The Outward Path and the Return Route

Inside the bridal chamber, Li Banfeng had Lightbulb sit on the bed first. Lightbulb was deeply unnerved. He wanted to take off the red bridal veil, but Li Banfeng refused. It was better to keep it on. The veil kept Lightbulb in a state of intense anxiety, and the more anxious he was, the better he would cooperate. Just as expected, after both sat in silence for a short while, Lightbulb spoke up of his own accord before Li Banfeng could even begin questioning him: "Are you Li Seven? If you are, just give me a word." Li Banfeng said nothing. Lightbulb gave two small sobs. "Seventh Master, I was ignorant. I didn't know my place, didn't know how high the heavens were. I ran off to Xiaoyaowu all on my own without greeting you first. Honestly, I just wanted to see Jiang Mengting's concert. I didn't have a ticket, so I could only stand by the entrance. I swear I had no other intentions!" Li Banfeng smiled faintly. "Since you love listening to songs so much, why don't I find you a job at Xiaoyaowu? You could listen to singing every night, and you wouldn't even need a ticket." Lightbulb wept, "You're too kind, Seventh Master, but Xiaoyaowu has no use for someone like me. Whatever happened before, it was all my fault, entirely my doing! I've suffered so much out there—just count it as my punishment. Seventh Master, if you're still angry, give me two more punches. If two aren't enough, beat me until your anger is gone! Just spare my life, I beg you!" Li Banfeng was somewhat surprised. Back when he first saw Lightbulb at the academy, he remembered the kid had been clumsy with words and very nervous when speaking, which had given Li Banfeng the chance to ambush him. Later, when he encountered Lightbulb at Xiaoyaowu, he had seemed slightly more mature, yet he still wasn't much of a talker. After not seeing him for a stretch of time, Lightbulb had changed quite a bit. These words flowed smoothly from his lips, and Li Banfeng rather enjoyed hearing them. Of course, he had had no choice but to learn to speak smoothly. In the hunter camp, even with Shen Xueyong looking after him, he had had to speak with absolute clarity when dealing with others, or unnecessary misunderstandings would arise. Those were lessons bought with blood and tears. Li Banfeng said, "Sending you to Xiaoyaowu is for your own good. You have fair skin and captivating eyes. Train for a few days, and who knows—you might become a star singer." "I'm not cut out for that, Seventh Master!" "How do you know unless you try? Being a singing star pays far better than the Dark Star Bureau." If Li Seven had merely named the Garrison Office, Lightbulb might have tried to quibble a bit longer. But Li Seven had come right out and said 'Dark Star Bureau.' Denying it any further would be pointless. Lightbulb fell silent for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Since you already know everything about me down to the roots, there's no point in me hiding it. I belong to the Dark Star Bureau, sent up here to Puluo Province for advanced training. I didn't understand anything. The superiors ordered me to keep watch on you at Xiaoyaowu, so I went, and I ended up falling into your hands. I'm just a nobody in the Dark Star Bureau, and I'm still just a nobody at the Garrison Office. Whatever they tell me to do, I do. Seventh Master, please, just spare my life." Li Banfeng lit a cigarette. "Sparing you is fine. I'm offering you work at Xiaoyaowu—are you going to agree or not?" "Seventh Master, don't joke around. I really can't be a singer!" "If you won't be a singer, that's fine too. From now on, you'll be my inside informant." "Uh..." Lightbulb was stunned for a long time. Could such words really be spoken aloud? And so bluntly? "What do you mean by 'inside informant'?" "What else could it mean? Whether you're in the Dark Star Bureau or the Garrison Office, if you learn anything about me in the future, give me advance notice. Can you manage that?" Lightbulb shook his head repeatedly. "Seventh Master, aren't you asking me to be a spy? Where would I get that kind of guts? If you force me like this, you might as well just kill me!" "Killing you won't do. There are plenty of folks outside waiting to share a bridal chamber with you." Li Banfeng got up to leave. Lightbulb yelled frantically, "Seventh Master, don't go! I agree, I agree, all right?" Li Banfeng halted his steps. "What did you agree to? I didn't hear clearly." "Whatever you say, I agree!" "The ones outside are all my brothers. If I want you to share a bridal bed with them, do you agree to that?" "No, not that! I agreed to being your informant!" Li Banfeng smiled and asked, "Say it more clearly. What about being an informant?" Lightbulb