Wait for Me

Liao Zihui and Li Banfeng established their covenant: in ten days, Li Banfeng would go to Yuezhou to assume his post as a balancer. Li Banfeng was still somewhat curious about this. Why did it have to be Yuezhou? Why not another city? "Because Yuezhou is the large city closest to the entrance to Puluo Province," Liao Zihui explained. "The Dark Star Bureau's general headquarters is located there. Before taking office, a balancer naturally must make an appearance at headquarters first. "Brother Li, if you don't wish to work at headquarters, we can arrange another post for you, and it certainly won't be a minor one. Of course, you could also follow Xiao Zhenggong's example—taking a relatively junior post in exchange for well-informed channels of information. The security team is a frontline division of the Dark Star Bureau, so they definitely know far more." That same day, Liao Zihui fulfilled his first promise, lifting the transit restrictions on Yesong Bridge. With transit restored to Yesong Bridge, Li Banfeng was in no hurry to return to Greenwater City. He still had plenty of business to attend to here, the most important of which was constructing a station. This was now Li Banfeng's territory, and it had to have a station. The companion dwelling had considered building one earlier, but at the time, Li Banfeng was not familiar enough with Yesong Bridge's grounds, and a location had never been settled on. After exploring and probing throughout this period, Li Banfeng had gained a thorough grasp of the visible territory of Yesong Bridge. Following careful comparison, he still chose Mount Yeqing as the site. Mount Yeqing was a scenic landmark with heavy foot traffic, so building a station here actually carried a risk of exposure. However, Li Banfeng had surveyed the mountain in detail and found numerous spots seldom visited by humans. Among them was a karst cavern that was hard to find, treacherous to navigate, and easy to get lost in once inside. It could not be called absolutely safe, but nothing in this world was absolutely safe. Constructing the station here placed it closer to the covenant deed, allowing him to respond promptly if anything went wrong. Precious materials like Heavenly Heart Stone were extraordinarily difficult to come by, making a large station entirely unrealistic. Earlier in the newland, the Old Train had traded a large station for a small one, and the blissful soil yielded from that trade now came in handy. Speaking of the blissful soil, Li Banfeng felt a twinge of reluctance. "Using it all to build the station... what will I dote on my dear wife with later? No matter what, we must save some!" The gramophone hurried to chime in, "Husband, we can't save any! Building a station is serious business—you mustn't cut corners!" While the companion dwelling set about building the station, Li Banfeng contacted Luo Zhengnan and asked him to come to Yesong Bridge. Yesong Bridge's domain was vast—far larger than what met the eye. Since it was his territory, he had to examine it thoroughly. Among Li Banfeng's subordinates, Luo Zhengnan was currently the only one capable of detecting concealed spaces. Just after Luo Zhengnan arrived, Ma the Fifth, He Yuxiu, Xiao Yeci, and Lu Chunying showed up as well. The moment they learned transit had been restored to Yesong Bridge, their first instinct had been to seek out Li the Seventh. Seeing that he was safe and sound, everyone rejoiced. Yet when they learned that he was heading to the Outer Province, their mood grew considerably less optimistic. "Old Seven, you can't go," He Yuxiu objected vehemently. "If you go alone to the Outer Province, and they harbor ill intent and try to harm you, who could lend you a hand out there?" Xiao Yeci agreed, "Sister Xiu is right! Being alone out there is just too difficult!" Lu Chunying said, "I'd wager that even if Seventh Brother keeps his life, they'll put him under house arrest. Coming back will be nearly impossible." Not a single person agreed with Li Banfeng going, except Ma the Fifth, who proposed an alternative. "We can agree to the Garrison Office's demand, but you don't have to go in person. We can find someone to go in your stead." It sounded like a joke—the Outer Province had specifically named Li the Seventh, so how could they casually swap in a stand-in? Yet it was no joke. Given the strength Li the Seventh