"Seventh Master, things are quiet here at the newspaper office. Let me show you around the city." Bai Qiusheng was gathering his things, getting ready to head out, but Li Banfeng was unwilling to take him along.
At times, Li Banfeng preferred keeping to himself. Having someone tagging along made it inconvenient to attend to proper business, and just as inconvenient to return to the Portable Abode.
Just yesterday, Yuwen Qi had mentioned that a new dance hall had opened over on the east side of the city—a dozen or so dancing girls performing together, without a stitch of clothing on.
It wasn't that Li Banfeng wanted to watch the young women dance; he merely wanted to observe the local customs of Heishipo.
A place like that was hardly suitable to visit with company. Others might get the wrong idea and think Li the Seventh lacked taste.
And if something went amiss inside his trousers, they'd think Li the Seventh had poor endurance.
"Get me a map. I'll go by myself. Make sure the newland is marked on it."
Bai Qiusheng found a map and handed it to Li Banfeng. "Seventh Master, this is the newest map, but in Heishipo, maps aren't necessarily reliable. Especially when you get close to the newland, you must be extra careful. You can go in through the entrances I've marked for you, but absolutely do not go anywhere I haven't marked. So many coal and stone mines have opened in Heishipo over the years that entire mountains have been quarried away, and spots that were never entrances have become entrances. Don't go near any of those places—they're all dangerous. There are other spots not marked on the map that I can't recall clearly either, so you'd best stay away from them too. And everything I told you about what's inside the newland, you must keep firmly in mind..."
Bai Qiusheng droned on and on, and Li Banfeng listened intently.
In truth, Bai Qiusheng was worried about only two things: first, that Li Banfeng would get lost, and second, that he would encounter monsters once he entered the newland.
In Li Banfeng's eyes, these worries were quite unnecessary.
He was a journey cultivator; he wouldn't easily lose his way.
As for the newland, going by Bai Qiusheng's description, the outer newland of Heishi City was no different from that of Lüshui City. Bai Qiusheng had never been to the inner newland to know what it was like, and Li Banfeng had no intention of venturing too deep for now.
Since he was only going to familiarize himself with the route, Li Banfeng had originally planned to walk.
Yet some temptations were simply irresistible—for instance, a miniature train suddenly poking out of an alley.
It was past ten in the morning, and the train was virtually empty. Li Banfeng bought a few magazines and swayed along with the ride, reading as he traveled, until he unwittingly reached the end of the line.
Consulting the map, he caught another train.
Anyone who regularly takes public transit knows that knowing how to walk somewhere and knowing how to transfer are two entirely different matters.
Li Banfeng transferred six times, yet he never reached the edge of the newland, nor did he find the dance hall in the east of the city. He had gotten lost.
The architecture throughout Heishipo was very similar, and the city had developed relatively evenly, leaving few prominent landmarks. Li Banfeng could roughly tell he was in the south of the city, but had no idea of his exact location.
"How is there not even a single landmark..."
Ahead lay a construction site, where a crane operator was smoking by the roadside.
Li Banfeng walked up and greeted him. "Brother, I want to head to the newland. Which way should I go?"
"What are you going to the newland for?"
"Hunting!"
"Hunting? That's risking your life! Wouldn't it be better to just find a regular job?"
The man was quite enthusiastic. Guiding Li Banfeng to the side of the road, he gave a flurry of directions: "Head straight down this road, turn left at the intersection ahead, walk to the third intersection and make a right, take that road all the way to the end and turn left again. Once you get there, you'll see the entrance to the newland. You must only go the way I told you. Do not go anywhere else under any circumstances. If you take a wrong turn, it'll cost you your life!"
Li Banfeng thanked him and handed the driver ten dollars.
The driver frowned. "What are you doing? Why give money just for asking directions?"
Li Banfeng smiled without answering. He never let anyone do anything for him for nothing, no matter how trivial.
Seeing Li Banfeng walk away, the driver pocketed the money, secretly quite pleased.
Another operator climbed down from the crane and shouted, "Shift change!"
The driver climbed up and began operating the machinery to hoist stones.
