Reunion

Aboard the train from Lüshui City to Wuqin Township, popular star Zhou Changhong sat in his private compartment, reading a newspaper and sipping tea. The day after returning to Lüshui City, he had set out once again. After boarding, Zhou Changhong had taken a nap for the better part of the day. Around dusk, he got up from his berth, brewed a pot of tea, and read the paper as he drank. A knock sounded at the door. "Sir, ticket check. Please open the door immediately and present your ticket." The voice sounded a bit odd, and somewhat familiar. Zhou Changhong sat inside the compartment, holding his teacup, unmoving. "Sir, please open the door immediately and present your ticket." The attendant knocked a second time. Zhou Changhong still didn't budge. He sat in the compartment like a clay statue, making not a sound. Clang! Clang! Clang! The attendant knocked a third time. "Sir, you must cooperate with the ticket check. If you don't open the door, I will have to use force!" Finally, there was movement inside the room. Zhou Changhong moved. He flipped the page of his newspaper and kept sipping tea. Bizarre. Standing outside the door impersonating an attendant, Li Banfeng picked up the movement inside with the Thread-Hook Earring. He's still drinking tea? Zhou Changhong's behavior made no sense to Li Banfeng. Five or six hours after departure, the attendant would come around to inspect tickets. Li Banfeng had experienced this during his first train ride, and Ma the Fifth had mentioned it was standard procedure on trains. Why won't he open the door? Does he suspect I'm not an attendant? Did I give something away? I knocked before checking tickets, and my lines were spot-on. When he first heard me knock, Zhou Changhong didn't dare make a sound, pretending no one was inside. After I warned him twice, he stopped being afraid, yet he still wouldn't open the door? Why do that? Is he carrying something he doesn't want the attendant to see? Even if he stubbornly refuses to open the door, he won't be able to hide it. By train rules, once warnings fail, the attendant forces their way inside to check tickets. Should I just barge in myself? Just as Li Banfeng was about to use Unimpeded Passage to slip into the compartment, he saw the real attendant approach with an iron rod. "Sir, is this your compartment?" Li Banfeng glanced at the compartment number and replied, "Seems I came to the wrong door." The attendant pointed the iron rod right at Li Banfeng's forehead. "Please present your ticket!" Li Banfeng produced his ticket. The attendant looked Li Banfeng up and down. "What's the story with this outfit of yours?" Dressed in a train attendant's uniform, Li Banfeng considered for a second and asked, "Are there regulations concerning passenger attire on this train?" "No." The attendant handed the ticket back to Li Banfeng. "Please return to your compartment!" Li Banfeng went back to his own compartment. He realized where he went wrong. Zhou Changhong had stayed silent at first probably because he genuinely didn't want the attendant coming in. When he heard Li Banfeng's second warning, he became certain the attendant was a fake. Because real attendants only warn you once. Li Banfeng's compartment was right next door. He pressed the Thread-Hook Earring against the dividing wall and listened closely to the sounds from the next room. Zhou Changhong blinked and smiled. He leisurely finished off the pot of tea and waited over half an hour before murmuring, "Miaoying, it seems someone has their eye on me on the train. Why aren't things ready over at Wuqin Township yet? Just how are you handling this?" His previous assumption had been right: Zhou Changhong had seen through the fake attendant. Li Banfeng just hadn't expected this man to actually outrank Ling Miaoying. According to Ling Miaosheng, Ling Miaoying was indeed working for a prominent figure from the Outer States, but Li Banfeng had figured Zhou Changhong couldn't be that figure—merely a courier. Zhou Changhong spent most of his time in Puluo Province, and over the past few years, the actor had had a nonstop stream of film roles. Yet judging by those words just now, Zhou Changhong was that very figure. The earlier deduction had missed the mark. What on earth were they preparing over at Wuqin Township? After a moment, he heard Zhou Changhong speak again next door: "The crew is a bit short-handed. The people in Wuqin Township might be reliable, but few know the business. Transfer another batch over from Lüshui City." He's going to Wuqin Township to shoot a film? Wuqin Township was part of the Rear Three-Tenths of Puluo