enunciated word by word, "I will be your inside informant. Whether in the Dark Star Bureau or the Garrison Office, the moment there is news about you, I will report it to you immediately." Li Banfeng brought over a sheet of contract paper, wrote out a covenant deed, and made Lightbulb press his thumbprint onto it. Lightbulb said, "I've pressed my print, so at least let me see what's written on the deed." "No rush. You'll have plenty of time to look at it later." Li Banfeng lifted Lightbulb's red bridal veil. "From this day forward, you're my man." Lightbulb trembled all over. "Seventh Master, what are you going to do?" Li Banfeng said, "I'm going to teach you a few things to say. Make sure you memorize them well. If you get them wrong, it'll cost you your life." *** Inside the Garrison Office, Xia Shumin carried a document into Liao Zihui's office. "Chief Envoy, we can't keep a lid on things anymore. The Dark Star Bureau knows Lightbulb is missing, and they're demanding an explanation from us." Liao Zihui didn't even look up. "I'm aware of the matter. Leave the file here." Xia Shumin felt something was off. Why was Liao Zihui so calm? Earlier, seeing him so frantic, he should have already taken the bait. Had some unforeseen variable cropped up? "Chief Envoy, the Dark Star Bureau is pressing hard. We have to give them some kind of response. My phone has practically been ringing off the hook." "Phone?" Liao Zihui paused. "You can still make phone calls?" It had been a slip of the tongue. In Puluo Province, regular telephone lines didn't work; one had to use specialized communication equipment to contact the outer provinces. He quickly tried to smooth it over. "They contacted me through communication equipment." "Did they use our office's communication equipment, or your personal device?" Liao Zihui kept his eyes fixed on Xia Shumin. "If it was our office's equipment, I ought to know about it. If it was your personal device, that's a serious problem. Setting up private communication gear violates the regulations of our Garrison Office." Xia Shumin's expression stiffened awkwardly. Liao Zihui merely watched him in total silence. For two whole minutes, neither man uttered a word. Then Liao Zihui gave a slight smile. "Little Xia, you handled Lightbulb's matter rather improperly. Of course, your intentions were good—you wanted to temper a newcomer. It was only because you weren't familiar with Puluo Province's conditions that your good intentions led to bad results. You aren't entirely to blame; I bear responsibility as well. You've been here for quite some time, yet I didn't urge you to strengthen your study and understanding of Puluo Province. "Going forward, some foundational tasks will be assigned to you. This is an important opportunity for growth and tempering, so make sure you seize it. Over in Yangjiaoyuan, a few hoodlums have been brawling in groups recently, injuring quite a few people and causing a terrible public disruption. Find some time to go sort it out." *Sending me to deal with street punks brawling?* *Is he knocking me down a peg, or humiliating me?* Xia Shumin pondered for a moment before saying, "Chief Envoy, I believe our pressing priority remains Lightbulb. The Dark Star Bureau sent someone over, and now there's no trace of him. We really..." Before Xia Shumin could finish, Liao Zihui waved his hand and summoned his secretary, Ling Sujun. "Take the files on those Yangjiaoyuan hoodlums to Deputy Chief Envoy Xia's desk. Also, call Lightbulb in for a moment." Xia Shumin was taken aback. "Call who?" Liao Zihui chuckled. "Lightbulb!" "Which Lightbulb?" "Which other Lightbulb could it be? Dong Xiaoning, the trainee from the Dark Star Bureau!" Before Xia Shumin could recover his wits, Ling Sujun had already brought the young man inside. Lightbulb stood with his hands clasped below his belt, shoulders hunched and head bowed, his posture tense and uneasy. Xia Shumin stared at him for a long time, confirming it truly was Lightbulb. "How are you... how are you still..." Liao Zihui smiled. "You were about to ask how he isn't dead yet, weren't you?" Xia Shumin quickly stood up, grabbed Lightbulb by the hands, and exclaimed, "You worried me to death! Where on earth have you been all these days without sending a single word?" Lightbulb said, "You ordered me to keep watch on Li Seven at Xiaoyaowu. I went, but Li Seven was constantly on the move, visiting all sorts of places. There were locations I was completely unfamiliar with, and after trailing him for two days, I lost him." "If you lost him, you should have come back!" Lightbulb shook his head. "My mission wasn't accomplished—how could I dare return? I checked the information you provided and searched several of