The signalman down below yelled, "Right, to the right, a bit more to the right! I told you to go right, you fucking..."
Clang!
The crane's grab bucket swung off course, nearly hitting someone. The signalman bellowed in rage, "Damn it, I told you to go right! Do you even know which way is right?"
The crane operator raised his left hand. "Isn't this right?"
The signalman roared, "Are you fucking kidding me?"
The crane operator thought about it, then raised his right hand. "Seems like it's this way..."
...
Li Banfeng was swift on his feet. Following the path indicated by the crane operator, he found himself walking into a train station in no time at all.
Train stations were the most common sight in Heishipo, but this one appeared to be abandoned. The tracks remained, yet the platform was half-collapsed, and the ticket office—the waiting room—had crumbled completely.
Li Banfeng was somewhat curious. Where did this stretch of track lead?
Building a railway in the newland was unrealistic. Even if someone had risked their life to lay the tracks, no one could possibly maintain them.
Yet when he stood beside the rails and looked south, Li Banfeng realized his assumption was wrong.
The rails stretched southward all the way, extending into the endless darkness. Was there truly a railway leading into the newland?
Presumably it only reached the edge of the newland, built to make it easier for hunters to transport goods.
Still, why would such an important railway be abandoned?
As he pondered, a whistle suddenly sounded behind him.
"Choo-choo—"
A train was still passing through?
Startled, Li Banfeng hurriedly stepped away from the tracks. Looking closely, however, there was no train behind him—only an old man.
The old man had a prominent forehead, round cheeks, and a robust physique. He was marching in place right on top of the rails.
Chug, chug—
Turning his head to the side, he puffed out a breath of air.
"Choo-choo—" Then he mimicked a train whistle again, imitating it with uncanny accuracy.
Clack-clack! Clack-clack!
He pumped his arms back and forth in rhythm, as though the train were about to pull out.
Li Banfeng gave the old man a sympathetic look and sighed softly.
There was still a noticeable distinction between someone with mental illness and an outright lunatic.
This old man actually thought he was a train. How absurd could you get?
I've never thought I was a train. Occasionally I might feel like I'm an airplane or a tank, but those are fundamentally different from a train. A train always runs along tracks; it has no freedom...
While Li Banfeng was lost in thought, the old man suddenly said to him, "All aboard!"
"Board what?"
"The train's about to leave! Aren't you getting on?"
Talk about crazy—he's actually telling me to get on board!
How could I possibly get on?
Li Banfeng looked at the old man and sneered, "I haven't bought a ticket yet!"
"Pay on board, then!"
The old man appeared before Li Banfeng in a flash. Li Banfeng had barely caught a glimpse of his trajectory.
He hoisted Li Banfeng onto his back and took off at a full sprint along the railway line, his mouth chugging along without a pause:
"Chug, chug, chug, choo, choo-choo—"
Li Banfeng barked, "Where the hell are you going?"
"Stop squirming! Fall off and you'll break your neck!"
The old man was ridiculously fast—so fast that Li Banfeng couldn't make out the scenery on either side.
What tier of cultivator is this?
Where on earth is he taking me?
Li Banfeng silently produced his scythe. Suddenly, the old man chuckled. "Still fidgeting? Believe me, I'll toss you down and watch you turn into a flower."
Li Banfeng put the scythe away.
There was a great deal of information packed into the old man's words, and they had to be dissected carefully.
If he tossed Li Banfeng off, at his blistering speed, Li Banfeng would likely be unable to see him.
And if he looked at Li Banfeng at that moment, Li Banfeng would turn into a flower.
This was the fifth-tier technique of the journey cultivator path: Viewing Flowers on a Galloping Horse.
According to the Glove, this technique was typically employed when a high-tier cultivator was utterly overwhelming a lower-tier opponent.
What Li Banfeng faced right now was a high-tier journey cultivator who could crush him effortlessly.
What in the world does he want?
Right now, the only thing Li Banfeng could rely on was the Portable Abode. Given half a chance, he would dive right inside; even if the old man picked up the key, it wouldn't matter.
He strained to distinguish the surroundings on either side, ready to act the moment they passed woods or tall grass.
