CHAPTER 356: CHAPTER 242 CONTINUOUS SINCERITY

Li Banfeng crouched beside the mountain path for an entire day, robbing several carts of grain, livestock, fabric, and daily necessities.

When he stole a cart of miscellaneous goods, Li Banfeng even made a point of sharing his assessment with the robbed farmers, "Look at this Snow Cream, the quality is clearly subpar. I’m an expert in this area; the Peddler is my junior brother!"

Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying pushed the small cart back and forth, hauling load after load into the cave until it was piled high with food, drink, and daily supplies.

The children ate until their bellies were round. Xiao Yeci then took a needle, thread, and a measuring tape from the pile of sundries to make clothes for them.

These children each had only one set of clothes, which had become caked in mud during their escape. They had spent over a month hiding in the deep mountains and old forests. During that time, their clothes had become riddled with holes. There had been no time to sew or wash them, and they looked truly ragged.

This task, at least, felt somewhat proper, Li Banfeng thought, considering he had stolen so much fabric specifically to make clothes for the children.

After dinner, Li Banfeng began to ask each child about their origins.

A child named Xiao Suo had been playing outside his courtyard when he encountered a Medicine Candy seller. The man claimed business was booming that day and offered him free candy, asking only that Xiao Suo help draw a crowd.

After eating the candy, Xiao Suo felt dizzy. The Medicine Candy seller told him to follow, and he did, all the way onto a carriage.

Once on the carriage, he wanted to go home but found he couldn’t. If he dared to move, the candy seller would beat him severely.

Several other children had very similar experiences. Some had encountered sugar-blowers, some had met people showing foreign films, and others had come across puppet show performers.

These were all common tricks used by the Jiang Xiang Gang to abduct children. Li Banfeng had heard of similar incidents in both the Outside Provinces and Puluo State.

However, a few other children had been sent to this place by their own parents, a fact Li Banfeng found difficult to understand.

Their parents were outsiders, unable to afford to settle in Respect Virtue Village. So, they spent all their savings to send their children there. They hoped their children would receive the Saint’s education and have a chance to stand out from the crowd.

"Don’t your parents come to visit you?"

The younger children remained silent.

An older child shouted, "My dad came once! I told him I wanted to go home, and he slapped me twice! I never saw him again."

The children who grew up here were accustomed to torture.

The abducted children were forced to endure torment.

And what about these children, willingly sent by their parents? How did they fit into this?

As Li Banfeng was deep in thought, he suddenly heard Lu Chunying shout, "Mom, that group of scoundrels is back to steal food!"

Li Banfeng stepped outside and saw about a dozen teenagers standing at a distance, confronting Lu Chunying.

A teenager, about thirteen or fourteen and holding a bamboo stick, yelled at Lu Chunying, "We’re not wasting words on a mere errand runner like you! Tell your boss to come out and talk!"

Xiao Yeci walked out of the cave.

The teenager cupped his fists at Xiao Yeci and said, "In the Jianghu, we uphold the banner of the Ancestral Master and rely on a moral code as solid as Golden Mountain. Big sister, you’re clearly skilled at making money. Having tasted all the delicacies of mountains and seas, please spare a bowl of soup for us junior brothers!"

The others behind him were all shouting and making a racket. Xiao Yeci was both angry and annoyed. Looking at these children, she was momentarily speechless. "Oh, you little rascals! You come here to steal and still have the nerve to speak so aggressively!"

Li Banfeng emerged from the cave and responded seriously, "Fellows in the business, what’s your line?"

Seeing Li Banfeng, the group of youngsters visibly deflated.

They didn’t know Li Banfeng’s cultivation level, but the sight of an adult man naturally instilled fear in them.

The leading child, mustering his courage, replied, "We are disciples under Seventh Master. If you haven’t heard of Seventh Master’s name, just go to our place and ask around!"

Seventh Master?

Li Banfeng paused for a moment, considered the child’s accent, and asked, "Are you from Hai Chi Ridge?"

The child nodded. "You have sharp eyes, Big Brother!"

Li Banfeng said, "Throw out a vine!"

