Come If You've Got the Guts

*Chuff! Chuff!* The train pulled into Heishipo Station. Over the past two days, train traffic had been heavy, keeping the station staff run ragged. After Cheng Mingke left, transportation in Heishipo returned to normal. Factories large and small that had been waiting to ship their goods scrambled frantically for boxcars, and massive shipments of grain soon rolled into Heishi City. Order had returned to Heishipo, but what about the child abductions from before? The Jiangxiang Gang had done it. The Garrison Office's notice stated plain as day that they had no ties whatsoever with the Jiangxiang Gang, and that in the future they would thoroughly eradicate the gang from Heishipo. Of course, the residents of Heishipo ignored such nonsense. They remembered only that someone called Benefactor had helped them recover their children and had given them rice to eat. Heishipo quickly returned to a peaceful, cheerful life, as clearly reflected in newspaper sales. After the press reopened, *Night Fragrance* maintained sky-high sales. Yet the hatred for the Jiangxiang Gang would not be forgotten; denunciations across the major newspapers had only just begun. Many cold cases were dug up, and nearly every paper ran a special column on the Jiangxiang Gang. Stacks of newspapers were placed before Xiao Zhenggong. Xiao flipped through them briefly, then looked at Shen Jingye, Director of the Dark Star Bureau. "Why show me this?" Shen Jingye said, "I wanted to remind you that the Jiangxiang Gang's situation isn't looking good. If this gang still wants to survive in Puluo Province, it has to make some changes." Xiao Zhenggong asked in surprise, "Change how? Since its founding, the Jiangxiang Gang has made its living off these trades. Without them, how are we supposed to contact the Sage? How do we balance relations between Puluo Province and the Outer States?" "We have our methods. Your traditional ways must also undergo some changes." "Tell me then, what kind of changes?" "The plan is still being refined," Shen Jingye said. "I'll inform you once it's finalized." Xiao Zhenggong had already guessed part of it: they wanted to continue nibbling away at the Jiangxiang Gang. Thinking back on the process of using the Balance Seal, in others' eyes, Xiao Zhenggong had already become a laughingstock. He had handed five branches over to the Garrison Commissioner. Three more branches had been wiped out, and to this day it still hadn't been discovered who destroyed them. The Jiangxiang Gang had originally operated in the shadows; now it was dragged into the open, reviled by everyone. Yet what did Xiao Zhenggong get out of it? All he got was a lump of flesh and blood claimed to be He Jiaqing's, with no way to verify its authenticity. The He family's assets were frozen for a time, but to draw a clear line between themselves and the Jiangxiang Gang, and under pressure, the Garrison Commissioner unfroze them again. Was that the end of it? Not yet. Shen Jingye said, "We have given careful thought to the He family's attitude toward you. For your own safety, taking some necessary action is indeed called for." Xiao Zhenggong didn't follow. "What does that mean?" "We have decided to eliminate He Yuxiu in the Jiangxiang Gang's name. She is currently the head of the He family. Eliminating her will strike great fear into the He family and provide more security for your safety." "Security for me?" Xiao Zhenggong laughed out loud. What an artful way of putting it. Ever since He Yuxiu took over as head of the family, she had been in constant conflict with the Garrison Commissioner—Xiao Zhenggong knew this well. "You want to eliminate He Yuxiu and make the Jiangxiang Gang take the blame, don't you?" Shen Jingye offered no explanation. "The time limit on the Balance Seal has passed. You are free to move around now. I'll remind you once more: you can stay with the Security Brigade, but I advise you to choose another post." Xiao Zhenggong said nothing, stood up, and left the office. Back home, Xiao Zhenggong sat on the sofa while two young women drew hot water, tested the temperature, and attended to him as he bathed. Once in the bedroom, Xiao Zhenggong dismissed the two women, lay down on the bed, and stared quietly at the ceiling. The White Clothes hanging on the coat rack spoke: "Senior Brother, you didn't have to pay such a heavy price. Back at the hospital, you should have listened to me and eliminated He Jiaqing. Now you've used