Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'
Chapter 73 - 60 Elder Yao

Chapter 73: Chapter 60 Elder Yao

Li Banfeng mentioned needing an IOU, leaving Qin Xiaopang, Yu Nan, and the clerk all stunned.

What is he talking about?

Li Banfeng was very serious. He demanded a complete IOU. "We agreed that you would repay me in your next life. You need to tell me clearly: what will your name be in the next life, where will you live, what kind of work will you do, which Taoist Sect will you belong to, and what will your cultivation level be."

"How... how could I possibly know that..." Little Fatty was confused.

"If you can’t say for sure, how will you repay the debt?" Li Banfeng looked at Qin Xiaopang earnestly. A simple question highlighted a simple truth.

All promises about the next life, no matter how touching, are utter nonsense.

Yu Nan glanced at Little Fatty. "Boss Qin, the Seventh Master doesn’t want you to take your life lightly."

Little Fatty looked at Li Banfeng, his eyes slightly red.

Li Banfeng is a good man.

But where could I possibly find two hundred thousand yuan?

Even if I bet all my possessions, I couldn’t come up with one hundred thousand.

Li Banfeng said to the clerk, "Brother, I’ll trouble you to find Mister Yao again. Tell him I’ll provide the two hundred thousand. Ask him to prepare and come over as soon as possible."

The clerk agreed and immediately left the room.

Qin Xiaopang said in astonishment, "Brother Li, where did you get so much money?"

Li Banfeng replied expressionlessly, "Is that your concern?"

Qin Xiaopang, with tears in his eyes, said, "Brother Seven, how can I ever repay this kindness! From now on, whatever you say, I’ll do it without any hesitation!"

Li Banfeng pulled up a chair and sat down. "First, tell me, why did you end up like this?"

Qin Xiaopang looked at Yu Nan and did not answer.

There are some things I don’t want to say in front of others.

Yu Nan took the hint, left Little Fatty’s room, and returned to the main house to sort out his own living space.

With only Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang left in the room, Qin Xiaopang could no longer hold back and began sobbing loudly.

"Brother Seven, I’m just a worthless person, with no real skills, yet I’m full of grand delusions! When you sold the Snake-Patterned Pill to Shopkeeper Feng, I even said you didn’t know how to do business. I said we should sell it to rich and noble clients. I’m just a damn fool! I don’t even take a moment to really look at myself. What the hell am I? Why should the rich and noble even care about me!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

As Little Fatty cried, he recounted what had happened.

Qin Xiaopang had always believed he was destined for great things. Whenever he encountered important figures, he would try his best to establish connections with them.

Actually, he hardly ever met any significant personages. He had previously befriended a Young Master Jia named Jia Quansheng, who claimed a distinguished background, but in Medicine King Valley, his family was merely considered moderately wealthy.

Young Master Jia had a bunch of fair-weather friends who liked to get together for food and drinks when they had nothing else to do. Little Fatty happened to encounter them one day, and they strong-armed him into treating them. Little Fatty, seeing it as an opportunity, agreed.

Young Master Jia was a Literature Cultivator, not yet at a high level, and had to read a book every day to maintain the basic practices of his cultivation.

At the dinner table, Young Master Jia complained about the hardships of being a Literature Cultivator, and someone beside him suggested he take an Elixir.

With one Snake-Patterned Pill, he wouldn’t need to read for a day. As Young Master Jia showed interest, Little Fatty, who happened to want to sell Elixirs, took out a pill and gave it to Young Master Jia to try.

After taking the Snake-Patterned Pill and realizing its effects, Young Master Jia was delighted. He immediately struck up a brotherly relationship with Little Fatty. Little Fatty felt his prospects were broadening and developed the illusion of having climbed the social ladder.

Two days later, Young Master Jia’s men came looking for Little Fatty, asking for two more pills.

Such valuable Elixirs couldn’t be given away for free again, so Little Fatty quoted a price: eight thousand per pill, which was considerably lower than the market price.

Little Fatty expected Young Master Jia to appreciate the gesture, but instead, he angered him by mentioning money.

Young Master Jia sent men to teach Little Fatty a lesson, but Little Fatty wouldn’t stand for it and drove them away. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Young Master Jia was even more incensed and told his cousin, Geng Zhiwei.

Geng Zhiwei was the eldest son of the Geng Family Medicine Shop. Upon receiving the news, he immediately sent men to find Qin Xiaopang, telling him he wanted to buy ten Snake-Patterned Pills for two hundred yuan each.

Offering two hundred yuan per pill was a direct insult to Little Fatty.

Naturally, Little Fatty couldn’t tolerate it and got into a fight with Geng Zhiwei’s men.

But this time, he failed to defeat them and was captured. His Elixirs were seized. He was brought before Geng Zhiwei and Jia Quansheng and forced to kneel and admit his mistakes.

Little Fatty refused to kneel. Risking his life, he punched Geng Zhiwei.

Geng Zhiwei, blood streaming from his nose and mouth, was enraged. He purchased a Talisman Paper from the Jiang Xiang Gang and cast a Spell on Little Fatty, condemning him to kneel in Tail Alley until he starved to death.

After hearing the whole story, Li Banfeng found an opportunity to leave the estate. He went to the Portable Residence, withdrew three hundred thousand in cash, and packaged it in two separate bundles.

Old Master Yao had asked for two hundred thousand, but Li Banfeng prepared an extra one hundred thousand for unexpected expenses.

Before long, the clerk brought Mister Yao over, and Yu Nan personally greeted him at the door.

This Mister Yao arrived quite promptly. From the clerk’s departure to his arrival, it had been just over half an hour. He must live nearby, Li Banfeng thought.

Li Banfeng had assumed Mister Yao would be a renowned doctor from Hundred Fragrance Village.

