Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'
Chapter 77 - 64 - Jianghu Rules: Reciprocity

Chapter 77: 64 Chapter Jianghu Rules: Reciprocity

Li Banfeng found a few more watermelon seeds on other weapons. "Manager Yu, I wasn’t wrong. You’ve indeed been chopping watermelons all day long."

Yu Nan carefully recalled the battle scene. Whether they shot with guns or slashed with knives, the employees of the Geng Family Medicine Shop would bleed but never fall to the ground. Moreover, throughout the whole process, Yu Nan did not hear a single word from the shop employees, not even a cry.

Could they all be watermelons?

Could the blood they were shedding be watermelon juice?

Why would watermelons grow into human shapes? Why could they even fight?

Zhang Shiquan, the oldest storekeeper in the cloth shop, took a puff of his dry pipe and speculated, "Farming Cultivation endures hardships to become successful; at the Fifth Layer, they dominate as lords and marquises. We might have encountered a Farming Cultivator who has ’become successful’!"

Farming Cultivation?

Aside from hardship, Li Banfeng had no other concept of this Taoist Sect.

"What do you mean by ’become successful’?" Li Banfeng asked directly.

The old storekeeper explained, "It’s a common saying in our circles. Farming Cultivation is arduous, and few people practice it. But if one can persevere in cultivating to the Fifth Layer, they’re considered to have ’become successful.’ The things they can grow are all sorts of strange and wonderful. Combat watermelons like these... I’ve lived a long time and have never seen them before. I guess these were grown from seeds specially prepared by a Farming Cultivator."

Yu Nan thought about it and shook her head slightly. "Who do the Geng Family think they are? How could they afford a Fifth Layer Farming Cultivator? Besides, I’ve never heard of a Fifth Layer Farming Cultivator in Medicine King Valley!"

The old storekeeper filled his pipe again. "Manager, Farming Cultivators live a hard life; they work for money. This one probably hasn’t come out to fight, just to sell a few watermelons. Moreover, once a Farming Cultivator loses their land, they definitely need to find new land to cultivate. Medicine King Valley has plenty of New Land. It’s quite possible a Farming Cultivator came here and was encountered by the Geng Family."

New Land? What does that mean?

I always hear new terms.

Li Banfeng didn’t interject; he didn’t want to interrupt everyone’s train of thought.

But their train of thought had already been disrupted. Fifth Layer Cultivators were opponents Yu Nan dared not even dream of facing, especially a Farming Cultivator who had "become successful." No one knew how to deal with such a being.

Yu Nan turned her gaze to Li Banfeng.

Everyone looked at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng blinked. "Why are you looking at me? I’ve never seen a Farming Cultivator either."

The old storekeeper took a puff of his pipe and sighed. "Experts speak three parts of their words, leaving seven. We have to comprehend the rest ourselves."

Hearing this, the crowd continued to look earnestly at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng didn’t speak.

He had detected the opponents were watermelons by the unique scent left on the blades. However, as for how to deal with a Farming Cultivator, Li Banfeng had no such experience or a mature plan.

But Li Banfeng did have experience dealing with powerful enemies that couldn’t be overcome quickly. As an orphan who grew up in a welfare institute, he had encountered far too many such adversaries.

"Besides Hundred Fragrance Village, do you have any other places to stay?" The advice Li Banfeng gave was for them to flee immediately.

Yu Nan had just suffered a defeat and was leading a group of wounded men. She was clueless about Geng Zhiwei’s methods; staying here was simply asking for death.

What was worse, she and her Yu Family Gang were still thinking in terms of Jianghu rules.

With their current mindset and understanding, facing a ruthless person like Geng Zhiwei, not running meant waiting for death.

"Run?" Wang Xuejiao, Eighth Brother’s sister, stood up. "We’ve come this far, where can we run to? Are we going to abandon our pride completely?"

Li Banfeng found Yu Nan’s thinking contradictory. "When you ran from Li Gou to Hundred Flowers Village back then," he said, "you didn’t seem so concerned about face, did you?"

Yu Nan shook her head. "That’s different. Back then, it was to guard against their sneak attacks; now they’re attacking openly."

"Can’t you guard against an open attack?" Li Banfeng still couldn’t understand.

"Boss Li, you don’t understand Jianghu," Wang Xuejiao sneered. "When an enemy comes at you openly, you can prepare to fight them. But if you run, the Yu Family’s banner will be utterly toppled!"

Li Banfeng glanced over everyone. "If you all die here, wouldn’t the Yu Family’s banner be toppled just the same?"