the Balance Seal, your vitality is severely depleted, and a large chunk of the Jiangxiang Gang was snatched away by the Outer States. You took a massive loss on this deal." Xiao Zhenggong retorted, "That was the extent of my abilities. Go report back to Master. At any rate, He Jiaqing is dead." The White Clothes sighed. "I'll certainly report the truth, but whether Master rewards or punishes you isn't up to me." The next evening, the White Clothes silently left the residence. Xiao Zhenggong drove to the Dark Star Bureau. He never came to work on time, but tonight was special; it was his turn on duty. The one on duty with him was still Zhong'er. Knowing he couldn't chase him away, Xiao Zhenggong ignored him and sat in his office. Near midnight, Xiao Zhenggong lit a cigar. Pungent smoke drifted out. Zhong'er rubbed his nose, though he didn't complain much. Amid the swirling smoke, Xiao Zhenggong's figure had already drifted to the stairwell. Zhong'er didn't see this. In his line of sight, Xiao Zhenggong was still sitting in the office. Following the stairs, Xiao Zhenggong went to the records room once more. After searching through several shelves, he finally found that file—the records concerning the Boundary. The Jiangxiang Gang was on the verge of slipping from Xiao Zhenggong's grasp. So what? Was the Jiangxiang Gang truly that important? He Jiaqing had brought the fight right to his face, the Sage was breathing down his neck, and White Clothes had come in person to supervise. There had to be an accounting for all this. But Xiao Zhenggong didn't want to demand that accounting himself. He didn't want to lose his position in the Security Brigade. Using the Balance Seal was merely putting on a show for the Sage. Once he gained control over the Boundary, he would control everything in Puluo Province. *** Li Banfeng ordered a bowl of mutton noodles at a noodle shop. The place was generous with its portions, serving plenty of noodles and plenty of meat. Many workers came here to eat after their shifts. A bowl of noodles, a mutton bone, and a bowl of liquor—for workers who had toiled all day, this was a reward to themselves. It might not have been lavish, but the meal was delicious. Heishipo was a place one could never stay long enough in. Having eaten and drunk his fill, Li Banfeng strolled through the city. Passing by a jewelry stall, he squatted down and picked out several pieces. The jade bracelets were made of ordinary stone, and the gold necklaces were made of copper. He bought over a dozen items for less than a hundred dollars. Li Banfeng knew full well what quality these goods were, but the wife loved this sort of thing. Back in Lüshui City, Li Banfeng had spent two hundred silver dollars to have two gold hairpins made for her. The wife had prodded them with her stylus and tossed them straight into the utility cabinet, complaining they weren't vibrant enough. Goods from roadside stalls were bright, flashy, and didn't hurt to break. Whenever the wife picked one up, she could fiddle with it for ages. Hong Ying always mocked the wife for having vulgar taste. What was wrong with being a little vulgar? Bold reds and greens looked pleasant enough to Li Banfeng's eyes. Having picked his items, Li Banfeng went to pay, but the girl selling the jewelry refused to take his money. Why refuse? The girl stared at Li Banfeng for a long while before lowering her voice: "You're Benefactor, aren't you? My family ate your rice." Li Banfeng threw down two Huan Country notes, scooped up the trinkets, and left. He couldn't stay in Heishipo any longer. If people found out that Benefactor was Boss Ye, things would get troublesome. Returning to the newspaper office, Li Banfeng had Bai Qiusheng help him obtain a travel permit, and that very night he headed to the train station. Upon reaching the ticket gate, Li Banfeng turned right back out. The travel permit checks were extraordinarily strict today; everyone was repeatedly questioned about their name. Why repeatedly question names? Could that Virtue Cultivation magical treasure be here? Li Banfeng never used his real name on a travel permit. If he really ran into a Virtue Cultivation magical treasure, he'd be in serious trouble. It seemed the recent turmoil hadn't blown over completely. Not long after leaving the station, Li Banfeng sensed someone had eyes on him. Why target me? Because I abruptly walked away just before ticket inspection? That action was certainly suspicious, but