A renowned doctor should look the part, Li Banfeng mused. He had envisioned an elder carrying a medicine box, wearing thick glasses, and exuding a sage-like aura.

When he finally met Mister Yao, Li Banfeng realized his vision was somewhat off.

Mister Yao wore no glasses, nor did he carry a medicine box.

He was certainly an elder, but as for ’sage-like’... that depended on one’s definition.

Even before the old man entered, Li Banfeng smelled a pungent scent of alcohol.

Mixed with the alcohol was a smoky aroma, somewhat reminiscent of the barbecue shops Li Banfeng knew.

Had the old man just come from a barbecue?

Mister Yao staggered into the room, holding a Wine Gourd. He took a large swig of alcohol, blew his nose, and nonchalantly wiped it on the wall. Then, he felt Little Fatty’s forehead.

"This child seems to have a fever. Could it be a cold?" Mister Yao asked.

Little Fatty was speechless.

Li Banfeng observed Mister Yao: his tattered clothes, the battered hat riddled with holes, his flushed cheeks, and a drinker’s nose even redder than his face.

Li Banfeng asked, "Sir, have you come to the wrong place?"

Mister Yao belched, spraying Li Banfeng’s face with liquor-laced breath. "Who says I’m in the wrong place? Didn’t you call me here?"

Li Banfeng, smelling the intensity of the alcohol on the belch, remarked, "You’ve drunk at least a pound of it, haven’t you?"

Mister Yao shook his head and held up three fingers. "Closer to six pounds, and there’s still half a pound left in the Gourd. I tell you, that’s no mistake."

Concerned that Li Banfeng might worry, Yu Nan whispered, "Seventh Master, don’t worry. Mister Yao truly has skills."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I think Old Master Yao seems quite good."

Mister Yao approached Qin Xiaopang and asked, "What’s your name?"

Qin Xiaopang furrowed his brows. "Didn’t we meet this afternoon? My surname is Qin."

"Surname Qin? Have we met?" Mister Yao scratched his scalp and pondered for a moment. "Well, let’s just say we have."

After that, Old Master Yao blew his nose again. Finding nowhere else to wipe it, he simply used his own trousers.

His trousers look like they’re growing moss. No, wait... that doesn’t seem like moss...

Old Master Yao then took Little Fatty’s pulse. After feeling for a while, he asked, "Miss Qin, how many months pregnant are you?"

Qin Xiaopang looked at Mister Yao and exclaimed, "I’m a Food Cultivator, and I’m a man!"

Mister Yao burped again, frowning. "Who says all Food Cultivators are men? I’ve known a female Food Cultivator who could eat half a cow in one sitting!"

Little Fatty shook his head. "We’re not talking about the same thing. I’m not pregnant; I’ve been hit with a Spell. Didn’t you see it this afternoon?"

"Have I seen it? Let me look again. If you’re not pregnant, why is your belly so big?"

"That’s not my belly..."

Qin Xiaopang’s lower body was curled up under the blanket, which, from the outside, did indeed resemble a large belly.

Old Master Yao lifted the blanket and felt around on Qin Xiaopang’s legs. "What’s wrong with your hand?" he asked.

"That’s my leg!" Although Qin Xiaopang had already experienced a round of this at noon, he still couldn’t help but get annoyed with Mister Yao.

Mister Yao felt Little Fatty’s leg carefully for a long while, his scattered demeanor suddenly becoming focused.

"I’ve seen you before. I saw you this afternoon."

Little Fatty was overjoyed. "You remember!"

Old Master Yao’s voice grew serious. "If we delay another day, you won’t be able to father children."

Qin Xiaopang retorted angrily, "I’m a man!"

Old Master Yao continued, "Don’t men need to procreate? You’re about to become incapacitated."

Qin Xiaopang fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Old Master Yao went on, "If this isn’t cured by tonight, you’ll become impotent.

"By this time tomorrow, you won’t be able to walk anymore.

"And if it’s still not treated in three days, you can buy him a coffin and prepare for his funeral."

Qin Xiaopang looked to Li Banfeng. He is my last hope.

Li Banfeng nodded to Old Master Yao. "Please, save his life."

Old Yao took a swig of alcohol and wiped his mouth. "The price we agreed on this afternoon: two hundred thousand, not a penny less."

Li Banfeng pulled out a hemp sack and emptied it, revealing twenty stacks of Huan Country Banknotes. "Two hundred thousand, every penny accounted for. It’s all here!"

"Straightforward!" Old Master Yao exclaimed admiringly, grabbing the sack and heading toward the door.

Everyone was stunned. Li Banfeng shouted, "Wait a minute! You haven’t treated him yet!"

Old Master Yao put down the sack, walked over to Li Banfeng, and smiled sheepishly. "I almost forgot about that. You lie down first."

Li Banfeng lay down.

Old Yao asked Li Banfeng, "Which leg is it that can’t move?"

Which leg was it? Li Banfeng thought carefully.

Qin Xiaopang shouted angrily, "It’s my leg!"

Old Master Yao approached Yu Nan, beaming. "Miss, give me a cigarette."

Yu Nan quickly gave a cigarette to Old Yao and fetched a match to light it for him.

GLUG, GLUG. Old Yao emptied the Wine Gourd, then approached Little Fatty. He took a drag from the cigarette and then—PUFF!—he spat out a gout of flame!

Qin Xiaopang cried out in alarm as his entire body caught fire.

Li Banfeng was surprised. "Old Yao, can he be cured like this?"

Old Master Yao looked at the blazing Little Fatty, his face a mask of confusion. "What happened to him? Is he sick? I just burped. How did he catch fire?"

PS: Dear readers, please leave a message for Shala on this beautiful Saturday.