Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Chapter 397 - 273 Traveling Cultivator’s Fifth Layer Technique

Li Banfeng sorted through the shredded clothes on the ground, hoping to find a Magical Treasure or Spiritual Object.

Mental Cultivators had decent Perception but weren’t skilled in combat. Since Wu Decheng dared to act as an assassin, he must have possessed at least one potent offensive Spiritual Object.

However, to Li Banfeng’s disappointment, after a thorough search, he found nothing but scraps of cloth.

An elder from the Strict Law Society with no valuable possessions?

Li Banfeng didn’t believe it and searched again. This time, he finally made a discovery.

Among a pile of tattered fabric lay a single yarn glove.

What was a yarn glove?

It was the kind most commonly used by workers. This particular glove was quite old, stained with grease, and shriveled up among the rags, making it genuinely hard to spot.

Is this a Magical Treasure? It doesn’t look like one.

Li Banfeng picked up the glove and shook it a couple of times. He sensed no Spiritual Energy, only a cloud of dust.

But Li Banfeng didn’t discard it. Wu Decheng was an elder of the Strict Law Society; it was highly unlikely he’d be working on a construction site. Carrying such a glove was out of character.

To hide fingerprints? Was that necessary in Puluo State? Even if it were, he’d need a pair, and preferably newer ones.

Li Banfeng brought the glove to the Phonograph. "My dear, does this thing have any Spirit Attribute?"

The Phonograph poked at the glove with its needle, observed it for a moment, and said, "No Spirit Attribute. It’s just a ragged old glove."

Just a ragged old glove?

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then took the glove to the second room and presented it to Red Lotus.

Red Lotus showed no reaction.

Li Banfeng sat beside Red Lotus and said softly, "Ah Lian, you’ve gotten so thin lately. Hurry and eat this to nourish yourself."

Eat this? Are you kidding me? Shoving any old rubbish my way!

Red Lotus continued to ignore him. Annoyed, Li Banfeng moved Red Lotus to the main room.

"My dear, this wretch won’t listen to me! I told her to eat the glove, but she refuses. We should apply family discipline."

"Oh, my dear husband, you told this wretch to eat the glove?" The Phonograph chuckled twice, then adopted a stern tone. "Wretch! You do as your husband commands. You don’t get to pick and choose!"

As they spoke, Steam enveloped Red Lotus. Red Lotus wasn’t afraid of being struck, but she was currently Refining Wu Decheng’s corpse. A confrontation with the Phonograph might lead to unforeseen complications.

Reluctantly, Red Lotus unfurled her petals. A whirlwind formed in her Lotus Heart, preparing to draw the glove in.

The glove drifted a few inches closer to the Lotus Heart, then suddenly leaped away, evading its pull.

Red Lotus was stunned.

The Phonograph was dumbfounded.

A yarn glove with no discernible Spirit Attribute had dodged Red Lotus’s whirlwind?

And when it was disguised as an ordinary glove, neither the Phonograph nor Red Lotus had detected any Spirit Attribute.

"Oh, my dear husband, this thing’s Spirit Attribute is quite profound!" As the Phonograph jetted Steam to subdue the glove, it darted through the gaps, moving at an impressive speed and showing remarkable agility.

Seeing this, Red Lotus activated six of her Seven-Hole Lotus Heart, the last hole still busy Refining Wu Decheng.

The six whirlwinds, like six writhing serpents, undulated up and down but still could not capture the glove.

The Phonograph seized the opportunity, working with Red Lotus, and cornered the glove.

Trapped, the glove faced a whirlwind to its left and Steam to its right.

After a moment’s standoff, the glove darted to the right.

The Phonograph used Steam to firmly control the glove.

The glove continued to search for an opening to escape.

The Steam grew denser, forming a seal.

Being sealed by the Phonograph is better than being devoured by Red Lotus. The glove had made the correct choice.

Since it could make the correct choice, it proved the glove possessed Spiritual Wisdom, and a considerable amount at that.

This was a Magical Treasure!

While reinforcing the seal, the Phonograph asked, "What is your origin?"

The glove remained silent.

The Phonograph increased the Steam’s temperature. "I asked about your origin!"

The glove sneered. "You think a little torture will make me talk? Do you take me for a spineless coward?"

The voice sounded like that of a middle-aged man.

The Phonograph raised the temperature of the Steam again. The glove sneered once more. "I am a Traveling Cultivation Treasure, named Flying with the Wind!"