Yet the old man grew faster and faster. He had already blasted past the end of the rails and continued hurtling forward. Li Banfeng's vision grew blurrier and blurrier. In the midst of his mounting anxiety, the old man suddenly let out a long, screeching whistle: "Skrrrtch—"
He braked.
He dumped Li Banfeng onto the ground and said with utter seriousness, "End of the line. Pay the fare!"
Li Banfeng replied in all seriousness, "How much is the ticket?"
"Hard seat: one hundred and fifty!"
Hard seat?
Li Banfeng barked, "Did you even have other seats?"
The old man unfolded a stretcher from his back. "Hard sleeper: two hundred and eighty!"
"Do you have soft sleepers?"
The old man unfolded a mattress from his back. "Soft sleeper: three hundred and thirty!"
Li Banfeng was utterly speechless.
Li Banfeng handed him two hundred dollars. The old man said magnanimously, "No need for change! Choo-choo—chug-chug, chug-chug—"
Pumping his arms, he "drove" off.
Damn it, I gave him two hundred and he didn't even give me change!
If I'd known, I would've picked a sleeper.
Wait, no—I didn't get to choose in the first place!
What did this old lunatic bring me to this place for?
Li Banfeng surveyed the surrounding area.
It was a lush forest, faintly familiar, yet he couldn't quite remember where he had seen it before.
Could he find the tracks the old man had made?
He seemed to see footprints.
Indeed, there was a row of footprints, stamped rather deep.
Li Banfeng began retracing his steps along the footprints when a piercing wail suddenly sounded from behind him:
"Woo-hoo, choo-choo—chug! Chug! Chug!"
Holy hell!
The old bastard is back.
This wasn't a one-way trip—it was a round trip!
The old man actually has a scheduled route.
Li Banfeng didn't dare hesitate. He darted away from the footprints at once, terrified the old man would overtake him, and sprinted more than a dozen li in a single breath.
As he ran, Li Banfeng couldn't help wondering: If I hadn't run and had simply told the old man I wanted a ride, handing him the fare, would he have carried me right back?
Forget it. I'm a sane person; I can't take a lunatic seriously.
Once he has another episode, who knows where he might haul me.
After confirming that the old man hadn't pursued him, Li Banfeng examined his surroundings.
The area looked increasingly familiar; he was certain he had been here before.
Heading east for a dozen or so li, crossing a mountain, and walking across the wasteland for about an hour, Li Banfeng spotted a village.
At the entrance of the village, an enormous Madam Bagworm Moth was on patrol. Li Banfeng thought it was Yanzi, but stepping closer, he saw it was Qiaocui.
"Seventh Master, you're back!" Qiaocui called out warmly.
Zhengjing Village!
How did that old man know about Zhengjing Village?
Why did he bring me all the way back here?
On the proper land, Lüshuiwan and Heishipo weren't close, but through the newland, the distance between the two wasn't far at all.
"Seventh Master, put in a word with Fifth Brother for me, won't you? Tell him to come over to my place tonight."
Li Banfeng froze. "Old Five came back to the village?"
"Mhm, he's filming by the lake."
Why did he return to the village?
Li Banfeng entered the village. Ma the Fifth, clad in a black Zhongshan suit, was by the lakeside adjusting a video camera; shooting for Bloodgun Detective had apparently resumed.
A few others nearby were building sets, and several actors in full makeup were waiting in place. Li Banfeng asked, "Old Five, weren't you supposed to look after the coal and ore business? Why did you come back to the village?"
Ma the Fifth said, "Didn't I have urgent matters to attend to first? Why did you come back too?"
Li Banfeng said, "Well, I..."
He didn't bother explaining.
Sweeping his gaze over the set, Li Banfeng spotted Bai Qiusheng.
Bai Qiusheng was revising the script.
This was Ma the Fifth's habit: whenever he filmed a movie, he always kept the screenwriter right beside him.
Li Banfeng pulled the brim of his hat low and asked, "You're back too?"
Bai Qiusheng stood up and said, "Seventh Master, they said there was an urgent matter here, so I came back first."
"Is that so..." Li Banfeng nodded, pulling his hat brim even lower.
Chapter 277