Singing and Dancing in Celebration of Peace

Agents from the research institute stormed into the laboratory, with Li Banfeng and Geng Congyi arriving right behind them. Not knowing who the two were, the research institute agents took them for the marionette's accomplices and nearly traded blows with them. Li Banfeng produced his credentials, while Geng Congyi took out a bottle of golden-yellow reagent and swallowed half of it. This was a staining agent specially designed by the Dark Star Bureau. It stained upon direct contact with a target, and dark-energy users could also use techniques to apply the stain. After a Severer ingested the staining agent, they could mark the source of dark energy at the very moment they severed the dark-energy tether. In other words, as long as Geng Congyi could sever the dark-energy tether on the marionette, he could locate the craft cultivator controlling it and coat them in an unmistakable yellow. According to Geng Congyi's experience, a craft cultivator's control range generally did not exceed ten meters. The craft cultivator was somewhere nearby; once exposed by the staining agent, there would be no escape. Everyone waited for Geng Congyi to make his move. A rush of wind swept through, leaving numerous blade marks across the laboratory walls and equipment, every slash coated in vivid yellow. Yet no one spotted the craft cultivator. All they saw was the marionette lying motionless beneath the resonator. Li Banfeng suspected the craft cultivator might be outside the laboratory. Sweeping his gaze past the windows with his Golden Eyes Discerning the Minutest Detail, he saw the marionette beneath the resonator slide out on its back. With hardly any bend to its body, it sprang straight up from a supine posture and stood before everyone. Geng Congyi was dumbfounded. In all his years as a specialist for the Dark Star Bureau, he had never failed once. "Bureau Chief, I used a very dense net of blades just now—" The blades had indeed been dense. If a dark-energy tether had existed in the room, it would certainly have been cut. Now, however, was not the time to debate the matter. The marionette sidestepped two paces, closing in on Geng Congyi. A dagger materialized in its hand, slashing out to kill him. Li Banfeng shoved Geng Congyi aside and planted a front kick toward the marionette. With Li Banfeng's speed, such a kick might not pack enough lethal force to kill his target outright, but unless the opponent's cultivation completely overwhelmed his own, dodging it was extraordinarily difficult. To his surprise, the marionette actually dodged. Its waist twisted to the left at an impossible angle, bending its body into a curve to evade Li Banfeng's kick. Maintaining the curve of its lower body, its upper torso twisted around again, swinging the dagger toward Li Banfeng's neck. It was a puppet, so twisting like that was understandable, but moving with such speed was absurd. Li Banfeng leaned back to dodge the dagger. The marionette retreated a step, bypassed the research institute agents, and reached the laboratory doorway. Li Banfeng moved a step faster, blocking the doorway, and swung his Tang dao at the marionette's legs. A puppet possessed no vital points; Li Banfeng targeted the legs first simply to cripple its mobility. The marionette executed a standing backflip, evading the Tang dao, and even managed to kick out at Li Banfeng while mid-air. Li Banfeng dodged the kick and retrieved the liquor gourd, intending to burn the marionette to ash. With a succession of nimble hops, the marionette slipped behind a spectrometer, dodging the gourd's liquor. The liquor gourd wanted to exhale a mist of liquor and incinerate the entire laboratory. Li Banfeng patted the gourd to stop her. The Medicine King's liquor had limited lethality against high-tier cultivators, but against ordinary people, it was devastatingly destructive. If she sprayed an undifferentiated mist of liquor, putting out the fire afterward would be nearly impossible. Moreover, the craft cultivator himself wasn't even here. Never mind how precious the room full of experimental equipment was—all these people shouldn't have to be buried alongside a mere marionette. Li Banfeng gave chase behind the spectrometer and exchanged two blows with the marionette. With a sliding step, the puppet ducked beneath a cryostat. Li Banfeng followed with a slide of his own and slipped in after it. The two traded