Pointing at the cannon-shaped apparatus, his wife said to Li Banfeng, "This thing looks somewhat similar to that magnetic shock cannon from back then, but its function is entirely different. Your servant calls it the Dark Bridge Cannon.
"Your servant built it based on the lecture notes from Yu Yaoming and that shameless vixen, but more than half of the methods in here were designed by your servant. As for whether it will work or not, your servant cannot guarantee it."
"Wife, to have a darling treasure like you as my bride, what immense merit must your husband have accrued in past lives!" Li Banfeng was overjoyed, sweeping his wife into his arms to dance gracefully across the laboratory.
He danced the Marionette Waltz as usual. Right now, his wife wasn't in her gramophone body; she was inhabiting the puppet. Though her figure was attractive, her footing lacked coordination, and she truly couldn't keep pace with Li Banfeng's steps. After dancing for about ten minutes, she was left gasping for breath.
The lighting wasn't doing them any favors either, as the electric lights in the laboratory made no effort to set the mood.
Li Banfeng swept his gaze over the ceiling bulbs, about to reprimand them, when suddenly the Old Teapot on the workbench spoke up: "Little brother, don't just heap praise on your missus. The rest of us put in quite some effort too. I'm getting on in years and thick-skinned, so I'll speak the honest truth today—your missus is truly hard to serve!"
Mengde grumbled aggrievedly as well: "When the Madam runs experiments, it's fine if everything goes smoothly, but whenever things go poorly, she vents her frustration on us! Paddling starts at twenty strokes minimum!"
The Pendulum sobbed twice without speaking, while the Tang dao sighed, "The Marshal's temper hasn't changed at all over all these years."
The ceiling lights flickered in unison, as if joining in the accusations against his wife.
Zhao Xiaowan cast a sweeping glance across the room, and instant silence fell over the lab. Even the lid on the Old Teapot shivered. They assumed Zhao Xiaowan was about to lose her temper again, but to their surprise, she curtsied to everyone and offered an apology: "Whenever I undertake urgent matters, my temper gets the better of me. Everyone has labored hard these past days. Once we return home, I shall discuss with my husband to reward all of you."
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "What is there to discuss? Everyone deserves a reward. Wife, you decide."
Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief, and the ceiling lights began to shine merrily again. Li Banfeng stroked the Dark Bridge Cannon his wife had crafted and kissed Zhao Xiaowan. "Darling wife, when are we going to test this cannon?"
"It cannot be tested just yet. It's missing one final component—a Lie-Root Stone."
"What kind of thing is that?"
"A Lie-Root Stone is a type of numinous object unique to Puluo Province. Ordinarily, it looks no different from a common rock. However, if one tells it a hundred lies every day, the Lie-Root Stone can take root in the soil and slowly grow. This stone excels at creating illusions as well as spinning lies. Because its utility isn't exceptionally great while nurturing it is exceedingly troublesome, the item is on the verge of extinction."
Li Banfeng opened Yu Yaoming's lecture notes. "Don't worry, Wife. As long as Yu Yaoming ever used it, I can certainly find one in the Outer States."
Xiaowan shook her head. "Yu Yaoming never used such a thing. That shameless vixen's notes never mentioned it either, nor was there any mention of a Lie-Root Stone in the board notes left by the Ravshans. This was entirely an idea your servant conceived on her own."
Li Banfeng set the lecture notes aside. "Wife, do you know where a Lie-Root Stone can be found?"
"In your servant's recollection, there is one at Qishuiyao, and another at Desong Cliff."
"What sort of place is Desong Cliff?"
"The territory of the Virtue Cultivators. Over two hundred Virtue Cultivators live at Desong Cliff, respectively controlling over two hundred villages—"
At the mention of Virtue Cultivators, Li Banfeng felt a wave of nausea. Waving his hands repeatedly, he said, "Not going there. I'll head to Qishuiyao and bring the stone back."
Li Banfeng didn't go directly to Qishuiyao; he went to Ma the Fifth's territory first.
Feng Daiku was handling matters of land reclamation, while Ma the Fifth was busy consoling the newly arrived Bagworm Lady.
"Look at you, not eating properly these past couple of days—you've grown so thin!" Ma the Fifth carried a bucket, feeding porridge to the Bagworm Lady.
Lowering her head, the Bagworm Lady said, "I just haven't had an appetite lately. I feel like I might be with—"
Feng Daiku sneered, "You want to have a child with him? Keep dreaming!"
Li Banfeng approached Feng Daiku and asked about the Lie-Root Stone. Feng Daiku was already feeling frustrated, so having the rare chance to see Li Qi, she hurriedly accompanied him to Qishuiyao.
Although she had not taken over the territory long ago, Feng Daiku had a thorough grasp of everything large and small in Qishuiyao, and she soon tracked down the whereabouts of the Lie-Root Stone.