and Ma the Fifth commanded today, procuring a stand-in was hardly difficult. The ideal candidate would be an Opera Cultivator. Physically, they could replicate his appearance down to the smallest detail. As for mannerisms, a few days of training would yield enough resemblance to handle things in the Outer Province for a while. Li Banfeng turned it down. First, he had already signed a covenant with Liao Zihui. If the deception came to light, it would be tantamount to inciting war between Puluo Province and the Outer Province, and Li Banfeng would suffer the covenant deed's backlash. Second, Li Banfeng had a crucial purpose in becoming a balancer: he needed to find a way to breach the Boundaries and carve out a path forward for Puluo Province. That was a mission he could never entrust to anyone else. Third, the Outer Province's stance on balancers was to sacrifice Puluo Province's interests to balance relations between the Outer Province and the Inner States. That habit had to change, and Li Banfeng would help them change it. He had to go to the Outer Province, but the situation in Puluo Province also had to be maintained. Li Banfeng urged the group, "After I leave for the Outer Province, if disputes arise among you, exercise restraint and forbearance with one another as much as possible." Lu Chunying said, "Rest assured, Seventh Brother. We share bonds forged through life and death. There are no grudges we can't talk through." He Yuxiu said nothing, and Ma the Fifth remained silent as well. Li Banfeng understood full well that while their affection was genuine, affection alone was unreliable. With Li the Seventh here, the factions yielded to one another not solely out of loyalty to him, but even more out of respect for his strength. Before any clash erupted, none of them knew which side Li the Seventh would take, forcing them to think twice before acting. Yet once Li the Seventh was no longer in Puluo Province, conflicting interests would inevitably lead to friction. If the Inner States or Outer Province intervened, full-scale infighting could break out at any moment. Friction and conflict were unavoidable. Li Banfeng made only one demand: "If the day comes when you truly must fight, give me advance notice. If anyone conceals it from me, don't blame me for turning on them!" The group gave their assent. Next, Li Banfeng had to speak with Ma the Fifth in private about a few matters, mostly concerning business. Business in other locations went without saying; Ma the Fifth managed everything in good order. The only problem lay in Yesong Bridge. Every time he set foot in Yesong Bridge, Ma the Fifth wore his disdain plain on his face. He could hardly be blamed. Yesong Bridge truly was off-putting: virtually every shop was a century-old establishment, and asking any merchant revealed their ancestors had run the exact same trade. In Yesong Bridge, not a shred of novelty could be found. It was forever the same few wares at the exact same prices. Doing business here, one could calculate profits a hundred years into the future. It was natural that Ma the Fifth found such a place repellent. Even so, Li Banfeng still needed Ma the Fifth to build up their business in Yesong Bridge. Ma the Fifth felt utterly helpless. "Old Seven, business in Qiqiu City is looking sharper by the day, and business in Huangtu Bridge is steadily picking up. Putting effort into those places yields visible change. What is the sense in forcing me to pour my heart into Yesong Bridge?" How could he explain the reason? Could he say, 'I've reached above the clouds, I need human presence, so you must help me develop Yesong Bridge'? He could not say that outright. Li the Seventh offered an alternative explanation: "I looked at the feng shui. Yesong Bridge's market is about to boom. We can't let such a prime opportunity slip away." Ma the Fifth agreed. So long as it was a task Li the Seventh assigned, he would follow through. Li Banfeng went over several more minor matters. Once the companion dwelling finished building the station, he made a trip to the City of Fools. Certain affairs could be delegated to Ma the Fifth, but others required his personal attention. Li Banfeng handed ten thousand silver dollars to Tang Changfa. "While I'm away, live well. Don't let anyone suffer mistreatment." Tang Changfa did not understand what he meant. Yan Qing'er asked timidly, "Shopkeeper, are