Li Banfeng realized he had been using the wrong approach.
More accurately, he had been led astray by the white clothes.
This had nothing to do with white clothes.
In his dream, there were only two kinds of people. The first kind were the people created within the dream by him.
The second kind was the intruder. The woman had explicitly stated that she was alone, and to escape the dream, he had to find her.
The people created by the dream behaved according to Li Banfeng's cognitive logic. Qiaocui, whom he had met at the village entrance at first, was a person created by the dream; her behavior aligned with his logic.
After entering the village, the others' behavior had largely been logical as well—except for Bai Qiusheng.
Bai Qiusheng shouldn't have appeared in Zhengjing Village. His presence defied logic, which meant he was the intruder.
The intruder could latch onto a figure within the dream. She didn't know enough about the people in the dream, but she could gather information from it. When she heard Qiaocui call him Seventh Master, she followed suit and called him Seventh Master too.
Once Li Banfeng spotted the flaw, the intruder immediately went into the latrine, slipping out of his sight, and soon attached herself to Ma the Fifth before reappearing in front of him.
Not knowing enough about Ma the Fifth, she still called Li Banfeng Seventh Master, exposing another flaw.
She disappeared from Li Banfeng's sight once more, turning into Zuo Wugang.
After Zuo Wugang slipped up, she latched onto Ah Qin.
Realizing she had exposed herself again, the intruder stopped showing herself rashly and instead continued gathering information.
As long as Li Banfeng's dream continued, the more information she would be able to collect.
Were all the people in the restaurant right before his eyes creations of the dream?
Not necessarily.
Their behavior was indeed more reasonable than before, but that could also be because, as the dream developed, Li Banfeng himself had divulged more details.
He couldn't let them chatter freely now.
The more details leaked, the lower Li Banfeng's chances of finding the intruder would be.
He had to test them immediately.
Of course, the testing process might also reveal a lot of information, but that was unavoidable.
Should he separate them and test them one by one?
Useless.
The intruder could see his dream; no matter where he went, he couldn't shut her out.
Li Banfeng immediately turned his gaze to Ma the Fifth and asked, "Who is your father?"
Ma the Fifth was taken aback. "Why are you asking that?"
"Just answer!"
"Ma Chunting!"
This was real.
Li Banfeng shifted his gaze to Zuo Wugang. "Who was your previous employer?"
"Let's not bring that up..."
"Out with it, hurry!"
"The Eldest Master of the Lu family, Lu Dongliang."
Li Banfeng turned to Ah Qin. "Who is the local spirit of your home turf?"
"Qiu Luoye."
Li Banfeng then asked Xiao Chuanzi, "What work did you do for the Ma family before?"
"I drove the road roller!"
Li Banfeng then asked Xiao Genzi, "Which pathway are you on?"
Clutching his bucket and holding his ladle, Xiao Genzi replied, "Gold Cultivator."
All of them were real?
The intruder wasn't here?
This was his dream. What he could see existed, and what he couldn't see theoretically didn't. The intruder might be invisible, but she should still be within his field of vision.
Li Banfeng looked over at the restaurant proprietor and the other diners. Was the intruder among them?
Li Banfeng wasn't familiar with this boss, and the diners were hunters passing through, whom Li Banfeng knew even less.
Was there any way to verify their identities?
Li Banfeng shouted, "All of you, tell me together—what is the name of this village?"
If a single person didn't dare open their mouth or couldn't answer, they would be the prime suspect.
Everyone looked at Li Banfeng and replied in unison, "Zhengjing Village!"
Every single person's answer was loud and crisp.
This trick didn't work?
He couldn't test it out?
Logically speaking, there was nothing wrong with his method!
Unless the intruder remained invisible the whole time, keeping herself unseen.
Then how could he possibly find her?
If she did that, the whole challenge would be meaningless.
Probe them with another round?
If he kept probing, it would only leak more information!
Where on earth did the problem lie?
Where...
Li Banfeng looked up and realized where the problem lay.
The problem was in the questions he had just asked.
