickly!"

Xiao Yeci was taken aback. "Benefactor, you’re still going to fight the House Spirit?"

Li Banfeng straightened up, his posture resolute. "What else? Should I let this Evil Spirit remain here to plague the world? You claim to have read so many books, yet you don’t understand what it means to be a true hero?"

PS: Look at our Ban Feng’s heroic and righteous spirit! Dear readers, please leave your comments and votes!