Traveling Cultivator.

Li Banfeng’s eyes lit up.

"Traveling Cultivator!" The Phonograph flew into a rage, all three of its Big Horns blasting Steam at once.

The temperature soared. The glove cried out in agony, "What’s wrong with being a Traveling Cultivator? Do you have a grudge against me?"

"A grudge as deep as the sea!" The Phonograph’s voice grew colder.

Li Banfeng hurriedly interjected, "My dear, Traveling Cultivation Treasures are rare. Why don’t you let me keep it?"

"My dear husband, if you want a Traveling Cultivator’s methods, having Hong Ying, that wretch, is enough. We don’t need to keep another menace around!"

As the Steam’s temperature continued to rise, the glove shouted, "Wait, I still have something to say! I do not—"

The Phonograph had no intention of listening; she only wanted to burn the glove to ashes.

Nearby, Hong Ying laughed heartily. "You vile woman! Your grudge is with me, so why involve others? Are you going to kill every Traveling Cultivator in the world?"

"Kill one, and there’s one less!"

Hong Ying gloated, "You wretch, seeing you so furious yet helpless against me—this pitiful sight truly delights my heart."

SCREECH! The Phonograph’s needle scratched its record, producing a jarring noise.

"Delights your heart?" The Phonograph paused for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Wretch, this glove is your lover, isn’t it? Are you using this taunt to trick me into releasing him?"

"Taunt? Do I look like I have the mind for that?" Hong Ying also laughed. "If you’re going to kill him, do it quickly. After you’re done, we’ll see if I’m upset. If I am, then you win!"

"Do you recognize him or not?" the Phonograph snarled, its needle stabbing into the glove and tearing at it. The glove was about to be shredded.

Hong Ying said, "I do recognize him. Please don’t kill him. Keep him here for a thorough interrogation; we might uncover the secrets from back then."

The Phonograph roared angrily, "Wretch! You dare trick me?"

Hong Ying laughed. "Vile woman, how have I tricked you? Kill him if you want, or don’t if you don’t. No matter what you do, I can still laugh. Seeing you in suspense, seeing your frustration—it just makes me laugh even harder!"

GRAAAH! the Phonograph roared ferociously, its three Big Horns smoking again.

Li Banfeng quickly advised, "My dear, calm your anger. If you get angry, you’ll fall into her trap."

HUFF... PUFF...

The Steam suddenly cooled.

The red-hot Big Horn slowly reverted to its original color.

"Oh, my dear husband, your Little Servant was just teasing her. Why would I get angry? A worthless glove isn’t worth my anger."

"My dear is so magnanimous. Let me feel how big my dear’s belly is."

Li Banfeng stroked the phonograph’s casing, causing it to giggle. Its needle relaxed its pressure slightly, granting the glove a brief respite.

After laughing, the Phonograph addressed the glove, "You said earlier you had something to say. You can speak now."

After catching its breath, the glove pointed one finger at Hong Ying. "I don’t recognize that Long Spear."

Hong Ying drawled, "You say you don’t recognize it? Isn’t that a dead giveaway? How could that vile woman believe you now?"

The Phonograph chuckled softly. "I believe him. In fact, I completely believe him. I don’t have the slightest doubt.

"My dear husband, Traveling Cultivation Treasures are indeed rare. However, this one has extremely high Spiritual Wisdom and likely a high level. With your current cultivation level, I’m afraid it’s difficult to control. Let’s keep it here for now and decide what to do with it later."

Li Banfeng said with a serious expression, "My dear, we mustn’t trust him so readily. He might not truly be a Traveling Cultivator. Allow your husband to test him a bit first."

"How do you wish to test him, my dear husband?"

Li Banfeng looked at the glove and asked sternly, "Do you know Traveling Cultivation Techniques?"

The glove replied, "Which layer’s technique would you like to know?"

"Start with the Fifth Layer Technique!"

The glove answered, "The Fifth Layer Technique is called Passing Glance."

Riding a horse to view flowers? What kind of technique is that?

"Don’t just spout nonsense! Do you think I’m so easily fooled?"

The Phonograph said, "My dear husband, he’s not lying about this. Passing Glance is indeed the Traveling Cultivator’s Fifth Layer Technique."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Just knowing the name doesn’t mean anything; he could have heard it somewhere. What’s the use of this Passing Glance Technique?"

The glove answered, "While moving rapidly, anyone caught by the user’s focused gaze will transform into a ’flower.’"