several moves under the cryostat before the marionette slipped out, taking two wide strides around to the machine's rear. Li Banfeng strode around as well, but the puppet executed another slide, darting before an office desk. Li Banfeng pursued it with another sliding step to the desk. The puppet put its left foot forward and right foot to the side, spinning twice through the aisle between two equipment setups before arriving at the window. Li Banfeng did not reach the window. While twirling alongside the marionette, he had accidentally stepped on a bottle on the floor, spraining his hip. It was Geng Congyi's bottle of staining agent, dropped when Li Banfeng shoved him out of harm's way earlier. How could he step on that bottle by such an absurd coincidence? No, that wasn't the main issue. The main issue was—why had he been spinning around together with the puppet in the first place? Li Banfeng couldn't make sense of it either! He possessed Sever Path to Open a Road and Unimpeded Passage. Why on earth had he twirled around in circles following a marionette? The marionette leaped straight through the window, dashing into the distance with a succession of lateral slides. Li Banfeng pocketed the staining agent and pursued, while Geng Congyi radioed for backup. Inside the laboratory, the marionette had been nimble and swift, but out in the open, it was at a disadvantage in pure running speed. Though Li Banfeng had hurt his hip, he could fly as well as run, and he rapidly caught up to the marionette. Dealing with the puppet alone wouldn't solve the problem—where was that craft cultivator hiding? As Li Banfeng pursued, he tapped on the Qiansi earring. The Qiansi earring was equally nervous. "Lord, I truly don't see any craft cultivator around." Reaching an intersection, the marionette was kicked flat onto the ground from behind by Li Banfeng. The marionette did not shatter, nor did it seem gravely harmed. What kind of wood was this? To take such a heavy kick without shedding a single splinter? Li Banfeng moved in to deliver a finishing slash, but the marionette twisted its body. A large truck traveling along the road suddenly swerved sideways, careening straight toward Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng halted the truck with a single kick. The marionette continued its escape. Seeing Li Banfeng close the distance again, it planted one foot, rose onto its tiptoes, and pirouetted on the spot. What sort of trick was this now? Li Banfeng looked back and saw a bus packed with passengers spinning around, hurtling toward him. He wanted to kick the bus to a halt as well, but its position was terrible; if he kicked it, the bus would likely fly off the road, killing everyone inside. Li Banfeng first dodged the bus, shifted to a safe angle, and then kicked it to a safe halt. All the while, Li Banfeng kept his eyes glued to the marionette. As the marionette prepared to flee, its body shuddered and twitched. What was going on? Was it injured? A misjudgment—this was no marionette! Taking advantage of the figure's sluggishness, Li Banfeng lunged forward, unleashed Treading Ten Thousand Rivers behind it, and flung the staining agent with a flick of his wrist. *Bang!* After a cloud of dust cleared, the puppet was drenched in blood, flecks of golden-yellow clinging to its clothes. So this "marionette" was a living person! Let's see where you run now! Having gained the upper hand, Li Banfeng raised his sickle, swayed his hips, and began dancing alongside the puppet. What was happening? Why was he dancing again? Not only was Li Banfeng dancing, but every vehicle traveling along the road was "dancing" as well. Cars swayed and collided, aligning into a long serpentine line that wriggled toward Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng had never encountered an opponent like this. The man was right in front of him; Li Banfeng could sever his head, blow his body apart, or crush him into paste. Yet Li Banfeng couldn't do it. He could only dance, moving along with the flowing traffic. His body was not entirely out of his control; he could still activate techniques. He managed to trigger Treading Ten Thousand Rivers, but failed to hit the puppet, nearly blasting apart a sedan to his right instead. Seeing the puppet-man about to escape, Li Banfeng cast Sever Path to Open a Road to cut off his path. An earthen wall rose from the ground—blocking Li Banfeng's own pursuit route