Wang Xuejiao puffed out her chest, as if showcasing an enormous conscience, and declared, "Of course not! With our lives, we will have raised the Yu Family’s banner high!"

Li Banfeng said, "And if Geng Zhiwei tramples the Yu Family’s banner into the dirt and then urinates on it, what can you do?"

Wang Xuejiao retorted angrily, "He wouldn’t dare!"

"But what if he does dare? What can you do then? You’ll all be dead. Can you jump up and fight him?" Li Banfeng continued to survey everyone.

The truths of this world were often simple, yet there were always those who couldn’t understand them.

Wang Xuejiao looked down and mumbled, "That’s just the way of Jianghu..."

"Can the dead discuss rules with him?" Li Banfeng asked again. Wang Xuejiao was unconvinced, and so was everyone else, but none of them could answer.

The Old Storekeeper knocked his pipe, his gaze falling on Yu Nan. He understood Li Banfeng’s words; he grasped the underlying truth. "Manager," he said, "let’s go. Let’s hide out in Jiangyue Mountain’s New Land for a while."

Yu Nan nodded slightly upon hearing this, and the others said no more.

As the group went back to pack their bags, Yu Nan asked Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, why don’t you come with us? Life in the New Land might be tough, but Geng Zhiwei wouldn’t dare to chase us there."

"What exactly is this New Land?" Li Banfeng asked, not afraid to show his ignorance.

Yu Nan was getting used to this. She didn’t know if Li Banfeng truly didn’t understand or if he was deliberately probing. "New Land is the Land of Rebirth," she explained. "Every year, Medicine King Valley has three to five such new lands, each the size of two or three villages."

New lands every year?

Li Banfeng shook his head; he still didn’t understand.

Yu Nan continued to explain, "It’s like two mountains that were originally next to each other. After a year, they suddenly move farther apart, and a large expanse of empty land appears between them—that is New Land. Most New Lands are flatlands, but there are exceptions. Some are hills, some are canyons, some are marshes, and some are even lakes..."

Li Banfeng’s eyes widened. "Medicine King Valley... grows its own land?"

Yu Nan nodded. "Not just Medicine King Valley. It happens in many places, every year."

Li Banfeng pulled over a chair, sat down, and took a sip of water, trying to calm his repeatedly shaken understanding of the world.

Yu Nan reminded him gently, "Seventh Master, you should pack your things. It’s time for us to set off."

"No rush," Li Banfeng waved his hand. "You go first, and take Little Fatty with you. I still have things to take care of here."

...

At two in the morning, Yu Nan led everyone away from Hundred Fragrance Village.

By three-thirty, Geng Zhiwei, leading over a hundred men, barged into Yu Nan’s residence.

These men split into two groups. One group consisted of living people: some stood behind Geng Zhiwei, clamoring and shouting with fierce expressions, while others surrounded the outside of the house, sealing it off completely.

The other group was quiet. They didn’t speak, their expressions wooden. These were the "Watermelon People" Geng Zhiwei had bought from a Farming Cultivator.

These Watermelon People also held weapons like knives and axes, but currently, their only function was to walk.

A servant holding a cloth bag took out a handful of brown granules and stuffed them into a Watermelon Person’s mouth. The granules carried a pungent, fishy odor. They were fertilizer for the Watermelon People.

After consuming the fertilizer, this Watermelon Person raised its knife, ready for battle.

Before long, over twenty Watermelon People had consumed the fertilizer.

Two servants cut up a dozen or so watermelons and brought them over. These watermelons were quite special: extraordinarily sweet but with a fishy taste, very different from ordinary ones.

Geng Zhiwei picked up two pieces of watermelon and munched on them. After a short while, his face turned red, and he was sweating profusely.

Jia Quansheng and a group of servants were also eating watermelons.

Li Banfeng, hiding in the house, had a clear view through a crack in the window.

Why are they eating watermelons?

Li Banfeng didn’t understand.

But he soon would.

Geng Zhiwei yelled, "Kill!"

The Watermelon People possessed limited Spiritual Wisdom. If Geng Zhiwei ordered them to move, they would follow him. If he ordered them to kill, it meant they would slay anyone they saw.

However, the Watermelon People only killed humans and did no harm to watermelons. Geng Zhiwei and his men had eaten watermelons, causing them to exude the fruit’s scent from the inside out. Consequently, the Watermelon People would not harm them and would obey their orders.

This was their way of distinguishing friend from foe.

Taking advantage of his Home Cultivation, Li Banfeng quietly slipped into the backyard and hid in the firewood shed.

