Wan Jinxian made his way back to the village by feeling his way there using a bamboo cane. When he arrived, he sent a message to He Jiaqing.

"The plan has failed. Han Juncheng couldn't subdue Zhao Xiaowan and was pinned down in front of the residence."

He Jiaqing was in an extremely foul mood.

He knew Han Juncheng aimed high but lacked the ability and experience.

However, it was not easy to subdue a level-six Homebound Cultivator, so He Jiaqing had accommodated him at every turn, even waiting for a more ideal opportunity before having him take action.

Unexpectedly, He Jiaqing lost the undercover agent he had painstakingly nurtured near Iron Gate Fort for years so easily.

This was not Wan Jinxian's fault, and He Jiaqing had no reason to vent his anger on him.

Wan Jinxian asked, "What should we do next?"

He Jiaqing pondered for a long time before saying, "Wait for the Jiangxiang Gang's move. If Luo Zhengnan manages to obtain it, we'll snatch it from him."

Wan Jinxian agreed. "Snatching it midway is the best strategy, but I'm worried Luo Zhengnan will have a hard time succeeding. Even a level-six Homebound Cultivator is nothing before that dwelling spirit. In all my years in the jianghu, I've never encountered such a situation."

"The Flying General Zhao Xiaowan, one of the first Wanderlust Cultivators, is naturally no ordinary figure. Unfortunately, we have too few Homebound Cultivators. One misstep, and we lost the opportunity. But if Iron Gate Fort intends to hand Zhao Xiaowan over to Luo Zhengnan, then it's a different matter. Iron Gate Fort has plenty of Homebound Cultivators. We may have failed once, but we can try again. There are three hundred Homebound Cultivators; one of them is bound to succeed," He Jiaqing said. In his eyes, those Homebound Cultivators were nothing more than numbers.

He let out a sigh. "Iron Gate Fort is a good place. Sooner or later, I'll have it under my control. Old Wan, you've worked hard tonight. Stay away from Iron Gate Fort for the next few days, lest you rouse suspicion."

***

Li Banfeng stood before the main residence, watching Han Juncheng, who was still wailing in agony.

He wanted to ask what exactly this man had gone through in the secondary building, but at the sight of that mighty and threatening spear, Li Banfeng did not dare to approach.

Is this spear the true form of the dwelling spirit? Who sent this man, who is now pinned down by the spear? The Jiangxiang Gang? Or some other force?

Li Banfeng could not figure it out, but he knew something major was about to happen in Iron Gate Fort. If this dwelling spirit were not dealt with in time, Iron Gate Fort would face a total catastrophe.

Han Juncheng was still screaming. "Father! Save me! Save me!"

His cries sent chills down Li Banfeng's spine.

***

News of Han Juncheng spread throughout Iron Gate Fort.

An evil presence had appeared in the fort. Someone had been pinned to death in the eastern secondary building of the main residence. He died inside Iron Gate Fort's forbidden zone!

What kind of omen was this? It was a sign of impending disaster!

The Homebound Cultivators, who were superstitious even on normal days, were terrified by the news. Some bought incense and candles, and others bought talismans. Some even switched out their door gods[1] with new ones.

Luo Zhengnan was selling vegetables at the market when Sun Xiao'an, the Virtuous Adept of the Second Branch, walked over. He appeared to be picking produce, but was actually speaking with Luo Zhengnan in secret.

"A bit of a commotion occurred in Iron Gate Fort. Last night, someone broke into the forbidden zone, probably trying to steal something. He was pinned there, and he screamed for an entire day before finally dying."

Luo Zhengnan furrowed his brows. "Who?"

"We haven't identified him yet."

Luo Zhengnan gritted his teeth slightly. "Damn it, who would make a move at a time like this? The Fort Lord will probably suspect us."

"Should we go into Iron Gate Fort again and explain things to the Fort Lord?"

"Explain it clearly? If we go in now, the Fort Lord will think we're threatening him!"

Sun Xiao'an said, "Since we know that thing is in the forbidden zone, why don't you send someone to test it?"

Luo Zhengnan looked at Sun Xiao'an and lowered his gaze. "Old man, you've already sent several branch masters off to their deaths. Now, are you planning to send me, a hall master, off to my death as well?"

Sun Xiao'an fell silent. He could not come up with a good solution either.

Luo Zhengnan dismissed two customers and said to Sun Xiao'an, "We can't rush this. We still have two days. Let's wait for the Fort Lord to make a move. If he's willing to act, then we'll stick with the plan and offer to buy it. Shelling out a little more money isn't an issue. If he's unwilling to act, then we'll leave immediately, the sooner the better. Old Sun, remind the others to be more cautious. Watch out for Iron Gate Fort and beware of unknown parties. If the deal goes through, we must be even more careful. Guard against the Iron Gate Fort's tricks and against anyone wanting to snatch it from us!"