The child thought for a long time before stammering, "Cor... cor... corner..."

Li Banfeng smiled.

He must have been trying to say Corner Vine.

"Your surname is Niu. Do you know Pancake Village?" Almost every family in Pancake Village was named Niu.

The child nodded. "I’m from Pancake Village! My name is Niu Guangda!"

"Do you know Niu Fuzhi?"

"Niu the hero, blessed and determined—that’s my father’s elder brother."

Li Banfeng smiled.

How could this boy have ended up here?

"Were you abducted by Human Traffickers?"

Niu Guangda shook his head. "My dad sent me here. He said it was for me to learn real skills."

Li Banfeng looked at the other children. "Are these children with you?"

"They aren’t from Pancake Village, but just like me, they were all sent by their parents to Respect Virtuous Village."

Respect Virtuous Village. So these children had escaped from yet another village.

Li Banfeng nodded. "Call all your people over. There’s food here!"

Niu Guangda hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Sir, we haven’t had the honor of asking your esteemed name."

Xiao Yeci tugged at Li Banfeng’s sleeve. "Benefactor, the Jianghu is a dangerous place. Some things shouldn’t be told to others so easily."

Tell others so easily? Does she even know my name?

In fact, Xiao Yeci was just like them; she didn’t know Li Banfeng’s name either.

Li Banfeng looked at Niu Guangda and said, "My surname is En. You can call me Benefactor."

His surname is En...

Niu Guangda turned to the children beside him. "Has anyone here studied the Hundred Family Surnames? Is En a surname?"

...

That night, Niu Guangda and a dozen other children stayed in the adjacent cave. Li Banfeng shared a good amount of food with them but also laid down the rules.

"Food and drink aren’t free. Tomorrow, you all have to work for it."

Niu Guangda, a sensible youth, stood straight and said to Li Banfeng, "We understand that one should not reap without sowing. Without Benefactor giving us a bowl of rice, even if we survive today, we’ll be dead from hunger tomorrow. Since Benefactor has commanded, we place our lives in your hands. Whether we climb a mountain of blades or descend into a sea of flames, it’s all up to you, Benefactor."

Li Banfeng listened, then said after a moment of silence, "There are two things I need to make clear to you.

"First, your lives are your own. Don’t entrust them to anyone.

"Second, don’t carelessly make promises about climbing mountains of blades or descending into seas of flames. Just do what is within your capabilities. Don’t devalue your promises, and don’t devalue yourselves. Do you understand?"

Niu Guangda didn’t quite grasp it, so Li Banfeng put it more plainly, "Tomorrow, I’m going out for some legitimate business. Robbery... have any of you done that before?"

Niu Guangda didn’t dare to boast.

Beside him, a young fellow named Fang Lianfu, his eyes bright and sharp, said to Li Banfeng, "Benefactor, to be honest, we have thought about robbery before..."

Niu Guangda kicked Fang Lianfu, his action implying, Way to make us sound like we only dare to think about it and never do anything!

"Benefactor, we can handle legitimate business," Niu Guangda quickly added. "I’ll take a few brave lads with me. You just need to give us a few pointers from the side."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "You don’t know who to rob or who you *can* rob. It’s not your turn to get involved in the actual fighting. Find a few strong ones who can push carts and have them wait on the hillside. Once I’m done with my business, go get the goods and bring them back. If you can handle that, it means you haven’t let me down."

The next day, Li Banfeng took everyone to the mountain road to conduct their "business." They continued this for three straight days, and news spread through dozens of surrounding villages.

Most villagers were too scared to go up the mountain alone, but their offerings to the Saint could not be interrupted.

If the offerings ceased, their sincerity would be broken. Without sincerity, what hope was there for their children’s education?

The villagers conferred. Six villages decided to join forces, dispatching sixty able-bodied men to escort the villagers delivering grain up the mountain.

These six villages put on a grand display. The day before departure, each village prepared a banquet to bolster the spirits of the sixty strongmen.