Li Seven's properties. Sure enough, I found him at Lanyang Village." Xia Shumin asked in astonishment, "You found Li Seven?" "I did. His men were clearing out bandits near Lanyang Village, and Li Seven himself was there too." "He didn't notice you?" "No." Lightbulb shook his head. "He's a fifth-layer Dark Energy user! With his capabilities, how could he fail to spot you?" Xia Shumin didn't believe it. Lightbulb paused for a moment. "Deputy Chief Envoy Xia, were you certain Li Seven would spot me?" Realizing his misstep, Xia Shumin hurriedly explained, "It wasn't an assumption, it was a logical deduction based on the difference in your strength." Lightbulb paused again. "If you could deduce that I would definitely be discovered by him... then why did you still order me to spy on him?" Xia Shumin was struck speechless. There was no way to talk his way out of this. No one should assume that figures of his rank never made verbal blunders; people of his station misspoke all the time, only nobody dared point it out. Yet today, Lightbulb dared to call him out, leaving Xia Shumin thoroughly humiliated. The reason was simple: Liao Zihui was watching right beside them, providing the backbone Lightbulb needed to speak his mind. Liao Zihui smiled. "Little Xia, I've had Sujun put the materials on your desk. Go review the information on those Yangjiaoyuan thugs first, and try to produce an initial plan by tomorrow." Liao Zihui gave him an exit, and Xia Shumin hastily accepted the assignment, retreating from the Chief Envoy's office. Back in his own office, Xia Shumin's brows knit tight, his face dark with suppressed fury. Today's business had been handled terribly, putting him on the back foot from the very start. The reason for his disadvantage was straightforward: he had suffered from a critical lack of information. He hadn't known Lightbulb was still alive, let alone that the boy had returned to the Garrison Office. This incident also served as a sharp reminder. The Garrison Office was Liao Zihui's territory. So long as Liao Zihui remained here, it would be immensely difficult for anyone else to stir up waves. *** At the Paramount, Liao Zihui brought Lightbulb into a private parlor for celebrated divas, having hired Chang Hongjiao, a popular songstress, to perform for them. This was an exclusive invitation for Lightbulb, meant specifically to soothe his nerves after his ordeal, with no one else accompanying them. Was Liao Zihui hosting Lightbulb so lavishly out of care for a subordinate? Not entirely. Lightbulb was merely here for training; strictly speaking, he wasn't Liao Zihui's subordinate. Was he worried Lightbulb would talk recklessly once he returned to the Dark Star Bureau? Not that either. The gap between Liao Zihui's status and Lightbulb's was vast. So long as Lightbulb remained alive, whatever nonsense he might blab wouldn't affect Liao Zihui much. The true purpose of this outing was to investigate Lightbulb's relationship with Li Seven. Lightbulb had trailed Li Seven for so many days without being detected—Liao Zihui didn't believe that either. However, he had no intention of forcing a confession. Instead, he wanted to coax the truth out of Lightbulb's mouth. In this kind of setting, amid such an atmosphere, it was easy for a person to lower their guard and let slip words they shouldn't say. After two songs, Liao Zihui had Chang Hongjiao step out for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Xiao Ning, what do you think of this young lady?" Lightbulb shook his head. "I'd say she's just average." "Average?" Liao Zihui looked surprised. "With her looks, her figure, her vocal range—could she really be inferior to the singing stars of the outer provinces?" "She's leagues better than the stars back where we come from. Besides, with my status, I never had the chance to meet any decent stars anyway. When I say average, I mean compared to Jiang Mengting." "You've seen Jiang Mengting's concert too?" Lightbulb lowered his voice. "I have. Li Seven brought me." Liao Zihui asked in astonishment, "You know Li Seven?" "You could say so," Lightbulb scratched his scalp. "Back at Lanyang Village, I didn't know him yet. Once they returned from wiping out the bandits near Lanyang Village, Li Seven headed back to Xiaoyaowu, and I followed along. I wanted to see what he planned to do next. But Li Seven sent men to invite me inside, saying he'd treat me to a concert. So I went in and watched—from a private booth, no less. I was terrified at the time. Li Seven even came into the booth once and said a couple of words to me." "What did he say?" "He said things weren't easy for me, and told me not to come back again." At this point, Lightbulb looked somewhat ashamed, hanging his head