***

Li Banfeng returned to the Pocket Dwelling and sat before the Gramophone. "Wifey, what kind of person is Zhao Xiaowan?"

Pop, crackle.

"My dear, why are you asking about her again?"

Li Banfeng said, "Today, I saw her kill someone. I can't help but feel she's truly vicious."

Clang, clang, clang~ Da!

The Gramophone beat the gong and replied, "'Vicious' may not be the right word. It's just that after spending so long on the battlefield, she doesn't place much weight on life. Zhao Xiaowan is a general, quite a famous one. She knows how to wage war and has won many battles. She governs her troops with a strict hand. Her subordinates fear her, and many have felt the sting of her rod. Other than that, there's nothing particularly special about her."

Li Banfeng recalled what was written in the stories. "Some say she was adopted by the emperor, became a princess, and even took a prince consort."

If he could find that consort, he might be able to subdue Zhao Xiaowan.

Pop, crackle.

The Gramophone laughed. "How could she possibly have such a blessed life? An emperor wouldn't casually adopt a woman to be his daughter. Zhao Xiaowan only knows how to fight in wars. She knows nothing else. She has never thought about having a prince consort. In her eyes, there is no difference between men and women."

It seemed the endings of the stories about Zhao Xiaowan were not in line with her reality.

Li Banfeng then said, "Others say she guarded the border and fought off enemies her entire life. That has to be true, right?"

The Gramophone sighed. "She would have wanted that. For someone like her, dying on the battlefield would have been a fitting end. But she wasn't so fortunate. Her achievements on the battlefield led to her getting summoned back to the capital."

"So, you mean because her merits overshadowed the ruler, she was later thrown into prison?"

"That's right. She lived worse than a dog."

"And when war broke out again, Zhao Xiaowan was sent back to the battlefield?"

"That's right. Isn't she pathetic? She got sent to fight in the war, and she went without resistance, fighting with everything she had!"

"So... then she died on the battlefield?"

Pop, crackle.

The Gramophone laughed for a long while. "If she had died on the battlefield, that would have been fine. At least her death wouldn't have been in vain. Instead, she was betrayed. She didn't die at the hands of the enemy but at the hands of her subordinates. Tell me, don't you think she suffered a pitiful fate? Isn't her entire life a joke?"

Li Banfeng fell silent for a long time, feeling a wave of sorrow for Zhao Xiaowan. But no matter how sorry he felt for her, he could not spare her now.

I have to get revenge for my wifey. And I need to resolve the situation in Iron Gate Fort!

"Wifey, I've made up my mind. This dwelling spirit must be subdued."

"My dear, are you truly doing this to avenge me?"

"Truly!" Li Banfeng answered without hesitation.

"My dear, it's... it's enough for me that you want to do that. I'm serious. Don't go..." the Gramophone said, her voice trembling. The Gramophone shook all over.

Li Banfeng looked at his wife and asked calmly, "Wifey, can you really swallow this grievance?"

"I can... I... I..."

Huff, huff, huff.

Puffs of steam burst from the Gramophone's horn at an increasingly fast rate.

The record spun rapidly, and the drumbeats grew more urgent.

Blazing flames were reflected onto the mirror. Flashes of sabers and swords appeared throughout the main room, and battle cries rang out incessantly.

"I CAN'T! I could die by anyone's hand, but dying at that wretch's hands... I JUST CAN'T ACCEPT IT!" the Gramophone roared. "Day and night, I want to kill that wretch! I think of it even when I'm asleep!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "The time has come. We act now. I'll find a way to lure that dwelling spirit into our house. The rest will depend on our combined abilities."

"My dear, how will you lure her here?"

"The usual method. I'll call her name to her face and make her acknowledge me as her master."

"She can't see or hear. How will she know you called her name?"

Li Banfeng had actually thought about this seriously. "I'll touch her first."

The raging flames in the Gramophone's cabinet surged up to a meter high.

"My dear!" she fumed. "Why would you touch that wretch?!"

"Wifey, calm down."

At the mention of this grudge against Zhao Xiaowan, the Gramophone had become extremely agitated.

Li Banfeng explained, "I'll write on her. If I write her name, she'll naturally understand my intent."

After a long while, the Gramophone finally calmed down, and the raging flames gradually shrank and withdrew into the cabinet.

"That could work, but that wretch has a violent temper. If you touch her the moment you enter, you'll definitely suffer. She might attack you straight away."

"If she makes a move, I'll leave immediately," Li Banfeng assured her. He had witnessed Han Juncheng's death and was fully prepared to flee.

"My dear, if you wait until she attacks before fleeing, it will be too late. She was one of the first Wanderlust Cultivators. Her soul may be incomplete, and her body weakened, but in terms of agility, you are no match for her.