you abandoning us?" "What nonsense is that! I'm just taking a long trip and will return in some days. Where did our city lord go?" Yan Hong'er replied, "The city lord brought back two helpers from outside, one named Ah Gui and the other Ah Huang. Lately, he often takes them out on errands, though we're not sure what they're up to." Li Banfeng had met Ah Gui before. What about Ah Huang? Judging by the name, he didn't sound like any prominent figure either. Leaving the City of Fools, Li Banfeng headed to Tiemen Fort. Although Luo Zhengnan had posted watchmen here, Li Banfeng still could not set his mind at ease regarding this group of Homestead Cultivators. Upon seeing the fort lord, Wu Yongchao spoke excitedly of the recent battle: "Fort Lord, that man named Chen Weixin was driven off! You were the one who intervened back then, weren't you?" Li Banfeng smiled without answering. He inspected the ledgers, left some funds for the fort, and called Luo Zhengnan to instruct him to watch over them closely. Luo Zhengnan was still searching for concealed spaces in Yesong Bridge. Hearing Li Banfeng mention Tiemen Fort, he sounded fully confident: "You don't need to worry about Tiemen Fort. Other places might be uncertain, but you definitely have no need to worry about this one!" Li Banfeng did not grasp his meaning. Luo Zhengnan explained, "There are things I can't tell you over the phone for fear of being overheard. When you arrive in the Outer Province, I'll go see you, and you'll understand then." Departing Tiemen Fort, Li Banfeng went to Yaowang Ravine. The Qiu Family Pharmacy had opened two branch stores, and business was expanding steadily. Qiu Zhiheng had visited Old Yao's residence just two days prior. "Old Xu found an expert Wine Cultivator who is treating Old Yao. I reckon Old Yao will wake up. "Brother, since you're heading to the Outer Province, I have a friend I want to introduce to you." Qiu Zhiheng wrote a letter and handed it to Li Banfeng. "This friend runs a black-market business. There are plenty of cultivators in the Outer Province, but most keep their identities hidden. The ones who deal with them most frequently are these black-market merchants. "He's a close acquaintance of mine and has a decent temperament. He might prove useful to you down the line." The Lu family's business in the Outer Province had been managed by Qiu Zhiheng back in the day, so his connections were naturally very reliable. Leaving Yaowang Ravine, Li Banfeng visited Qiqiu City, Black Rock Slope, and Huangtu Bridge, taking care of everything that needed arranging. Soon, the ten-day deadline arrived. On the eve of his departure, Ma the Fifth hosted a banquet at Xiaoyaowu to see Li Banfeng off. He asked Jiang Mengting to sing, but tears streamed down her face and she could not bring herself to start. Li Banfeng frowned. "What are you crying for? It's not as if I'm never coming back." Jiang Mengting wiped her tears. "Seventh Master, can't you take me with you?" "How could Puluo Province's top songstress go to the Outer Province on a whim?" Li Banfeng said. "Wait until I go out, make preparations, and organize a tour. Then I'll invite you to the stage." Jiang Mengting had no idea what a tour was, but her tears kept falling uncontrollably. Li Banfeng comforted her, "Don't cry anymore. Sing a song for me!" After a long while, Jiang Mengting composed herself, set a record on the gramophone, and sang "When Will You Return." "Fine blooms do not forever stay, Fair scenes too swiftly pass away. Sorrow gathers, brows yet smile, Tears drench the sash of yearning vile. Parting this night, where paths divide, When, my lord, will you return to my side..." Jiang Mengting's voice was exquisite. Aside from his dear wife, Li Banfeng felt no one sang better than her; even Mengde could not compare. Li Banfeng lit a cigarette and applauded her continuously. Hearing his praise, Jiang Mengting sang with even deeper devotion. Yet when the song concluded and she looked toward the seats, Li the Seventh was nowhere to be seen. Half a cup of liquor remained on the table, with a half-smoked cigarette resting beside it. Jiang Mengting sat in his seat and waited for a long time, but he never returned. Where had Li the Seventh gone? Even Ma the Fifth did not know. At the Greenwater City train station, Li the Seventh had already stepped onto the platform. He had