low. "Chief Envoy, did Li Seven know I was spying on him all along?" Liao Zihui didn't even know how to evaluate this. "Why didn't you mention this to me earlier?" "I felt it was too embarrassing." Lightbulb buried his head even deeper. "Chief Envoy, am I completely useless?" Liao Zihui smiled faintly and called Chang Hongjiao back in to continue singing. Just as he had anticipated, Li Seven had seen through Lightbulb's identity from the start. What surprised him was that Li Seven hadn't laid a finger on Lightbulb, choosing instead to bring everything into the open. Was Li Seven taking the initiative to ease tensions? He would treat it as such. Living a few days of peace wouldn't hurt either. *** Inside the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng asked Hong Ying, "Yingying, is there a technique that can kick someone an enormous distance away?" Hong Ying thought for a moment. "That doesn't sound like a technique. Back when I practiced martial arts, I trained in a move called 'Horse Kicking the Dantian,' which could kick someone over two zhang away." "Far more than two zhang!" Li Banfeng waved his hand. "It can kick someone several li away." "Several li?" Hong Ying couldn't quite fathom it. Li Banfeng scratched his head. "Maybe even further. I fought someone at Huangtu Bridge, and when I went back to look afterward, I couldn't find him anywhere. Could I have kicked him clean past Huangtu Bridge? What's more, while he went flying, I went flying too—straight from Huangtu Bridge all the way to Lüshui Bay." Hong Ying asked, "Seven, before you used the technique, were you unable to tell directions apart?" Li Banfeng nodded. "I really couldn't tell them apart at first, but later, for some reason, I could tell again." Hong Ying beamed with delight. "Seven, you used the technique Parting by Ten Thousand Li!" Li Banfeng had heard descriptions of Parting by Ten Thousand Li before, and he too felt it was remarkably similar. Hearing Hong Ying say so seemed to confirm it beyond doubt. "How did I learn this technique? I don't even know the essentials, and this is a ninth-layer journey cultivator technique." "Parting by Ten Thousand Li isn't as convoluted as Traversing a Thousand Mountains in Mind; there have certainly been cases of people comprehending it without a master," Hong Ying said, clutching Li Seven's hand. "Seven, you've mastered a ninth-layer technique, which proves you've become a ninth-layer cultivator. From now on, you'll definitely be able to tell doors from portals!" *Smack!* The gramophone lashed Hong Ying with a fierce blow of its board. "What does that have to do with portals and doors?!" "Hiss—" Hong Ying rubbed her bruised backside, hissing repeatedly through her teeth. "You shrew, that strike really had some venom behind it!" Li Banfeng explained, "Back then, I might have inadvertently borrowed the technique from Yingying." The gramophone said, "Dear husband, look closely at the truth: did you rely on your own strength to execute a ninth-layer technique, or did you rely on Going One's Own Way to use a technique across layers?" Li Banfeng had pondered this question as well. The odds of using a technique across layers were slim. The technique Going One's Own Way could indeed forcibly elevate one's cultivation layer, but once a technique was used across layers, the user would suffer severe backlash—a reality Li Banfeng had experienced firsthand. Hong Ying also believed Li Banfeng had truly advanced. "Seven walked along Daoguiling for several days, so his cultivation naturally should have surged. Of course, saying he jumped a whole layer isn't easy to believe, but Seven mentioned that the situation on Daoguiling had changed—the Daolao ghosts can now come out without waiting for thunderstorms. That's visibly far more perilous than before, so Seven advancing a full layer directly is entirely within reason." The gramophone sighed. "Advancing so abruptly, how can the physical body possibly endure it?" Hong Ying chuckled. "Xiaowan, didn't Seven say he borrowed the technique..." "You still dare run your mouth!" Zhao Xiaowan seized Hong Ying and gave her a sound thrashing. Taking the beating, Hong Ying yelled, "He was the one who said it! Why are you hitting me?!" Li Banfeng asked, "Yingying, where exactly did the man I kicked go?" Hong Ying rubbed her sore rear. "That depends on where you wanted to send him, Seven." "I can send him anywhere I want?" Hong Ying nodded. "In principle, yes, but executing it isn't so simple. The essence of the Parting by Ten Thousand Li technique lies in the outward path and the return route. The outward path refers to the other person—the one you intend to send away. Before sending them off, wherever you envision in your mind