On the day of departure, each of the six villages unfurled a large banner to lead their contingent. The banners were inscribed with their respective village names: "Respect Virtue," "Respect Virtuous," "Admiring the Saint," "Enlightened Virtue," "Virtuous Thinking," and "Cherishing Grace."

Behind the banners stood six middle-aged men, carefully selected from the villages. They were experienced, worldly-wise, and knowledgeable in the ways of the Jianghu.

As they set out, the strongmen shouted in unison, "Old Hep!"

This was a call used by People of the Jianghu, meaning, "We are People of the Jianghu, so watch yourselves!"

The sixty men formed two columns, protecting the villagers transporting grain and supplies in the middle.

As they approached a bridge, one of the middle-aged men at the front shouted, "Hanging Beam! Proceed with caution! Old Hep!"

This call had a dual meaning: it urged their own people to move quickly, as there might be an ambush, and it warned any potential ambushers that they were experienced and prepared.

When they were about to ascend the mountain, they shouted again, "Positions tight! Old Hep!" conveying a similar message of vigilance.

They crossed a hill without incident. The villagers transporting the grain sighed with relief. "To make your way in the Jianghu, you must understand its customs. Brute force alone will never be enough."

These Jianghu-seasoned strongmen also felt a swell of pride. Disciples of the Saint usually looked down on people like them, but now, being able to lend their strength for the Saint’s cause had earned them some respect.

Ahead lay another mountain. The group rested briefly before continuing up the mountain path, their formation remaining tight.

Halfway up the mountain path, dozens of young women suddenly appeared, walking down from above.

One of the strongmen shouted loudly, "Sliding Beam! Many ahead! Maintain formation! Old Hep!"

This meant there were many people approaching, so they needed to be extra careful.

They were truly acting like seasoned People of the Jianghu, not letting their guard down just because the approaching group consisted of women.

Several strongmen instructed the villagers to clear a path and let the women pass first.

The women, however, stopped in front of the convoy, smiling, and made no move to continue.

These villagers had all been educated by the Saint and would not easily fall for a beauty trap. The leading strongman stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, "The Ancestral Master provides for us all. Sisters, you have dined across the world, while we brothers only seek a humble meal. Please, sisters, leave a little something for us."

The women did not leave. Instead, they all drew weapons.

The strongman’s brow furrowed. It seemed that reasoning would not resolve the situation today.

"Sisters, must we come to blows? We’ve spoken politely, but it seems to have been useless. In that case, let’s get down to it! You are skilled combatants, but we are no fledglings either! Round and round it goes, let’s all grab our weapons—"

BANG!

One of the young women swung a club and knocked the strongman to the ground.

Dozens of other young women surged forward, clubs raised, and began beating the men mercilessly over their heads.

These "girls" were Li Banfeng’s paper figures. Against Cultivators, they couldn’t be said to be truly effective fighters, but they could serve to hinder them.

Seeing such a large contingent, Li Banfeng had initially assumed there would be at least a few Cultivators among them.

As it turned out, they were all White Lamb.

After little more than a minute of fighting, the sixty strongmen, along with the group of villagers, had all been beaten and driven away.

Li Banfeng recalled all the paper figures, bringing them back to his Portable Residence to let them dissipate on their own.

Niu Guangda, leading a few of the older boys as per Li Banfeng’s instructions, went up the mountain and collected the dozens of carts laden with goods.

These villages had poured so much into this, and still couldn’t deliver their goods. They must be ready to give up by now.

Three days later, over two hundred people came to escort grain and supplies up the mountain.

This time, it wasn’t able-bodied men, but elderly people, all over sixty years old.

As the old folks ascended the mountain, they shouted, "Heroes of the Green Forest Path! We are all just one foot in the grave! If you have the heart to rob us, then take what you want from our very bodies!"

Li Banfeng couldn’t help but laugh, though it was a frustrated one.

Just how great was this Saint’s favor to them all? What was the point of sending these old people up the mountain?

Looking at the crowd of elders, Li Banfeng sighed and said, "Alright then! Seeing as you are all of such advanced age, this filial piety of yours... I’ll accept it on behalf of my son!"

PS: Ban Feng is a plain and honest person.