Province. The world knew little about it, only that most residents there had no relatives to worry about. Did he go to such a desolate backwater to film just to avoid meddling? Had this prominent figure traveled in person to Wuqin Township purely to make a movie? After a pause, Zhou Changhong added, "I brought the thing with me. Nothing can go wrong with this shoot. We must wrap within ten days!" Having said that, Zhou Changhong said nothing more. Li Banfeng took off the Thread-Hook Earring, sat in his compartment, and fell into thought. Several key pieces of information stood out from that conversation: Zhou Changhong went to Wuqin Township to shoot the film, leaving only a decoy in Lüshui City to keep anyone from disrupting things. He carried a special item that could wrap the production within ten days, preventing Ma the Fifth from beating them to the punch. What kind of treasure could wrap ten films in ten days? Some magical artifact that altered the flow of time? What tier was this Zhou Changhong at, exactly? Why was this film so important to him? Putting the movie aside for now, the famous actor was undeniably smart. Naturally—anyone ranked above Ling Miaoying was bound to be shrewd. Probing his compartment directly seemed unwise. If Zhou Changhong's cultivation was exceptionally high, Li Banfeng might well never return. Even if he could deal with Zhou Changhong, he couldn't get past the attendants. What should he do now? Follow Zhou Changhong to Wuqin Township, capture him alive after leaving the station, and interrogate him on his intentions. Provided I can capture him alive. Get off midway, head back to notify Ma the Fifth, contact the Lu family, and have them make a move in Wuqin Township to stop Zhou Changhong from making the movie. Why am I still obsessing over the movie? Li Banfeng slapped his head. He had boarded this train to shadow Zhou Changhong in order to uncover the prominent figure behind Ling Miaoying and ascertain their intentions. Now that figure had revealed himself. The best choice was still to reach Wuqin Township and continue tracking him. Yet was that safe? Clang, clang, clang! A knock rang out, followed by the attendant's voice from outside. "Sir, please open the door." Li Banfeng paused, keeping quiet. He couldn't be sure if the attendant outside was genuine either. Clatter, bang! The attendant shoved the door wide open. "Sir, your attire is interfering with my duties. I must ask you to change into something else." Li Banfeng gave a slight nod, and the attendant shut the door. Judging from the demeanor, this attendant was likely real. Li Banfeng entered the Portable Abode, shed his clothes, and changed into a black suit. Hong Ying's figure shuddered, her voice low. "Did he just take off his clothes again?" Chhh-chhh— The gramophone sang slowly, "Yes, he did. He's my man, and I look at him every day. Drooling won't do you any good." Hong Ying snorted coldly. "In the state you're in today, what good is having a man? You're no feast for him, and you can't have a taste either!" "Who says I can't?" the gramophone retorted in irritation. "Husband, oil me up and show her!" "What good does a bit of oil do? Does that even count as doing the deed properly?" "Why wouldn't it count? My husband has all kinds of moves!" The two bickered furiously, seemingly seconds away from another fight. Li Banfeng rubbed his temples, feeling a splitting headache. Couldn't those two just give it a rest for a couple of days? They'd been bickering for so long without ever settling anything anyway. The more Li Banfeng listened, the more irritated and aggravated he felt, unwilling to linger in the Portable Abode for another second. Watching Li Banfeng leave in a hurry, the Judge's Brush rolled over and went back to sleep. Back in his compartment, Li Banfeng resumed agonizing over Zhou Changhong. Follow him off the train, or go back for help? Following him off might mean dying by his hands. Yet going back for backup now might make the trail go cold. Caught in his indecision, Li Banfeng began muttering to himself. Zhou Changhong heard the murmurings next door, shaking his head with a chuckle. After agonizing for several hours, Li Banfeng made up his mind. Disembark at Wuqin Township. Follow Zhou Changhong after getting off. Don't rush to strike; observe his movements first. Having reached a decision, Li Banfeng glanced at his pocket watch. It was already two in the morning. The train was scheduled to arrive at seven tomorrow morning. While time remained, he should get some proper rest; he was dealing with an expert, after all. Li Banfeng lay on the berth, worried