instead. Li Banfeng could clearly perceive the puppet-man's current actions, but he could not anticipate his next move. He could control his own body, but had no idea what state his body would be in the next moment. His perception of his surroundings, his opponent, and himself had all become skewed. This distortion came from a technique—one Li Banfeng had never seen before. Shen Jingye arrived with reinforcements. Crossing his arms and swaying his hips, he shouted to everyone, "Support Bureau Chief Li!" A crowd of people charged forward, executing spicy, sizzling dance moves. After a chaotic scuffle, the group surrounded Li Banfeng, holding hands and dancing together. Meanwhile, the puppet slipped into the roadside woods and vanished without a trace. Li Banfeng forced his joints still, stopping his dance. Pushing the others aside, he went to the edge of the woods to inspect for footprints and bloodstains. There were neither prints nor blood on the ground; the culprit was a master who had erased all traces. Swinging his shoulders, Shen Jingye called out, "Forget the puppet, Bureau Chief Qi! Let's go find the craft cultivator first!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "There is no craft cultivator. That person just now was likely Du Wenming." "How is that possible?" Shen Jingye asked, twisting his waist while preening his hair. Li Banfeng shook his head. "I slashed him once, and my blade carried the staining agent. Bring him in for questioning, and you'll know." Shen Jingye froze, then beamed. He currently had zero doubts about Li Qi's judgment. "I'll contact Director Du right away." The entire road was in total chaos. Cars had crashed into one another and come to a stop. Passengers stepped out, arguing as they danced, yet not a single person realized anything was wrong with their behavior. Swaying his hips, Shen Jingye placed a call to Du Wenming. Du Wenming did not pick up. He dialed Du Wenming's landline at home, but Du Wenming still did not answer. He ordered team members stationed near Du Wenming's residence to knock on the door, but received no response. Still dancing, Shen Jingye looked at Li Qi. "I believe we can apply for an arrest warrant now." Watching Shen Jingye strike seductive poses, Li Banfeng felt a strong urge to slap him twice across the face. The puppet-man was long gone. Why was Shen Jingye still dancing? Why couldn't he stop? Not only was Shen Jingye wriggling, but the security officers behind him were dancing as well. Mijian had the finest figure and danced the most seductively, attracting numerous passersby who gathered around him to dance along. Lightbulb had coated the soles of his shoes with grease, making his dance steps remarkably smooth. Chen Changrui had remained in the car. Relying on the foundational senses of a Scrying Cultivator, he seemed to perceive a hint of abnormality. He fought hard to keep himself from getting out of the car, though his legs trembled uncontrollably. The others went about their tasks—some inspecting vehicles, some directing traffic, others preparing for the next phase of the arrest—yet everyone moved to the exact same rhythm, performing a cheerful dance. "Stop dancing!" Li Banfeng snapped, startling everyone into a shiver. "Bureau Chief Li, what's wrong with you? Who's dancing?" Shen Jingye hadn't realized he was dancing, and neither had anyone else. From their perspective, the scene had fallen into chaos earlier due to the fight between Li Banfeng and the puppet-man. Now, everyone was simply going about their work normally, and only Li Qi was acting peculiar. Chen Changrui stepped down from the car with great effort, walked over to Li Banfeng, and whispered, "Bureau Chief Li, I have Du Wenming's address here." He slipped a slip of paper to Li Banfeng. He knew everyone's condition was abnormal, and he knew that by the time an arrest warrant was issued, it would be far too late. Taking the paper, Li Banfeng left the scene. Once away from prying eyes, he took to the air and flew to Du Wenming's detached villa. There was no one inside. According to Shen Jingye's investigation files, Du Wenming was unmarried, his parents lived elsewhere, and he employed a housekeeper to cook and clean, though she did not stay the night. The villa was two stories tall. Li Banfeng found no radio equipment, nor did he see any treasures, spirit artifacts, or weapons. Li Banfeng called Shen Jingye. "Issue a wanted notice immediately. Look