claimed he would depart tomorrow, but he had bought a ticket for tonight. Rather than having a weeping crowd see him off, it was far better to depart quietly under the cover of night. Few people took the night train, leaving the platform desolate and cold. Nearby stood several late-night snack stalls, where Tangyuan and Lightbulb were buying food; they were traveling back to the Outer Province with him. "Seventh Master, what would you like to eat?" Having grown accustomed to addressing him that way at Xiaoyaowu, Tangyuan blurted it out automatically. Li Banfeng glanced around: vendors sold seasoned flour tea, eggs, pastries, and instant noodles. Instant noodles... Those were not commonly seen in Puluo Province. The vendor selling instant noodles was an old woman. Li Banfeng walked over and lowered his voice. "Second Aunt, you came to see me off?" Granny Ku chuckled. "Eldest nephew, leaving just like that? When do you plan to repay me for those three temperings?" "What three temperings?" Li Banfeng didn't understand. "Refusing to acknowledge the debt, are you? I'll let you off tonight, but we'll settle accounts slowly later." Granny Ku turned toward a corner of the platform and called out, "Come on over!" Chu the Second, dressed in coarse cloth, walked up to Li Banfeng. Keeping her head lowered, she glanced up with her eyes. "Why are you going to the Outer Province?" Li Banfeng replied, "Just to take a look around." Chu the Second bit her lip. "Is it because of me?" Li Banfeng smiled without answering. Chu the Second's voice trembled slightly. "I went to Yesong Bridge because I have a grudge against the Garrison Office, not to save you. "If the Garrison Office has any business, tell them to come find me. You don't need to meddle in my affairs. Don't go to the Outer Province." Li Banfeng stared at Chu the Second for a moment, still silent. *Wuuu—* The train whistle blew; departure was imminent. Chu the Second whispered, "Don't go. I beg you..." Li Banfeng placed his hand on his fedora and pulled the brim down. Chu the Second lifted her head, wanting to look at him just a little longer. Li Banfeng's hand remained on the hat, without pulling away. *Wuuu—* The train whistled again. Li Banfeng took off the fedora and placed it on Chu the Second's head. His movement was very gentle, very serious, very deliberate. He stared at Chu the Second for a long time. Wearing the fedora, Chu the Second looked very beautiful. *Wuuu—* Li Banfeng turned and boarded the train. *Chuff, chuff—* The train began to roll. Beneath the shadow of the brim, Chu the Second's tears fell one by one. The brim lowered slightly, as if unwilling to let anyone see her cry. *** Inside the compartment, Tangyuan and Lightbulb were playing cards. Lightbulb tracked the cards, while Tangyuan played purely on instinct. In less than two hours, Tangyuan had nearly lost a month's wages. Li Banfeng kept his eyes on the scenery outside the window. Lightbulb voiced a touch of concern: "On our way here, Big Head told me that on Train 1160, it's best to draw the curtains—especially once we reach Santoucha. You can't look at that place. For someone at my level, looking could cause serious trouble." Tangyuan asked, "Why didn't Big Head head back with us?" Lightbulb said, "He applied to stay in Puluo Province for another month, saying he had an unfinished mission." Tangyuan was surprised. "What mission?" Lightbulb shook his head. "No idea. Ever since we arrived in Puluo Province, I've had no clue what he's been busy with." *** Greenwater City, at the former headquarters of the Jiangxiang Gang, Big Head led Xie Juncong to the side of the rockery. Over the past period, Big Head had been searching everywhere for He Jiaqing's whereabouts. He discovered that He Jiaqing had recently had contact with Critic, and through his connections in the Garrison Office, he finally managed to contact Critic. Critic had just returned from Jianren Ridge. Upon hearing Big Head ask about He Jiaqing, Critic provided a lead—and the lead pointed to the old Jiangxiang Gang headquarters. That site was now Luo Zhengnan's territory. Xie Juncong had searched it back and forth several times without finding any useful clues. Now, taking advantage of Luo Zhengnan's presence in Yesong Bridge and the relatively lax security here, Xie Juncong had brought Big Head along to search together. "There's a secret chamber