With your current cultivation level, you can only outsmart her; you can't confront her head-on. You should cater to her preferences, bring her some gifts, and first lower her guard."

Gifts? What kind of gifts would be appropriate for such a noble and virtuous woman?

They need to have class. They also need to be meaningful. Furthermore, they need to match her temperament, especially her bearing as a military general.

After thinking for a moment, Li Banfeng asked, "What about silver dollars?"

The Gamophone considered it for a moment and agreed. "That wretch does love money. Silver dollars are indeed good, but she can't see, so they may not be enough to make her feel moved."

Zhao Xiaowan can't see or hear, so something like a music box probably wouldn't work either. What kind of gift would work?

Li Banfeng recalled the scene of when his wife first met Zhao Xiaowan. Zhao Xiaowan had said she smelled the scent of cosmetics on his wife.

"Wifey, what if I give her some rouge? What do you think?"

The Gramophone flared up in anger again. "My dear, how can you give that wretch rouge? Do you not know that rouge cannot be given casually?"

"Wifey, calm down!"

People say the greatest enmity was born from someone killing another's father, but Li Banfeng felt that the enmity born from someone killing one's corporeal body was even more terrifying.

His wife's emotional state had become extremely unstable.

"Giving her rouge is just to win her favor and make her lower her guard."

Huff, huff.

The Gramophone breathed heavily in rage for a long while, taking some time to calm down. "Don't buy the premium stuff. Just get something cheap from the streets."

"Wifey, I'm being serious here. Better rouge will be more likely to move her."

"She doesn't like fine rouge. Those cheap, crappy ones from the streets suit her just fine."

Li Banfeng tried to soothe her. "Wifey, don't be upset over this. Back then, she said you used rouge that cost two wen[2] coins a box. Are you really going to hold a grudge over that?"

The Gramophone snapped, "So what if I use two-coin rouge? She treasures even one-coin rouge like it's extremely precious! We're both of lowly fates; what right does she have to look down on me?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I'll prepare the rouge. What other gifts would be suitable?"

The Gramophone thought about it carefully. "That wretch loves to look pretty. Bring her some flowers. The more fragrant, the better."

Flowers. That's easy.

Li Banfeng actually knew a florist.

"My dear, prepare the gifts first. Don't act too quickly. Wait until the aura around her weakens a bit before approaching her," the Gramophone advised.

Li Banfeng nodded. "I've made a mental note of that."

"My dear, if you feel her aura growing stronger, come home immediately, as quickly as you can. Just make sure you get back. As for how to leave afterward, we'll discuss it then."

"Don't worry, wifey."

"My dear, that wretch is narrow-minded. When you write on her, don't write in any vital spots, or you'll anger her."

"Don't worry. I know what's appropriate."

"My dear, that wretch cares a lot about her pride. Be extra polite to her, and do not argue with her."

"She can't hear anything. How would I argue with her?"

"My dear, that wretch truly loves money. Bring silver coins along with the gifts. Even if she can't see, she might be able to smell them."

"All right, I'll bring them."

"My dear, make sure you remember this. That wretch's name isn't Zhao Xiaowan."

Li Banfeng was startled. "Then what is her name?"

"That wretch's name is Hong Ying."

"Hong Ying? Hong Ying... The red-tasseled spear?" Li Banfeng uttered, staring at the Gramophone with a dumbfounded expression.

"Rumors in this world are full of errors. Hong Ying is not a spear; she is simply skilled with one."

"She isn't Zhao Xiaowan?" Li Banfeng asked.

"No," the Gramophone answered with absolute certainty.

"Then who is Zhao Xiaowan?"

The Gramophone fell silent.

Li Banfeng recalled that the first time he mentioned the name "Zhao Xiaowan" in front of the Gramophone, she had also remained silent for a long time.

If a Homebound Cultivator called out a dwelling spirit's name in front of them and they did not resist, that meant they had acknowledged the Homebound Cultivator as their master.

The Gramophone knew how to fight in war. Back in the Little Yellow Spring, Li Banfeng had encountered a group of wandering spirits that had the appearance of soldiers. They had behaved with complete obedience in the Gramophone's presence. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Could it be...

"Wifey, are you—"

"My dear!"

The Gramophone began to play "Beloved of My Heart" once more. The song was as tender and sweet as ever, but the Gramophone spoke with a slight stutter.

"Y-you are m-my master, m-my heart. Husband dear, my grudge may go unavenged, but you must return safely!"

1. Paintings of deities on the door. Presumably, they switched civil door gods (attract blessings and good fortune) for martial door gods (ward off evil spirits and bad influences). More info here. ☜

2. The lowest denomination of the Chinese currency. It’s a copper coin that was worth one thousandth of a yuan. The coins were last made in the 1920s. ☜