for anyone with the yellow staining agent. Du Wenming isn't home. He has other hideouts in the city." Floating in the night sky above the city, Li Banfeng surveyed his surroundings. Where had Du Wenming gone? Where had he hidden Yu Yaoming? Was that puppet-man truly him earlier? Returning to the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng took out the projector and replayed the footage of the battle. During filming, the projector had wobbled continuously, making the video shaky. The gramophone watched for quite a while before finally catching Du Wenming's silhouette. "Husband, is that a string puppet?" His lady's initial impression matched Li Banfeng's earlier judgment. But after watching for ten minutes, she noticed something amiss. "This puppet carries artifacts. It can use techniques." Li Banfeng asked, "Which pathway's technique is this?" "It's a Dance Cultivator technique." "Martial Cultivator? Don't Martial Cultivators lack supernatural techniques?" "Not a Martial Cultivator of combat and slaughter, but a Dance Cultivator of the art of dance. This technique is called Singing and Dancing in Celebration of Peace. "When he dances alone, he compels everyone around him to dance along. To think a puppet could utilize an artifact's technique to such an extent." "Madam, that likely wasn't a puppet or an artifact. That was an actual cultivator!" "How does Husband know?" Li Banfeng said, "During our exchange, I kept my eyes on him. While dodging, I inadvertently used Viewing Flowers from Horseback. "That blow injured him. If he were merely a puppet, Viewing Flowers from Horseback shouldn't have affected him." Hong Ying put down her eyebrow pencil and watched the recording for a moment. "This shadow play is so shaky it makes my head spin. Even our projector was caught in the technique." The projector was baffled. "When I was filming, I didn't feel shaky at all." The glove wiggled its index finger. "During the fight, I wanted to see if he was carrying any treasures, but I couldn't steady my mind or find an opportunity to strike. I must have been caught in his technique back then, dancing along with him." The liquor gourd had missed her aim, and the Tang dao had failed to connect; both had likely been disrupted by the Dance Cultivator at the time. Li Banfeng asked, "Can a Dance Cultivator's technique be so potent that it makes artifacts dance along as well?" The gramophone explained, "Artifacts possess spirituality, so they indeed suffer interference from a Dance Cultivator." "What about the cars? Why were they dancing too?" The gramophone shook its horn. "Given that person's cultivation, he certainly couldn't manipulate inanimate objects lacking spirituality. The cars swayed because their drivers were affected, causing mishaps behind the wheel." The drivers had been dancing while driving, violently twisting their steering wheels. His lady's explanation was reasonable, but one detail remained unexplained. "After the puppet-man fled, why were so many people still dancing?" Hong Ying chimed in, "Because Dance Cultivator techniques leave lingering effects. Once cast, the technique persists for a period of time. How long that resonance lasts depends on the gap in cultivation between the two sides. "During the war, I once encountered a Dance Cultivator commander. She brought thirty dancing girls and five hundred soldiers, "and nearly slaughtered my entire encampment. "I still remember everyone in the camp dancing like madmen, letting the enemy cut them down without striking back." Li Banfeng visualized the battlefield scene, finding it hard to comprehend. He had the projector reenact it. A commander, leading thirty dancing girls, first infiltrated Hong Ying's camp and cast her technique, compelling all of Hong Ying's subordinates to dance. Then her soldiers charged in, bathing the camp in blood. "Since your entire army was dancing, why weren't the enemy soldiers affected?" Hong Ying said, "That's precisely the lingering effect. She used the dancers to throw our camp into chaos, then withdrew with them. "Because the lingering resonance remained, my brothers kept dancing, but the enemy soldiers who charged in later hadn't been caught in the technique and were naturally unaffected. That caused me to suffer disastrous losses at the start." "How did you survive that battle?" Hong Ying pondered carefully, then shook her head. "There was no clever trick. My cultivation was