is where they will be sent. "However, two things must be prepared beforehand. First, you must hold a crystal-clear image of the destination. The outward path must be a place you are intimately familiar with, visualized down to the tiniest detail. Any fuzziness will result in an error. Back when I was in the army, I once wanted to send an enemy commander straight into our camp so Xiaowan could deal with him. In the heat of the slaughter, my focus wavered slightly, and I accidentally sent him into our own granary. Over that mistake, this wicked woman gave me a full hundred and twenty strikes of the rod! Just thinking about it makes me feel wronged..." At this point, Hong Ying's voice trembled slightly. The gramophone flared with fury: "A hundred and twenty military strikes was too much?! Just because you flinched for half a second, the entire army's provisions were burned to ash!" Hong Ying continued, "The second requirement is that you must clearly distinguish directions. If you cannot discern your directions, the technique can still be used, but where the enemy flies off to becomes anyone's guess, and you won't know where you yourself will land either." Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "In other words, there's a discrepancy from the intended destination?" Hong Ying shook her head. "You can't call it a discrepancy; you should say it ends up completely unrelated. Once, in a moment of desperation, I used Parting by Ten Thousand Li on my mother. She was about to discipline me with family rules, and I only wanted to shove her into the garden so I could find a chance to slip away. But at that moment, I lost my bearings and pushed my mother right into the outhouse pit, nearly drowning her in filth! After crawling out of the latrine, my mother beat me for two straight days. Whenever I remember it, my heart aches with grief..." Li Banfeng consoled her, "Yingying, don't cry. You weren't beaten enough. Explain that business about discerning directions in more detail." Hong Ying said, "That brings us to the return route. No matter how high a journey cultivator's cultivation is, whenever they employ Parting by Ten Thousand Li, they will inevitably lose their sense of direction. To regain their bearings, they must leave behind a tether in advance. That tether is called the return route." "What kind of tether?" "A tether is like an army's battle standard, or a ship's anchor. Exactly how to explain it, I can't say for sure. I used to possess two ropes that were rare treasures and served as my best tethers. During wartime, I would tie one rope around my waist and bury the other in a safe place. Once I cast Parting by Ten Thousand Li, the rope at my waist would tighten and resonate with the rope buried in the ground. That allowed me to discern my directions and locate my return route. After sending the enemy away, I would follow that return route back to safety. Alas, those two ropes were lost on the battlefield. Thinking back on it, my heart..." The gramophone remarked, "Yingying, there's no need to be sad. One of these days I'll forge an iron chain and fasten it around your neck." Hong Ying gave a cold snort. "Treasures like that are certainly hard to find, but there are other ways to establish a return route. For instance, carry a top-grade message-transmitting artifact and find a dependable helper to send a transmission at the critical moment. This method is fairly common, but the only trouble is timing: if the transmission is sent too early, before the technique is unleashed, it's useless; if it's sent too late, both parties have already vanished to who knows where. Therefore, the helper must be exceptionally sharp, and the plan must be meticulous." The gramophone scoffed, "Oh, husband, do you regret it now? This Parting by Ten Thousand Li technique is truly troublesome to use." Hong Ying refused to back down. "Who says it's troublesome? Bring out your home cultivator's ninth-layer technique and let's see which one is more useful!" Li Seven chimed in, "Wife, we can't take this lying down. Bring out the home cultivator ninth-layer technique and show her!" The gramophone sighed. "Why must my husband be in such a hurry? Rest and recuperate for a few days, and your humble servant will naturally guide you to the ninth layer. But once you reach the ninth layer, husband must be prepared: will you shed your physical body to ascend to the tenth layer, or bypass the tenth layer entirely to ascend above the clouds?" Li Banfeng said, "Isn't that already decided? I secured a territory and posed as a local spirit precisely so I could skip the tenth layer and ascend above the clouds, didn't I?" "That is true, but husband is advancing so rapidly that your physical body may not