Three days later, early in the morning.
Once the doctor on morning rounds left, He Jiaqing opened his eyes.
He needed to confirm a few matters with Ling Miaoying.
"My friend is a journey cultivator who possesses the art of seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity. Have you taken precautions against that?"
"Don't worry. I have ways to conceal my malice. Before I make my move, your friend won't sense the slightest danger."
He Jiaqing was still uneasy; Li Banfeng had handed him far too many surprises lately. "Journey cultivators excel at speed. You had still better exercise caution."
"There is no need to worry about your friend. Fast as he might be, it won't do him any good. Once he boards my train, he wouldn't escape even if he grew wings. Ma the Fifth, however, is a bit more troublesome. He's currently Lüshui City's man of the hour and has dealings with the Garrison Commissioner. Killing him inside the station might arouse the commissioner's displeasure. I've made arrangements outside the station as well. The moment he steps out, my men will strike. Neither he nor that pack of guards under him will get away."
"I don't care about the others, but you mustn't take my friend's life. Our objective is that item."
"Rest assured, I'll definitely bring him back alive for you."
"This matter must remain secret. No uninvolved parties may know."
"Since Ma the Fifth isn't coming, I'll be handling this alone. Aside from giving word to the station staff, no one else is aware."
With everything prepared, He Jiaqing broke off the communication and waited for word from Ling Miaoying.
...
Li Banfeng packed his luggage and was just about to leave when Ma the Fifth, fully dressed and prepared, was ready to set off as well.
"Where are you going?" Li Banfeng asked, puzzled.
Lifting a travel bag, Ma the Fifth said, "Seeing you off to the station. I even packed some food for you."
"I brought food," Li Banfeng pointed to his suitcase. "No need to see me off. I know the way."
Ma the Fifth fell silent for a moment before looking up. "Old Seven, I've thought it over carefully. We already have plenty of business on our hands—more than enough between Lanyang Village and Zhengjing Village alone, and now we've added Xiaoyaowu on top of that. There's no rush on the Heishipo venture, and we can't manage it right now anyway. You'd better not go."
Li Banfeng furrowed his brow, then smiled. "What's gotten into you? What on earth are you worried about?"
"I just feel like it isn't safe for you to go to Heishipo alone." Ma the Fifth's heart was unsettled, filled with the same apprehension he had felt back when Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye were at war.
He kept feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Back then, it was precisely this sense of impending trouble that had driven him to Baiman Valley; now, he felt Li Banfeng might run into disaster as well.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "If you come see me off at the station, that's what won't be safe. Do you have any idea how many eyes in Lüshui City are fixed on you?"
Ma the Fifth deliberated back and forth, but still insisted on going: "I'll wear a disguise. Only once I watch you board the train will my mind be at peace."
As they spoke, Xiao Chuanzi came to report: "Fifth Master, Fourth Master is here again, and he brought men with him. He said that if he doesn't bring you home today, he won't leave."
Ma the Fifth looked at Li Banfeng. "Old Seven, my family is stirring up trouble again. You can't leave yet. Let's deal with this first."
Li Banfeng fell quiet for a moment, then said, "Old Five, back when we were clearing land in the newland, you once told me that you're my brother—a brother who can stand on his own two feet. I believed you. I believed you back then, and I believe you now. You can handle this; there's no need for me to step in."
Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his fedora, took his suitcase, and walked out of Xiaoyaowu.
Watching Li Banfeng's retreating back, Ma the Fifth could not shake the feeling that he might never see him again.
Chuanzi urged from the side, "Fifth Master, Fourth Master is getting impatient over there."
"If he's in such a rush, tell him to get lost! If he wants to see me, he can wait!" Ma the Fifth snapped impatiently, picking up a wine cup and tossing back a large gulp.
...
Outside the doors of Xiaoyaowu, a laborer pushed a cart into a corner, appearing to sweep up trash.
In truth, he was using the broom to pass messages; his movements were so subtle that no one nearby noticed.
Having received the message, Ling Miaoying immediately informed He Jiaqing: "Ma the Fifth isn't going. Ma Junjiang arrived—likely tying him up. Only one person left Xiaoyaowu this morning heading toward the train station. It should be your friend."
"What does he look like?"
"Wearing a fedora, brim pulled very low so his face isn't visible, and has a big beard."
He Jiaqing thought for a moment. "It's just as well that Ma the Fifth isn't going. You can focus entirely on him. Remember, alive."
...
Upon arriving at the Lüshui City train station and using his ticket and travel permit to enter the waiting hall directly, Li Banfeng let out a long breath.
The last time he took a train was when he traveled from Yuezhou to Puluo Province. More than half a year had slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Lüshui City Station was the largest train station in Puluo Province, yet there were not many people in the waiting hall.
In Puluo Province, boarding a train required a travel permit, and very few people could ever obtain one. There were only a few dozen passengers in the hall, some reading books, some reading newspapers, and others staring blankly into space.
An electronic display board was out of the question. Li Banfeng checked his pocket watch from time to time, worried he might miss his boarding time.