Li Banfeng was astonished. "People you look at turn into flowers? Isn’t that just a magic trick?"

"You’re not wrong. For those caught by the gaze, their flesh and blood will burst forth, resembling a blooming flower."

One look, and a person explodes?

Li Banfeng scoffed. "No wonder you’re spouting nonsense. If such a powerful technique truly existed, wouldn’t Fifth Layer Traveling Cultivators be invincible?"

The glove shook a finger. "This technique sounds impressive, but it severely tests one’s cultivation level and talent. An ordinary Fifth Layer Traveling Cultivator could only kill a White Lamb with this move; they might not even succeed against a First Layer Cultivator. Furthermore, this technique consumes a huge amount of energy. Killing one person might expend seventy to eighty percent of a Fifth Layer Cultivator’s strength. Think about it: a Fifth Layer Traveling Cultivator has countless ways to kill a White Lamb. Why would they resort to this technique?

"Out of ten thousand Traveling Cultivators, more than nine thousand wouldn’t want to use this technique. It’s mostly used to occasionally intimidate others. To put it bluntly, it’s like an embroidered pillow—looks good but is of little practical use."

Hearing this, Hong Ying scoffed, "That’s because they haven’t grasped its essence."

The Phonograph sighed. "That wretch Hong Ying, however, does possess this one-in-a-ten-thousand talent. She has abundant strength and isn’t afraid of the exertion; she uses the Passing Glance Technique very skillfully."

Li Banfeng was alarmed. "Then if she were to glance at me one day..."

Hong Ying spat. "PAH! Shameless lunatic! Do I even have eyes?"

The Phonograph burst into laughter. "It was precisely to guard against this technique of yours that I destroyed your eyes! Do you hate me for it? MWAHAHAHA!"

Li Banfeng looked at the glove. "You might have learned about this technique from somewhere else. That doesn’t prove you’re a Traveling Cultivator!"

The Phonograph said, "My dear husband is right. Let’s see if he knows the key aspects of the technique."

Li Banfeng tenderly caressed the Phonograph’s casing.

The glove answered, "The Passing Glance Technique: its key aspects lie in ’swift movement’ and ’focused observation.’"

Li Banfeng asked, "Must one ride a horse when executing the technique?"

The glove shook a finger again. "It has nothing to do with horses. The so-called ’swift movement’ means to move quickly. When a Traveling Cultivator employs this technique, they must move extremely fast, so the opponent cannot see their form at all. If even the slightest trace is seen, the technique will fail."

Not even the slightest trace can be seen?

Li Banfeng asked, "How fast would one have to run? Wouldn’t that exhaust the Traveling Cultivator to death?"

The glove replied, "That’s why I said the technique is very draining. The other key aspect is ’focused observation.’ One must maintain an unwavering gaze on the enemy while moving swiftly, and their visual acuity must be exceptional. Before the technique successfully lands, there cannot be the slightest deviation in their line of sight."

Li Banfeng fell silent.

You have to run fast, and you have to stare intently. And visual acuity... What even is visual acuity? This technique really doesn’t sound easy to use.

Li Banfeng continued, "Just naming one Fifth Layer Technique hardly proves you’re a Traveling Cultivator. Tell me about the Sixth Layer Technique!"

"The Traveling Cultivator’s Sixth Layer Technique is called..." The glove suddenly found a gap in the Steam and tried to break free, only to be hooked again by the Phonograph’s needle.

"Wait, I’ll tell you..." Before the glove could finish, the Phonograph sealed him.

"This Magical Treasure is too cunning. My dear husband, you truly cannot control it."

"I truly can’t control it?" Li Banfeng was reluctant to accept this.

The Phonograph said, "My dear husband, consider this: why didn’t that old scoundrel Wu Decheng use this Magical Treasure when he fought you? Why didn’t he wear it directly on his hand? It’s likely because this glove is disobedient, or perhaps because it’s too ’costly’ to use. His cultivation level wasn’t beneath yours, yet he struggled, which shows how difficult this Magical Treasure is to control. Carrying a Magical Treasure you can’t control is not only useless but can also invite disaster."

Wu Decheng did indeed seem to be fumbling for something on his person earlier. He might have been trying to summon this Magical Treasure then. This Magical Treasure is indeed difficult to control. But since it’s in my possession, there’s no rush. I’ll figure out how to get the Sixth Layer Technique from it later.

PS: Must gloves always be worn on the hands? Can’t they be worn somewhere else?