high, so after dancing for two beats, "I tore myself free from the technique. "Then I fought the enemy with my life on the line. Though all five hundred soldiers had cultivation, my methods were enough to hold them off. After some time, my soldiers broke free as well, and we turned defeat into victory, "but more than thirty percent of my men perished." Following Hong Ying's description, the projector faithfully recreated the battlefield scene. After watching, Li Banfeng asked Hong Ying, "If you faced her again, wouldn't you suffer the same disadvantage?" "Not a second time. At first, seeing how frail she was and how she wept before the battle lines, she didn't look like a warrior in the slightest, so I truly underestimated her. "After that battle, I never took an enemy lightly again. In our second clash, I closed the distance before she could act and took her life on the spot, never giving her the chance to move. "Seventh Brother, remember this well: when fighting a Dance Cultivator, you must never allow them to begin dancing. Unless your cultivation exceeds theirs, once you let them start, victory is virtually impossible." Li Banfeng rewatched the recording, remaining silent for a long time. Hong Ying's tactic was hardly practical here. The gramophone knew what troubled Li Banfeng. "Telling someone not to let a Dance Cultivator begin dancing is easier said than done. Husband, when it comes to walking speed, whether across flat plains or treacherous peaks, a Journey Cultivator is far faster than a Dance Cultivator. "Yet when fighting within inches, at equal tiers, it is hard to say whether a Dance Cultivator or a Journey Cultivator is swifter." Hong Ying protested, "A Journey Cultivator is definitely faster! But a Dance Cultivator is tricky to guard against. You never know when they'll start dancing, or when you've started dancing along with them. "This particular Dance Cultivator is quite unusual. His footwork didn't look like dancing at all; he genuinely looked like a marionette with stiff joints." Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, he looked remarkably like one. At first, I thought there was a craft cultivator pulling his strings." The gramophone asked, "Husband, where is this person right now?" "I don't know," Li Banfeng shook his head. "He might come for revenge at any moment. How should I deal with him next time?" Hong Ying turned back toward the mirror to continue drawing her eyebrows. "Seventh Brother, you just refuse to trust me. If you were a Literary Cultivator, you could rely on flashy techniques to fight him; if you were a Strength Cultivator, you could match him with brute force. "Since you're a Journey Cultivator, you have to strike fast! Trap him first with Sever Path to Open a Road, then stomp him flat with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers. If you aren't faster than him, there's no point fighting at all!" "I am a homestead cultivator. Why do you keep calling me a Journey Cultivator?" Li Banfeng looked at his lady. "Does the homestead pathway have means to counter a Dance Cultivator?" "If Husband acts as a proper homestead cultivator and hides at home waiting for him, there would be nothing to fear. But if Husband encounters him outside, dealing with him won't be easy. "Close the Doors and Bar the Gates is barely useful, but without seizing the initiative, you might not even manage to cast it. Counting the Family Treasures has great utility, but Husband's grasp of it isn't proficient yet. Comforting One's Own Shadow requires precise timing; use it at the wrong moment, and your shadow will end up dancing along too... "Sprawling Compound, however, would be an excellent response. Husband could borrow my technique and sing a tune for him during combat. "Dancers, like singers, rely strictly on rhythm and tempo. If your singing's tempo clashes with the Dance Cultivator's tempo, it should disrupt his steps. Once his dance steps fall into disarray, defeating him won't be too difficult." "That's a sound plan," Li Banfeng nodded. "I used that trick against Chu Zikai before." Hong Ying shook her head. "Seventh Brother, you're oversimplifying things. Back then, it was a Sound Cultivator against a Sound Cultivator. Xiaowan is a grandmaster among Sound Cultivators, so borrowing her methods gave you a natural edge. But trying to use a Sound Cultivator against a Dance Cultivator now? Who disrupts whose rhythm is far from guaranteed!" The