Not every question could serve as a valid test, because one person's information had already been leaked in advance.
Li Banfeng had asked Genzi what pathway he followed, and Genzi's answer was Gold Cultivator.
His outfit and his earlier behavior in the dream had already given away his pathway. The intruder could easily deduce that he was a Gold Cultivator.
Could it be Genzi?
He couldn't make a reckless guess; guessing wrong meant being trapped here forever.
Don't stare at Genzi. If Genzi noticed and left the restaurant before Li Banfeng reached a conclusion, finding him again would be difficult.
Li Banfeng took a sip of tea, chatted idly with the group for a few moments, and then turned to ask Genzi, "How did you enter the Gold Cultivator pathway back then?"
Ma the Fifth said, "You went along with him for that, don't tell me you forgot?"
Li Banfeng scratched his head. "I'm a bit hazy on it."
Ma the Fifth said, "Didn't he just—"
"Have a drink!" Li Banfeng stuffed a winecup against Ma the Fifth's mouth to shut him up, looking at Xiao Genzi with a genial smile.
If Xiao Genzi looked for an opportunity to slip out of Li Banfeng's sight right now, it would prove he was the intruder!
Xiao Genzi said with a natural expression, "Seventh Master, you forgot? I entered the Gold Cultivator pathway through the peddler."
There was nothing wrong with the answer, but that was common knowledge.
"How much did you spend to buy the Gold Cultivator powder?"
"One hundred dollars. The bucket and ladle were thrown in for free."
Still nothing wrong, but for high-level cultivators, this might also be common knowledge.
"Why did you choose the Gold Cultivator pathway?"
Xiao Genzi puffed out his chest and answered, "Because it's the strongest pathway under heaven!"
Li Banfeng grinned and pointed at Genzi. "I found you!"
Xiao Genzi froze for a moment.
In the dream, everyone froze.
Xiao Genzi suddenly broke into a smile, and the coarse cloth short jacket on his body transformed into flowing white robes.
The tall, sturdy Xiao Genzi transformed into a slender woman. Before Li Banfeng could clearly see her face, she sprang up and darted out of the restaurant.
Trying to run?
I found you, and you still won't concede?
Li Banfeng gave chase immediately. The woman was astonishingly fast, and Li Banfeng struggled to keep up, pursuing her from inside the village to outside, all the way to the foot of a small hill.
She swiftly bounded up the hill, with Li Banfeng hot on her heels. Halfway up, she abruptly veered into a grove of trees, and Li Banfeng plunged in after her.
Once inside the woods, faint halos of light appeared in his vision, and the scenery before him twisted and blurred. Li Banfeng forced his eyes open with effort, finally regaining consciousness.
He had broken free from the dream. Right now, he was lying on a bed.
It was pitch-black all around. Li Banfeng sat up and struck a match.
This was a room of modest size. If not for the difference in size and furnishings, Li Banfeng would have nearly bristled in shock.
He had worried he was still in a dream, and that he had dreamt of the Portable Abode.
If he had dreamt of the Portable Abode, it would mean information about it had also leaked.
Confirming that this wasn't the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng calmed down a bit.
He checked his personal belongings; everything was intact. Li Banfeng pushed open the door and stepped out of the room.
Outside was a corridor with no visible end, with a door every three meters on either side.
What kind of place was this?
Li Banfeng patted the liquor gourd, but it didn't respond, seemingly still sound asleep.
His other treasures were all fast asleep as well. Relying on the art of seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity, Li Banfeng turned left and headed forward along the corridor in search of an exit.
After walking several dozen meters, he suddenly heard a creak as a door opened ahead.
A man stepped out of the room and walked slowly forward ahead of Li Banfeng.
"Friend, what place is this?"
Li Banfeng asked, but the man didn't respond, continuing forward.
Li Banfeng struck a match from time to time, following the man forward. After another several dozen meters, they reached the end of the corridor. The man turned right and entered a room.
Li Banfeng followed him in and discovered the room had no door, only a white curtain hanging over the doorway, from behind which wafted a familiar odor.