he might oversleep. His pocket watch had no alarm function. Mengde was in the Portable Abode and could call out the time, but he didn't want to hear the wife and Hong Ying bickering. Should he bring Mengde outside? Mengde wasn't a portable artifact; keeping it out in the open would easily draw suspicion. As his thoughts churned, Li Banfeng felt another headache coming on. Strange. Why was he so indecisive today? Conflicted... Why was he agonizing like this? Li Banfeng stared at the compartment wall, a pang of tightness gripping his heart. When you grew accustomed to using certain tricks on others, having them turned on yourself could really catch you off guard. Sun Tiecheng had mentioned that two people had once passed the trial in the City of Fools. Could the other one be him? Li Banfeng sat up from the berth, opened the Portable Abode, and tucked the key under the mattress. The wife was still grilling Hong Ying. Suppressing his inner annoyance, Li Banfeng found the Judge's Brush. Taking the Judge's Brush, he drew a circle at his feet and said, "Fly." The Judge's Brush snorted. "Where to?" "To the second room." The Judge's Brush was furious. To the second room, and you need me to fly you there? Couldn't you just take two steps yourself? Forget it. It couldn't be bothered to argue. After a standoff lasting nearly half an hour, having confirmed that Li Banfeng adamantly insisted on flying, the Judge's Brush flew Li Banfeng to the second room. Inside the second room, just as the Judge's Brush was about to go back to sleep, Li Banfeng said, "Here's the principal." The Judge's Brush snorted, "No rush." "I'm in a rush." "What's the rush?" Li Banfeng said, "I just am. If you don't take the principal back, I'll make you keep flying me around—once to every room." "You..." The man was entirely unreasonable. "I..." Forget it. The Judge's Brush couldn't be bothered to reason with him. If he wants to pay the principal, fine, I'll take it. Collecting it takes some effort, but it's better than getting tangled up with him endlessly. Once the Judge's Brush collected the principal, an overwhelming exhaustion suddenly swept over Li Banfeng. He collapsed onto the bed, eyelids feeling impossibly heavy. If I fall asleep like this, who knows when I'll wake up? At least have Mengde set a time to wake me so I don't miss the stop... Whatever. If I miss it, I miss it. Did he really need to shadow Zhou Changhong anyway? Wuqin Township was clearly the man's home ground. Was there a chance that stepping off the train at Wuqin Township meant walking straight into his trap? Was there a chance that everything he said about shooting a movie was pure nonsense, meant entirely to bait me into getting off at Wuqin Township? Just sleep. Sleep peacefully. If he couldn't figure it out, Li Banfeng couldn't even be bothered to think about it. ... At 6:30 in the morning, thirty minutes before arriving at the station, Zhou Changhong began packing his bags. He deliberately made some noise for Li Banfeng next door to hear. I'm getting off; time for you to follow me. Next door seemed completely quiet. Zhou Changhong pressed his ear to the wall to listen. After listening for a moment, he switched ears. This ear was sharper, but still detected not a sound. What's going on? Is he sleeping that heavily? After waiting twenty-some minutes, Zhou Changhong frowned and tapped on the wall a few times. Still no response from next door. The train wasn't running late today; it was already decelerating, preparing to pull into the station. Growing anxious, Zhou Changhong employed a technique. He placed his hand on the compartment wall, sending a faint vibration into the adjacent room. He had to control his strength so as not to alert the train attendants. Dealing with one attendant might be manageable, but if all the attendants on the train converged, things would get messy. Wake up already! Stop sleeping, it's time to get off! Clang! The compartment door was shoved open. The attendant strode into Zhou Changhong's compartment with a dark expression. "For some reason, you and the passenger next door have been restless this entire time." Zhou Changhong smiled. "I was only reminding him that we're arriving soon. We're getting off at the same station, I just..." The train came to a stop, and the attendant opened the carriage doors. "Sir, it's time for you to get off." Zhou Changhong offered a wry, bitter smile and stepped off the train. He waited on the platform for a long time, right until the train began moving again, yet saw no sign of Li Banfeng. I planned everything so thoroughly, and you just slept right through it?