gramophone rotated its great brass horn toward Hong Ying, plumes of steam billowing from its bell as though in indignation. Yet Hong Ying spoke the truth. From the laboratory onward, Li Banfeng had been swept into the Dance Cultivator's rhythm. If even his combat was influenced, singing would inevitably fall in line with the opponent's dancing tempo. "Husband, if you cannot guarantee seizing the initiative, it would be best to avoid this person." "And if I can't avoid him?" "Scrying Cultivators slightly counter Dance Cultivators. If Husband begins dancing along, Qiansi should be able to detect the abnormality." Hong Ying scoffed, "By the time that clumsy earring notices anything, Seventh Brother will already be dancing. By then, his strikes won't land true, his mind won't be steady, and his footwork will be at the enemy's mercy. How could he possibly fight?" The gramophone was at a loss for ideas as well. Li Banfeng called out, "Old Master, give me some advice." The companion dwelling did not respond. Hong Ying remarked, "The old man exhausted himself playing with the good stuff you brought back and has been sleeping all day. Who knows when he'll wake up." The companion dwelling followed Li Banfeng wherever he went; even if the Old Master slept, the train kept rolling. In truth, both his lady and Hong Ying had made valid points: the crux lay in seizing the initiative. He decided to check in on Shen Jingye first. If the wanted notice yielded a lead on Du Wenming, that would be ideal. Killing Du Wenming directly would render future preparations moot. Shen Jingye had returned to the Dark Star Bureau. He was no longer dancing, and even now, he had no idea what had happened to him at the scene—he only felt an ache in his lower back. "The wanted notice has been issued. There is an active nationwide bulletin for anyone with the yellow staining agent, but this is the photograph being used." Li Banfeng glanced at the bulletin: it displayed a picture of the marionette. The face was clearly not Du Wenming's true appearance. "Why not use Du Wenming's photograph?" Shen Jingye replied, "The higher-ups haven't approved an arrest warrant. Du Wenming isn't an official suspect yet, so his likeness and name cannot appear on the wanted notice." "Then have the superiors summon Du Wenming for questioning. If he's missing, that proves he was the puppet-man." Shen Jingye handed a leave request form to Li Banfeng. "Du Wenming submitted his leave paperwork this afternoon. He claimed his mother is ill and that he needed to return to his hometown. His superiors approved it." Li Banfeng examined the form. Du Wenming's mother was in Shiquan Province, and according to the travel information on the form, he had boarded a 7:00 PM flight tonight. Shen Jingye said, "We dispatched people to check flight records and rail data, and we contacted colleagues at the Shiquan Provincial Branch to stake out his family home. If Du Wenming returns, we'll receive word immediately." "Do you truly think he'll go back to his hometown?" "He has to keep up appearances, after all. He did file for leave with his superiors." "And what if he doesn't go back? At most, he concealed his whereabouts while on leave. Is that considered a severe crime?" Shen Jingye weighed his own authority. "If he didn't return to his hometown, I can arrange an inspection to see if he bears the staining agent." "Can't the staining agent be washed off?" "It can't be washed off, but it has an expiration period." "How long?" "Three days." Li Banfeng glanced at the desk calendar. "If Du Wenming isn't caught within three days, he will strut back into Yuezhou and resume his post. Little Shen, when that time comes, your days won't be easy." Shen Jingye knew his precarious situation, and he knew catching Du Wenming with such a vague wanted notice was practically impossible. "Standard methods are necessary, but we also must resort to unconventional measures." Shen Jingye handed a stack of files to Li Banfeng. "According to our initial assessment, any group capable of abducting Yu Yaoming must be a dark-ability organization with substantial resources. "Back then, we narrowed it down to two targets: the Birch Hermitage and the Ferry Gang. The current files on both organizations are right here. I'll handle the Hermitage, and you handle the Ferry Gang. We should be able to uncover Du Wenming's trail through them." Li Banfeng nodded in approval. "Little Shen, you're