beneath this rockery," Xie Juncong said. "If we still can't find anything here, there's no need to come back. Luo Zhengnan isn't someone to mess with. If he catches us, getting away won't be easy." Big Head could detect no signs of a secret chamber. Xie Juncong tested with various artifacts, spending hours without locating the entrance. "Forget it. The craftsmanship is too sophisticated; I'm out of ideas. Let's go." Xie Juncong was on the verge of giving up, but Big Head insisted he keep searching. They searched for over an hour more until dawn was approaching. Just as Xie Juncong was resolved to leave, he suddenly heard a sound. "Someone's in the secret chamber!" Startled, Xie Juncong traced the sound and felt around the floor for a moment, then turned to Big Head. "There's a brick down here that seems to have a seam, but the gap hasn't been cut all the way through." *** When the train reached Haichiling, Li Banfeng and Tangyuan bought plenty of food: steamed buns, fried dough sticks, fried cakes, flatbreads, and potstickers. The two feasted heartily, while Lightbulb, dark rings under his eyes, didn't touch a single bite. Li Banfeng was curious. Reaching Haichiling without any appetite—Lightbulb's self-restraint was quite something. "What's wrong with you? Sick?" Lightbulb gave a dry laugh. "No, just tired." Tangyuan snorted. "Serves him right. Earlier when we passed Kudaikan, I warned him not to open the window, but he went back to his own compartment and secretly opened it anyway." Li Banfeng paused, then asked Lightbulb, "How many times did you finish?" Lightbulb pursed his lips. "Sixteen times, I think." "A twenty-minute stop, and you finished sixteen times?" "That place, Kudaikan... is wonderful..." Lightbulb closed his eyes, reminiscing over the dense, intoxicating sweetness of Kudaikan. Tangyuan glared at him. "I'm warning you, Santoucha is right ahead. Keep your curtains tightly shut. You cannot look at that place!" Having spent two full years in Puluo Province, Li Banfeng had never visited Santoucha. With a dozen-odd kilometers remaining until Santoucha, the train's broadcast sounded once more: *"Attention, passengers. We will soon enter Santoucha. Please return to your compartments and refrain from moving about. Draw the curtains and do not open the windows under any circumstances. If you experience any physical discomfort, please contact the crew immediately."* Tangyuan stood up. "Seventh Master, we're heading back to our compartment. Be careful, and it's best you draw your curtains as well." Li Banfeng nodded, and Tangyuan and Lightbulb returned to their respective compartments. Drawing the curtains was out of the question; this time, Li Banfeng intended to see it clearly. Before long, the train entered a tunnel. For an entire hour, pitch darkness reigned outside the window. When they emerged, Li Banfeng finally glimpsed light. It was not sunlight, but flashing beams, as though frequent lightning streaks were slashing across the night sky. Was it lightning? No! It lasted longer than lightning: pillars of light plummeted from the sky, lingering for several seconds before vanishing. Li Banfeng was intimately familiar with these pillars of light. It was celestial light. As the celestial light fell in rapid succession, it illuminated the forest. Within the woods, massive swathes of shadows were converging on the train. The train moved at extreme speed; an ordinary person could never discern what those shadows were. Yet Li Banfeng could see clearly: they were people. Densely packed figures were surging rapidly toward the train. These figures were exceedingly tall, with broad shoulders bearing three heads. One three-headed person leaped onto the train, desperately clutching the outer wall of the compartment. Li Banfeng opened the window, intending to let the three-headed person inside. *Clang!* An iron rod thrust down from the train roof, knocking the three-headed person off the carriage. All the train conductors had gathered on the roof, knocking down the three-headed people climbing the train one after another. Once the train cleared the forest, the three-headed people vanished, leaving the boundless wilderness empty. Another half-hour passed before the train came to a halt. The broadcast announced: *"We have arrived at Santoucha Station. Passengers terminating here, please gather your luggage and disembark promptly. Due to the brief stop, passengers continuing forward, please remain in your seats, do not wander, do not open windows, and do not draw back the curtains."