It was a restroom!
This man came to use the toilet?
Without bringing even a single candle, he just fumbled around in the dark to take a leak?
It seemed this was a hotel, or perhaps a dormitory or similar place.
Li Banfeng lifted the curtain and went in, seeing the man relieving himself at a urinal.
A urinal?
Such a thing wasn't common in Puluo Province.
Could I have returned to the Outer States?
Having finished relieving himself, the man walked toward Li Banfeng.
He wore a white shirt and black trousers. His complexion was fair, his hair long and messy, with a fringe of stubble around his mouth that looked unkempt for quite some time.
He walked straight toward Li Banfeng, and the two almost collided.
Didn't he watch where he was going?
He really didn't.
His eyes were closed.
Listening to the steady, deep breathing, this man was still fast asleep.
Sleepwalking?
Li Banfeng grabbed the man and shouted twice, "Wake up, wake up!"
As he shook him, the man opened his eyes.
He stared at Li Banfeng, dazed for a moment, then pulled a small case from his trouser pocket and popped a pair of contact lenses into his eyes.
Contact lenses?
It really was the Outer States!
The man looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Who are you? What's your business?"
Li Banfeng said, "Nothing in particular, I just wanted to ask—"
"If you have no business, why'd you wake me?" The man grew irritated.
Li Banfeng pulled out a hundred-dollar Huan Country note and shoved it into the man's hand. "I just want to ask, what place is this?"
"You're already here, and you don't even know what place this is?" The man was thoroughly annoyed and refused to take Li Banfeng's money. "I was right at the good part, and you woke me up."
Li Banfeng also got a bit annoyed. "What do you mean? You're blaming me?"
"Of course I'm blaming you!" The man stretched, let out a yawn, and rubbed his belly. "Whatever, now that I'm awake, let's grab a bite together."
"Eat? That's hardly appropriate, is it?"
The man chuckled. "Of course it's not appropriate here—let's go to the cafeteria."
He led Li Banfeng out of the restroom and over to the second door on the right near the end of the corridor.
The door wasn't locked. Pushing it open, Li Banfeng saw a flight of stairs.
The stairs were steep; walking down felt like descending a hillside.
Down two floors, the man pushed open a door, and the fragrant aroma of hot food drifted out.
He seemed to have smelled this aroma before.
Pushing the door open, inside was a very spacious cafeteria. There were no windows, but the lighting was bright, and the tables and chairs were neatly arranged.
The man sat down by a table and called out, "Stir-fry two dishes, and bring a pot of wine! Come on, come eat with me."
He waved at Li Banfeng. Once his irritation at being woken up had passed, the man was actually quite friendly.
Li Banfeng sat down across from him and asked, "Are you from the Outer States?"
The man nodded. "I'm from Chunshen City. Are you from the Outer States too?"
Li Banfeng answered, "I've been to the Outer States."
As they spoke, Li Banfeng looked around. There were a dozen or so people eating in the cafeteria. One woman wore a T-shirt and jeans, while another wore a long trench coat.
Aside from the two of them, the rest were dressed in Sun Yat-sen suits, riding jackets, long gowns, or plaid suits—all attire typical of Puluo Province.
Among these people, only three were eating with their eyes open; all the others had their eyes shut, seemingly still asleep.
Eating while asleep—this was truly a novel sight.
On second thought, though, Li Banfeng had also been eating in a dream just moments ago.
Could it be that he had been here earlier?
The man asked Li Banfeng, "How did you end up here?"
Li Banfeng said, "I ended up here in a daze."
The man laughed. "I really envy you folks from Puluo Province. You can stumble into such a wonderful place completely in a daze! To get here, I spent nearly two million!"
Li Banfeng frowned. "You paid money to come here?"
The man said, "And that's only because I tapped the right connections. For anyone else, even twenty million might not get them in."
"What kind of place is this, really?"
"This is the Dream-Tethering Tower. There is no better place in the whole wide world."
Chapter 279