Soon, however, he realized his worry was unwarranted.
Ma the Fifth had purchased him a first-class sleeper ticket. With such a premium ticket came dedicated attendant service.
"Sir, your train has pulled into the station. Please follow me to Platform 3 to board."
The station attendant led Li Banfeng out to the platform, where a steam train was already idling beside the tracks.
Li Banfeng glanced left and right. There were seven or eight others boarding alongside him, two or three of whom seemed to be seeing passengers off. A young woman wept ceaselessly in a man's embrace, her tears streaming in continuous lines.
Wait—wasn't that line a bit too straight?
Li Banfeng caught sight of a black line flickering across the young woman's face.
Was that a tear?
No, that wasn't a tear.
Li Banfeng had seen similar black lines before.
He Jiaqing had a passion for film cameras and old movies shot on celluloid.
Once, while watching a movie with him, Li Banfeng had asked out of curiosity, "Why do these old films always have black lines and white specks?"
He Jiaqing had explained: "That's caused by film wear and oxidation. Movie film runs at twenty-four frames per second. When projected onto the screen, those blemishes appear as specks and thin lines. In early celluloid films, it's very common."
Celluloid film!
A shock went through Li Banfeng's brain, and a cascade of thoughts rushed to mind.
Lu Xiaolan had gone to cause trouble in Zhengjing Village.
There had been a spy inside Zhengjing Village.
The spy was the gramophone.
There were hooks attached to the gramophone.
The Ling family.
Ling Miaoying of the Ling family specialized in cinema!
Li Banfeng controlled his body, making no outward reaction whatsoever.
He had walked into a trap.
This platform was fake!
The train was fake too!
Even the station attendant was fake!
The attendant said to Li Banfeng, "Sir, your compartment is in Carriage 3. Please board promptly."
Li Banfeng looked down at his shoes and handed the suitcase to the attendant. "Could you hold this for a moment? My laces came loose."
As the attendant took the suitcase, Li Banfeng crouched down, whipped out his scythe, and slashed violently toward the man's ankles.
This was one of Li Banfeng's killing moves; ordinary people had no chance of evading it.
Yet the attendant casually lifted a foot and dodged it completely.
His reflexes were this fast?
His speed was this fast too?
It wasn't speed or reflexes.
It was anticipation.
The moment Li Banfeng drew the blade, it produced a faint sound that the attendant had caught.
This station attendant was none other than Ling Miaoying, a Tier 7 Scrying Cultivator.
Had he wanted to kill Li Banfeng, Li Banfeng would have lost his life long ago.
However, He Jiaqing's order was to take him alive. To be safe, Ling Miaoying had intended to herd Li Banfeng onto the train first.
His tactic was the exact same method used against Lu Dongjun: lure Li Banfeng to an abandoned platform and trick him into a specially modified train.
This fake train was a prop Ling Miaoying used for filming, as well as a high-tier magic treasure riddled with mechanisms and heavy seals. Given Li Banfeng's cultivation, once he boarded the train, he could forget about ever escaping.
He had not expected Li Banfeng to see right through it.
Since he refused to get on the train, a change of tactics was necessary.
Ling Miaoying was indeed thoroughly prepared. Even if Li Banfeng did not board the train, he had contingencies; there were magic treasures on the platform as well.
Yet before Ling Miaoying could act, the suitcase suddenly burst open. The Tang dao shot out from within, slashing directly toward Ling Miaoying's face.
Li Banfeng had no need for luggage. With his Portable Abode, he never traveled with bags.
The suitcase was merely camouflage—first, to make him look like a normal passenger, and second, to serve as a concealed ambush in a critical moment.
Ling Miaoying dodged in a panic, but the Tang dao still sliced a gash across his face.
Thanks to his high cultivation, he had heard the sound inside the suitcase a split second early; otherwise, had he been even a fraction slower, half his face would have been cleaved off.
Sweeping horizontally, the Tang dao came around to slit Ling Miaoying's throat.
The slash struck home, but Ling Miaoying's figure shattered and abruptly vanished.
What was this?
Half-Step?
And what was that shattered form about?
With no time to ponder, Li Banfeng recalled the Tang dao and bolted toward the platform exit.
He had barely taken two steps when Ling Miaoying appeared right in front of him.
Moving this fast?
Was he really a journey cultivator?
Unable to exit the platform, Li Banfeng turned and sprinted toward the tracks.
Racing ahead of the steam engine, he leaped off the platform onto the railroad ties.
Ling Miaoying appeared before him once more.
Li Banfeng stomped down hard, crushing a stone beneath the ties.
The Tier 3 Journey Cultivator technique: Treading Ten Thousand Rivers.
The shattered stone fragments shot out like bullets, striking Ling Miaoying's body, yet he remained completely unharmed.
Even if his body was tough enough to withstand the impact, could his clothes be that resilient as well?
Hit by a hail of sharp gravel, yet not a single tear in his garments?
There was only one rational explanation: the man was so fast that he had dodged every fragment, moving faster than Li Banfeng's eyes could track.