showing exceptional initiative this time!" Shen Jingye pointed at several names in the documents. "These individuals generally don't possess high-tier cultivation, but they are key members of the Ferry Gang. "Their roots run deep and their connections are wide. While they know plenty, we cannot use aggressive interrogation methods against them, or it will create blowback for us. During the investigation, we should also try to avoid these particular individuals." Li Banfeng pointed to a name: Guan Zhengzhang. "He seems to hold high status in the Ferry Gang. A great deal of business runs through his hands." Shen Jingye paused in silence for a moment. "These are classified files. Some people's names shouldn't have appeared here in the first place, and Guan Zhengzhang is one of them." "Why shouldn't he appear?" "Because he is the younger brother of Director Guan Zhengyang. We had best not investigate him. He will never cooperate with us, and he might even cause massive trouble for our investigation." Li Banfeng was slightly surprised. "For someone so arrogant, his cultivation must be formidable, right?" "Guan Zhengzhang's cultivation isn't high, but this has nothing to do with cultivation. Bureau Chief Li, don't you know Director Guan?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I really don't." Shen Jingye didn't know how to put it into words. "Let me put it this way: last year, an agent from the Dark Star Bureau conducted a routine check on Guan Zhengzhang. Guan Zhengzhang humiliated the agent to his face, leading to a dispute. "Afterward, that agent suffered an accident on his way home from work, was permanently disabled, and got transferred out of the Dark Star Bureau. You should understand what we're dealing with here." "Hearing you say that, we really shouldn't approach him." Li Banfeng took a pen and crossed Guan Zhengzhang's name off the list. *** Late that night, Guan Zhengzhang returned to his villa. Two women stepped forward to attend to his washing and change of clothes. One of the women split a fingernail, accidentally scratching Guan Zhengzhang's arm. Guan Zhengzhang's brow furrowed slightly, though he said nothing. Her heart pounding with lingering dread, the woman cautiously followed him to the bathroom entrance. Once inside, Guan Zhengzhang suddenly picked up a heavy glass ashtray, whipped around, and smashed it over her head. The woman slumped to the floor. Guan Zhengzhang stepped up and kicked her several times in the face. Her face drenched in blood, she did not dare make a sound, nor did she dare raise her hands to shield herself. Guan Zhengzhang was in a foul mood. Seeing the bathwater drawn, the other woman moved forward to check the temperature, only to receive a stinging slap from Guan Zhengzhang that sent her reeling back. "Get out!" Guan Zhengzhang slammed the door shut, submerged himself alone in the hot water, and repeatedly rubbed his forehead with damp hands. Li Banfeng asked, "Troubles weighing on your mind?" Guan Zhengzhang started, turning his head. "Who are you?" Li Banfeng said, "I'm with Director Du. I'm here to look into a few matters with you." "Wh-which... Director—" Guan Zhengzhang reached for the fruit platter beside the tub. Li Banfeng intercepted the platter, picked up a mango, and shoved it whole into Guan Zhengzhang's mouth. "Can't say his name, can you? Because you don't dare." Guan Zhengzhang leaped from the tub, intending to fight for his life. Li Banfeng grabbed Guan Zhengzhang by the hair and slammed his head against the faucet. After the first strike, Guan Zhengzhang lost several teeth, but still resisted. After the second strike, a gaping hole opened on Guan Zhengzhang's face. He raised his hands in a frantic salute, signaling his complete willingness to cooperate with the inquiry. "All right, let's find another place to sit and chat." Li Banfeng sent Guan Zhengzhang straight into the companion dwelling. Having dealt with Guan Zhengzhang, Li Banfeng consulted the list and selected two more targets, intending to gather them all together for a thorough conversation. On the way home, his phone rang with a call from Shen Jingye. "Guan Zhengzhang is missing! He just returned to his villa, entered the bathroom, and vanished into thin air!" Li Banfeng sounded utterly shocked. "How could such a thing happen? Could Du Wenming still be in Yuezhou?" Shen Jingye asked, "Are you saying Guan Zhengzhang was silenced by Du Wenming?"