as a seventh-tier Dwelling Cultivator, under normal circumstances he wouldn't draw attention unless someone just happened to spot him. Could there be another possibility—that his outfit aroused suspicion? A black suit, a black fedora with the brim pulled down low. The Garrison Office might be looking for people dressed like that. He needed to change clothes. Finding a secluded spot, Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Abode. Inside, Li Banfeng pondered which clothes would work. A white suit? A grey suit? In Heishipo, it was best not to wear suits anymore. Back in Lüshui City, he had custom-ordered a cyan-blue long gown, but later found it too cumbersome to wear, so he tossed it into Room Three and barely touched it. Going to Room Three, Li Banfeng changed into the gown, put on an off-white fedora, tossed the suit onto the floor, and considered his next move. Hide at the newspaper office for a while? No. The newspaper office had butted heads with the Garrison Office before, so it was likely being watched too. Go back through the newland? That would be rather difficult. Old Yao's map didn't mark Heishipo's location; even if Li Banfeng reached the newland, he wouldn't know which way to go. Besides, Heishipo's newland had left Li Banfeng with severe trauma. Last time, looking for the newland had landed him right in the Dream-Tethering Tower before he knew it. Any other options? Pack himself into a parcel and have someone from the newspaper ship him out. That seemed reliable on the surface, but wasn't suitable now. As he'd considered, the newspaper office was likely being watched. If their people went to the station, failed to board the train, and the parcel was confiscated, Li Banfeng's situation would turn perilous. As he pondered, he suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the suit. Li Banfeng thought it was the glove at first, but lifting the suit jacket, he saw a small iron box slide out of the inner pocket. Inside the iron box were the screws Brother Tang had given him. Li Banfeng wasn't short on hidden weapons, so he'd carried it around without finding a use for it. To his surprise, the moment the box touched the floor, it vanished into the ground. Stunned, Li Banfeng said, "Old fellow, what are you taking my screws for?" "Fine goods!" the Portable Abode exclaimed in admiration. "Fine where? What good is it?" The Portable Abode didn't answer. Something given by Heishipo's local spirit ought to count as a treasure, yet the train had swallowed it just like that. Well, swallowing it was fine; he wasn't using it anyway, and at least it didn't benefit outsiders. Furnishing the residence with good things would probably give his fortune a boost. While thinking, Li Banfeng noticed another object sliding out of the suit jacket. The contraption he had seized from a subordinate when fighting the Jiangxiang Gang's branch master. Was this thing of any use? An idea struck Li Banfeng! Late at night, carrying a map of Heishipo, dressed in the cyan-blue long gown and off-white fedora, Li Banfeng sprinted due north across Heishipo. Passing through the city and beyond the suburbs, after traveling for over three hours, Li Banfeng reached the Heishipo border. It looked like the familiar borderline: a line extending in both directions beyond sight, surrounded by barren ground where not a blade of grass grew. Li Banfeng pulled out the contraption and yanked the lever. Along the borderline, not the slightest reaction could be seen. He tossed a tree branch across. The instant the branch flew across the borderline, it turned to ashes. Apparently, he had overthought it. The Boundary and the border line were evidently not the same thing; at the very least, this remote control wasn't universal. Returning to the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng continued pondering strategies when he suddenly heard an aged voice whispering in his ear: "Come to Room Three. I'll modify it for you." It was the Portable Abode's voice. Modify what? The remote control? It could modify this too? Li Banfeng entered Room Three and set the remote control on the floor. Just like the screws, the remote was quickly swallowed by the ground. After waiting for over an hour, the remote resurfaced from the floor. Li Banfeng picked it up and examined it; it looked no different from before. "Can this thing be used on the border line?" The Portable Abode's voice sounded again: "That depends on whether you've got the guts."