A man pushed open the door and walked into the shed. Li Banfeng sniffed the air and caught the unique sweetness of watermelon.

It’s a Watermelon Person.

Watermelon People were everywhere, in both the front and backyards.

All the dangerous tasks, like "testing for traps," were left to the Watermelon People.

If Yu Nan hadn’t left, no matter how many ambushes she had prepared, she would have ultimately only clashed with these Watermelon People. She would have had no chance of even scratching Geng Zhiwei.

Once Yu Nan’s side was decimated, Geng Zhiwei would order his men, who were lying in wait outside, to close the net. Not a single member of Yu Nan’s group would escape.

Geng Zhiwei was intent on annihilating them.

He would not spare Yu Nan, nor would he spare Li Banfeng. That was the one thing Yu Nan had been right about.

This was why Li Banfeng had stayed behind.

Yu Nan had been defeated by Geng Zhiwei; soon, it would be Li Banfeng’s turn.

What should Li Banfeng do?

The logic was simple: fight if you can win, run if you can’t.

Could Li Banfeng defeat Geng Zhiwei?

Previously, no. But now, it was debatable.

Li Banfeng had observed the Watermelon People’s characteristics and now understood Geng Zhiwei’s methods.

He had a chance to win; it all depended on how he fought.

Eat a watermelon every day and be on constant guard against Geng Zhiwei?

Would that work?

No, it wouldn’t.

There were three reasons.

First, Li Banfeng wasn’t sure if the watermelons Geng Zhiwei ate were ordinary ones.

Second, Li Banfeng didn’t know when Geng Zhiwei might strike; he couldn’t be eating watermelons constantly.

Third, Geng Zhiwei knew a Fifth Layer Farming Cultivator. If Geng Zhiwei switched to "Carrot People" tomorrow, what would Li Banfeng do then?

So, relying solely on eating watermelons couldn’t solve the problem at its root.

Should he wage open war against Geng Zhiwei here and now?

It was too difficult. Geng Zhiwei was too well-prepared. The chances of winning by surprise alone were extremely slim.

Jianghu matters still had to be resolved using Jianghu methods.

Jianghu rules emphasized reciprocity.

First, I came to his home as a guest—uninvited, indeed—but that’s a ’visit.’ Then, I should send him to a nice place—though it’s a one-way trip—but that’s ’sending off.’ Isn’t that reciprocity? Isn’t that playing by Jianghu rules?

As for rules about open attacks versus sneak attacks, Li Banfeng didn’t understand them yet.

The Watermelon Person who entered the shed saw Li Banfeng and swung its knife to chop.

Li Banfeng grabbed a shovel, tore an opening in the Watermelon Person’s stomach, reached into the wound, and scooped out a handful of watermelon flesh.

Yes, it was watermelon flesh, bright red and complete with seeds.

Unaware of pain, the Watermelon Person continued to chop with its knife.

Li Banfeng smeared the watermelon flesh on his face, emitting the scent of watermelon.

The Watermelon Person still kept chopping.

It didn’t work!

Indeed, it didn’t. During the day, when Yu Nan’s group clashed with the Watermelon People, they too had been splattered with watermelon juice, but the Watermelon People certainly hadn’t gone easy on them.

Smearing it on his face was ineffective; the watermelon flesh had to be ingested. The watermelon scent needed to emanate from the inside out.

Luckily, while Watermelon People could take a beating, they weren’t particularly skilled fighters. With Li Banfeng’s abilities, he was more than capable of maneuvering around this one.

In the midst of the fight, Li Banfeng grabbed another handful of watermelon flesh and swallowed it.

The watermelon was sweet yet astringent. Li Banfeng barely managed to gulp it down.

The Watermelon Person continued to swing its knife. Li Banfeng was startled. He had already eaten the watermelon, so why wasn’t it working?

Had he not eaten enough?

Dodging the Watermelon Person’s blade, Li Banfeng grabbed another large handful of watermelon flesh from its wound and stuffed it into his mouth.

This is awful! Why is it so astringent? The astringency made Li Banfeng break into a sweat.

The Watermelon Person sniffed. It detected the watermelon scent on Li Banfeng, a scent coming from within. Its knife, poised in mid-air, froze.

"Watermelon People" do not harm watermelons.

Li Banfeng opened his Portable Residence and, turning, pushed the key deep into the Watermelon Person’s stomach, burying it far inside.

Li Banfeng vanished. The Watermelon Person, still gripping its chopping knife, silently left the firewood shed.

PS: This Chapter is so long; let’s give Shala a shoutout!