A Tier 7 Scrying Cultivator who dual-cultivated the Journey path, and whose Journey cultivation surpassed his own?
Li Banfeng felt a twinge of despair. If his opponent was a high-tier journey cultivator, he stood no chance of escaping.
Ling Miaoying gave a faint smile. He seemed in no rush to strike, waiting for Li Banfeng to surrender of his own accord.
The Thread-Hook Earring suddenly offered a whisper of warning: "Master, he has no footsteps."
No footsteps?
No matter how fast a journey cultivator moved, footsteps were unavoidable.
The Thread-Hook Earring's tier was not high, but she had consumed the flesh of the insect chief and gained the growth she deserved; she wouldn't fail to hear footsteps.
He wasn't a journey cultivator.
This was still a film!
What he was seeing was almost certainly Ling Miaoying's projection.
Now Li Banfeng panicked no longer. He charged straight at Ling Miaoying.
Ling Miaoying's figure rapidly expanded in all directions, turning into three walls—one in front, one to the left, and one to the right—blocking Li Banfeng's path.
Regardless of what his opponent turned into, Li Banfeng swung his Tang dao and slashed directly at it.
If this was indeed Ling Miaoying's true self, he would cut him down.
If it was merely an image, he would charge straight through.
Clang!
The Tang dao struck the wall, throwing up a shower of sparks.
Li Banfeng was dumbfounded.
The wall was real!
After three strikes, the Tang dao retracted into Li Banfeng's pocket.
Ling Miaoying smiled.
Did you think movies were always fake?
In a corner of the platform stood a film projector. It was Ling Miaoying's magic treasure; a portion of the projected images could materialize into common physical objects.
Li Banfeng had fallen into a desperate plight.
Ahead, left, and right were solid walls, and behind him was the locomotive.
By Ling Miaoying's reckoning, if Li Banfeng wanted to break out, his only option was to climb onto the train.
The train was filled with contraptions; the moment Li Banfeng climbed aboard, he would be trapped instantly.
Yet unexpectedly, Li Banfeng charged headlong at the wall.
The Tier 4 Journey Cultivator technique: Unimpeded Passage!
Li Banfeng phased right through the wall and sprinted forward along the tracks.
A Tier 4 technique?
Ling Miaoying frowned. He Jiaqing had said this friend's cultivation would not exceed Tier 3, but now it seemed his assessment was inaccurate.
Inaccurate or not, it hardly mattered. Ling Miaoying had other preparations, and he gave chase from behind.
Li Banfeng heard approaching footsteps—this was indeed Ling Miaoying in the flesh.
Their speeds were neck and neck. Why could he keep up with me?
Because Ling Miaoying wore special shoes—another of his props, a spiritual item endowed with tremendous speed.
In the blink of an eye, the two had run over a hundred meters along the tracks, having sprinted clear of the projector's range.
The rails that had appeared shiny lost their disguise, revealing themselves to be heavily rusted. This was an abandoned track.
Alongside the abandoned track appeared a new set of rails—the line currently in active service.
A coal freight train chugged toward them from ahead; this was an actual, moving train.
Ling Miaoying's brows knit tight. He was worried Li Banfeng might jump onto the train.
He couldn't hesitate. He had to use lethal force.
As long as the man had breath left to reveal the whereabouts of the Red Lotus, crippling Li Banfeng was completely acceptable.
Ling Miaoying drew a handgun from his coat. This firearm was also a spiritual item: once the powder sparked, the bullet was guaranteed to hit, packing immense destructive power.
A single bullet would be enough to cripple Li Banfeng, robbing him of mobility for the rest of his life.
The gun's only flaw was its deafening report. Ling Miaoying had not wanted to make such a loud commotion along the railway; the rails were controlled by the Outer States, and he did not want to offend the Garrison Commissioner over this matter.
He had wanted to capture Li Banfeng without a sound, but now he could afford no such scruples.
Click!
The first round misfired.
The train thundered past, rushing right alongside them.
Just as Ling Miaoying prepared to fire a second shot, he saw Li Banfeng's figure vanish into thin air.
Where did he go?
Did he jump onto the train?
Ling Miaoying came to a dead halt. Staring after the roaring train, he saw no sign of Li Banfeng, nor did he hear any sound from him.
Yet just now, he had caught the distinct clink of metal striking metal.
Li the Seventh seemed to have tossed something onto the train.
Ling Miaoying was about to leap onto the train to search it thoroughly when he caught sight of a uniformed man standing at the edge of a carriage, glaring coldly at him.
A train conductor.
Ling Miaoying frowned and backed away several paces from the tracks.
Under no circumstances should one ever provoke a train conductor—this was an iron rule of survival in Puluo Province.
The conductor patrolled along the carriages. Finding nothing amiss, he returned to his break room, brewed a cup of tea, and resumed reading his newspaper.
He failed to notice that in one of the open coal cars, an extra key had appeared.
Sixteen hours later, Li Banfeng emerged inside the coal car and picked up the key.
P.S. Coal freight cars have no roofs.
Chapter 210