Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'
Chapter 86 - 73 Covenant of the New Land

Chapter 86: Chapter 73 Covenant of the New Land

In the wilderness, private detective Da Boyins was sprinting like mad.

The tails of his tuxedo had been mostly torn off, and his top hat was being chewed in the mouth of the Straw Moth Lady.

The Straw Moth Lady found the hat’s taste not to her liking. After chewing a few bites, she tossed it to the roadside.

She spat out a mouthful of insect silk, binding Da Boyins’s feet, and moved in close, saying, "Be my man, I’ll take good care of you."

"Madam, I might not be the type you fancy." Da Boyins’s body swelled rapidly, transforming into a massive spider.

He struggled free of the insect silk and spat out a mouthful of spider silk, hanging himself from a tree.

The Straw Moth Lady was quite delighted. "I just love men like you. I love the way you produce silk."

Da Boyins gazed at the Straw Moth Lady with his eight eyes. "Although I don’t know what you’ve been through, Madam, I have my own wife."

The Straw Moth Lady laughed. "Is your wife prettier than me? Better at pampering than me?"

Da Boyins still wanted to escape, and the Straw Moth Lady was ready to pursue.

Could he escape?

Yes!

The Straw Moth Lady hadn’t been harsh with either Li Banfeng or Da Boyins. She didn’t want to kill; she just wanted to play.

I couldn’t beat her.

Nor could I shake her off.

Should I just let her have her fun?

But could I endure that?

Thinking this, Da Boyins suddenly let out a smile, a smile that carried a hero’s fearlessness and detachment.

How many pains and trials have I experienced to get to where I am today?

What does this bit of humiliation amount to?

His eight eyes flickered for a moment, and Da Boyins bowed. "Madam, may we have a talk first?"

"What’s there to talk about? Hurry up and consummate!" The enormous green caterpillar pressed down on the spider.

This was within Da Boyins’s expectations.

The immense Bagworm Moth, her body shaking violently.

Da Boyins closed his eight eyes, his eight legs clinging tightly to the spider silk.

...

Li Banfeng slid down from the roof of the wooden hut. Yu Nan didn’t know how he had entered Yu Family Village, and Li Banfeng offered no explanation.

He was hungry and very tired.

After eating something, taking a bath, and changing his clothes, Li Banfeng regained some strength. When Yu Nan mentioned the detective, Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then said, "Detective Da Boyins, he’s a good man."

Yu Nan asked, "What exactly is your issue with him? Why did he make a move against you?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don’t know; I don’t know him."

Yu Nan was even more puzzled by Li Banfeng’s thinking. "If you don’t know him, why do you say he’s a good man?"

Li Banfeng was puzzled by Yu Nan’s thinking too. "Didn’t you just see? If he hadn’t rescued me, how could I have gotten rid of that bug?"

He... saved you...? Yu Nan couldn’t agree with this claim.

Li Banfeng agreed strongly. "No matter what his intentions were, in the end, he did a good deed. One day, I must find him and thank him in person."

"You still want to thank him in person?" Yu Nan shook her head repeatedly. "Seventh Master, that private detective wants to kill you. You mustn’t go looking for him. I’m afraid he might be linked to the Geng Family."

At this, Yu Nan brought up the issue she cared most about. "The Geng Family Medicine Shop caught fire, Geng Zhiwei is dead. Do you know about this?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I know. I killed Geng Zhiwei. You can go back to Li Gou and continue with your cloth shop."

Yu Nan was dumbfounded, not expecting such a direct answer from Li Banfeng. "No, no, I didn’t understand. Seventh Master, did you single-handedly burn down the Geng Family Medicine Shop and kill Geng Zhiwei?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "You can’t really say I was alone. Someone helped me."

Who could have helped him?

Yu Nan was very curious but dared not ask more.

Li Banfeng said, "Tomorrow, I will get six hundred thousand in cash for you. Help me deliver it to Senior Mr. Yao. Five hundred thousand is for repaying a debt, and the remaining hundred thousand is for buying things."

"Buying what?" Yu Nan was utterly baffled.

Li Banfeng said, "Two sheets of paper, the price I agreed upon with Old Master Yao."

Yu Nan was stunned for a while.

Before Yu Nan’s father died, he gave her a plaque which only bore the character "Yao" to worship Elder Yao. According to her father, Elder Yao was a hermit, and in front of such a recluse, one mustn’t utter a word out of line. That was the rule.

Why had Elder Yao become so familiar with Li Banfeng just after meeting him once?

"Seventh Master, did you do something against the rules?"

Li Banfeng couldn’t be bothered to explain.

It’s because you have so many rules that Elder Yao is so distant from you.

Yu Nan’s thoughts were in disarray, and she had to put aside the issue of Elder Yao for the moment. "Seventh Master, what’s your plan going forward?"

Li Banfeng had burned down the Geng Family Medicine Shop and killed Geng Zhiwei. The Geng Family wouldn’t let him off, and neither would the Jiang Xiang Gang. Li Banfeng couldn’t stay in Medicine King Valley anymore; he probably couldn’t stay in the whole of Puluo State either.

Li Banfeng had long been prepared. "Manager Yu," he said, "help me inquire where I can get a Guide Token to the Outside Provinces."

Going to the Outside Provinces seemed to be the only way out.

"Seventh Master, I’m not lying to you. I really haven’t dealt with this before, so I have no confidence. Besides, it will cost a lot, and I’ll need some time to raise the funds."

"How much money is needed?" When it came to money, Li Banfeng was very confident.

"I heard someone managed to get one. In Huan Country Banknotes, it would be about twenty million."

"Twenty million?" Li Banfeng’s eyes nearly popped out.

"Seventh Master, don’t worry. You have shown us kindness, so I will find a way to get this money," Yu Nan spoke sincerely. Since Li Banfeng was willing to avenge her, no matter how difficult it was to obtain the Guide Token to the Outside Provinces, Yu Nan would do her utmost.