* With his window open, Li Banfeng quietly watched the scene outside. The platform was bleak and deserted. Only two passengers disembarked, and no one boarded. Along the edge of the platform ran an iron railing. Poking through the gaps were hands—pair after pair of outstretched hands. A crowd of three-headed people was packed outside the railing, reaching toward the platform. They wore ragged garments—scarcely worthy of the word, but rather tattered rags barely covering their bodies. Even the beggars of Puluo Province dressed far better than they did. Their hair hung loose and disheveled, caked in grime, appearing a dismal gray beneath the newly lit streetlamps. It contrasted against their blackened faces, leaving Li Banfeng unable to discern their age or even their gender. They kept their hands outstretched. What did they want? Li Banfeng threw all the food in the compartment out the window. It flew across the platform, cleared the railing, and landed among the crowd. The three-headed people caught the food, briefly scuffling over it. Yet whether they secured any or not, all of them extended both hands through the railing and bowed toward Li Banfeng in gratitude. Li Banfeng stood by the window, motionless for a long time. *Clack, clack!* A conductor knocked on the compartment door, then pushed it open and entered. "Sir, please close your window." Li Banfeng turned to look at the conductor without a word. After locking eyes for a moment, the conductor lowered his head, backed out of the compartment, and shut the door. The conductor was terrified. Aboard the train, he possessed formidable combat strength; by all rights, he shouldn't fear anyone. Yet in that single moment, he had felt genuine, visceral terror. The train started moving again. Li Banfeng continued gazing out the window. Watching the figures recede swiftly into the distance, Li Banfeng murmured softly to himself: "Wait for me. Just wait for me!" *** The train pulled out of the station, drawing close to the Boundary between Puluo Province and the Outer Province. Li Banfeng concealed the key and returned to the companion dwelling. Whether the companion dwelling could break through to the Outer Province rested entirely on this moment. *Hummm—* A faint tremor ran through the house. The companion dwelling was exerting its power, and the entire household grew tense. Li Banfeng held the gramophone in his arms, and she softly began to sing the "Ballad of the Train": "Across the flats, through mountain passes, Puffing and chugging, billowing smoke, With coal and water we take to the road, Once rolling, the train's power knows no bounds. Over bridges, boring through tunnels, Iron wheels rolling through treacherous crags, Fearless before a thousand perils, Through wind and rain, traversing all rivers." *Clatter!* The companion dwelling jolted violently. Hong Ying felt a prick of fear. "Old Master, can we make it through?" After a long wait, the aged voice sounded: "Is this the Outer Province? I think... I've been here before." They had made it through! It was considerably easier than expected. Everyone let out a long breath of relief. The gramophone asked, "Old Master, what does the Outer Province look like?" "Hard to say. It's not quite the same as Puluo Province." Li Banfeng stroked the horn of the gramophone. "Precious wife, once we reach our destination, I'll take you out for a stroll." The companion dwelling bristled with annoyance. "Out whenever you say so? Has this house no rules?" Li Banfeng laughed. "Our family is venturing out in the Outer Province now—we naturally have to be a bit more flexible. Once I buy back some fine goods, we can discuss it at our leisure." *** Greenwater City, at the former headquarters of the Jiangxiang Gang. Xie Juncong spent three full nights and deployed dozens of spiritual items and artifacts before finally prying open a gap between the bricks. Those artifacts came not only from the Ghost Hand Sect; Shen Rongqing had mobilized all the brothers' assets, sending over everything that might prove useful. From the seam, a figure as flat as a sheet of paper wriggled out. The figure lay on the ground for a long while before gradually taking the shape of an emaciated He Jiaqing.