keep pace. Forcibly claiming cultivation above the clouds seems far too dangerous to your servant." Li Banfeng also felt he had advanced too quickly. "Then I'll focus on nourishing my body." "Not only must husband recuperate, but you must also keep the news strictly concealed. Do not let anyone know about your advancement to the ninth layer." Li Banfeng understood the importance of hiding one's cultivation, yet his wife's warning this time was noticeably different from before. "Is there something special about the ninth layer?" Lu Dongliang was universally known to be at the ninth layer, and Bao Yingchen, the great gold seal of Sanying Gate, frequently dropped hints to others that he was at the ninth layer as well. His wife explained, "Those at the ninth layer are dragons and phoenixes among men. Reaching this level draws the attention of the Inner States. If husband wishes to cultivate in the Inner States in the future, not only will you not need to hide it, but it would actually be best to announce your identity. If you can make friends in the Inner States, you will have people looking out for you once you arrive." Li Banfeng shook his head. "I definitely won't go to the Inner States. Basically all the friends I made from the Inner States have ended up in my stomach." The gramophone said, "All the more reason for husband to comb through things carefully. Anyone who has witnessed your ninth-layer technique must never be allowed to spread word of it." *At present, the only person who has seen my ninth-layer technique is Wan Jinxian.* *Where did I kick that old bastard?* *Back then, I was picturing Daoguiling in my mind, but that's hardly a convenient place for me to go check.* *** Jianrengang, Songde Village. A man's corpse had been gnawed into tattered shreds by a Daolao ghost. Critick walked forward, his brow furrowing. "Senior Brother, how did you end up like this?" He moved to drag the corpse away, but the Daolao ghost beside it crouched low to the ground and let out a shrill, piercing screech. "*Screeech!*" Critick moved the body away nonetheless. "Senior Brother, stop eating this kind of filth. I have human food here." He offered a tin can of food to the Daolao ghost. The Daolao ghost took the can, sniffed it, and tossed it aside. He thoroughly disliked the smell of seasoning. Critick picked up the can and peeled back the tin lid. "Senior Brother, try another taste. See if it helps you recover some memories." The Daolao ghost took the can and extended his tongue to lick the broth inside. The familiar flavor brushed across his taste buds, seeming to stir some recollection within the ghost. He swallowed a chunk of beef. As he chewed carefully, a faint flicker of expression appeared across his bloated, numb face. Critick leaned closer. "Senior Brother, did you remember something? How did you end up here?" The Daolao ghost remained motionless, frozen like a clay statue. After a long while, he suddenly jerked his head up and slammed the can—broth, meat, and all—straight into Critick's face. "*Squeak, squeak-squeak!*" The meaning he conveyed was simple: *This tastes awful.* This Daolao ghost—once known as Wan Jinxian—dropped to all fours and departed the village with brisk, light strides. Outside the village, a female Daolao ghost was waiting for him. Facing each other, they crouched low, circled twice, let out a few shrill howls, and then slipped into the small woods together. Seeing this, Critick let out a long sigh. "It seems Senior Brother has already forgotten the troubles of this mortal world." No sooner had the words left his mouth than Wan Jinxian dashed out of the woods with hasty steps. The female Daolao ghost pursued right behind him, her guttural snarls laced with what sounded like curses and mockery. Critick checked his pocket watch and shook his head. "It seems some troubles remain after all." Unable to endure the female Daolao ghost's relentless harassment, Wan Jinxian turned, and the two began tearing into each other. Critick watched for a moment and noticed rashes breaking out across the female Daolao ghost's body. *Rashes...* Once Wan Jinxian had scurried off, Critick walked over to the female Daolao ghost, gesturing to indicate that he was the superior male. The female Daolao ghost accepted Critick. Inside the woods, Critick carefully examined her back. Pustules and rashes were erupting across her skin at an astonishing rate. This was beyond doubt a technique of the Disease Cultivator path. Wan Jinxian could still use his techniques! What about the other Daolao ghosts? A smile spread across Critick's face. If the Daolao ghosts could truly retain their former cultivation and techniques to some degree, his plan could be put into motion ahead of schedule.