"Back then, Shi Gongxing indeed had a Lie-Root Stone in his hands. But later, a merchant traded two magical treasures for it. It's said that this merchant sold the Lie-Root Stone to the Garrison Office for a high price, and the Garrison Office then escorted it to the Outer States. As for where it ended up after reaching the Outer States, that I do not know."
After going to the Outer States, where else could it go?
In all likelihood, it had gone to the Dark Star Bureau.
Yet how should he broach this with Little Shen?
If Shen knew he took the Lie-Root Stone, would he suspect he was researching a way to breach the Boundary?
Yuezhou, Dark Star Bureau.
Shen Jingye slammed documents onto the floor, scattering them everywhere.
Sitting across from him, Chen Changrui didn't utter a word. He knew that speaking even a single sentence right now would only fray Shen Jingye's nerves.
"I told you to take men to investigate Gourd Village, and now you've even lost our Vice Director in the process! I have to give an account to the higher-ups, and you bring me this trash to brush me off?"
Chen Changrui was striving to investigate Li Qi's whereabouts, but he had come up empty over these past days.
Shen Jingye rubbed his brow. He knew this couldn't be blamed entirely on Chen Changrui—Li Qi's disappearance, in particular, was beyond Chen Changrui's control.
Yet the current situation was utterly unacceptable to Shen Jingye. When it came to Gourd Village, doing nothing at all and leaving it alone would have been far better than losing a Vice Director—especially when this Vice Director was the most successful balancer in the history of the Dark Star Bureau.
Before Shen Jingye's anger could subside, a sudden knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it? Come back later!" Shen Jingye barked testily.
Li Banfeng pushed the door open and walked right in. "Little Shen, come to my office."
Shen Jingye froze on the spot. Li Banfeng turned and walked away.
Chen Changrui pretended nothing had happened, sitting across from Shen Jingye with an impassive face.
Ever since Li Qi went missing, Shen Jingye had been fraught with anxiety.
Now that Li Qi was back, his emotions became thoroughly complicated.
He flashed an awkward smile at Chen Changrui. "Usually he calls... how come he showed up in person today? Er, well, Director Li's return is a good thing. What wonderful news..."
Outside Li Qi's office door, Shen Jingye repeated to himself twice, "His return is a good thing. I have an explanation for the superiors now. The Gourd Village mess is more than half resolved."
Shen Jingye strained to compose his expression into a smile before entering Li Qi's office.
"Director Li, you're finally back! I heard from the others that you entered Gourd Village as well!"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I didn't enter Gourd Village. I wanted to track the entrance to Gourd Village, but I failed. I didn't have enough tools on me at the time."
"Tools? You mean dark-energy carriers?" Shen Jingye slapped his thigh. "Just say what you need! Take whatever tools our bureau has in stock, and if we don't have them, I'll find a way for you!"
Li Banfeng sneered. "How would I know what tools you have here? You keep them hidden away from me day in and day out."
Shen Jingye pursed his lips. "How about this: tell me the functions you require, and I'll have people find a few suitable items for you to choose from."
"Little Shen, I treat you with utmost sincerity, yet you play mind games with me every day. I think the Red Lotus of Mysterious Birth would be quite suitable—can you produce that?"
Shen Jingye shook his head and laughed wryly. "That item, I truly cannot produce."
Li Banfeng nodded. "That's exactly the point. You measure the body to cut the cloth; you check the dishes before deciding how much rice to eat. At the very least, bring out the catalog and let me take a look. If you can't bear to let me see it, then let's not waste our breath. Whenever trouble crops up in the future, figure it out yourself."
Seeing that Li Qi was angry, Shen Jingye quickly mollified him: "It's not that I'm hiding it from you, but isn't that just the bureau's regulations? I won't say more; I'll have the secretary bring over the catalog in a moment. Is that enough sincerity for you?"
Shen Jingye made a phone call, and before long, the secretary delivered the catalog.
Li Banfeng had been slightly worried whether a high-grade item like the Lie-Root Stone would appear on the list.
Searching through the index, he actually found the Lie-Root Stone. Little Shen was indeed showing sincerity this time!
The key was how to requisition the Lie-Root Stone. Demanding just one item would certainly arouse suspicion; he had to mix several items together to sign them out.
Li Banfeng's pretext for requesting these carriers was to track the entrance of Gourd Village, making tracking-type carriers indispensable.
He selected a pair of boots, a compass, a pair of glasses, a walking stick, and a Lie-Root Stone.
After reviewing the list, Shen Jingye asked, "Director Li, the other items are fine, but what use do you have for this Lie-Root Stone?"
Li Banfeng replied, "Does that even need asking? The Lie-Root Stone excels at creating illusions. Bringing it along conceals my movements. When I go to track Gourd Village, if the villagers discover me, wouldn't I be walking straight into a trap? I must use illusions to conceal myself."
Frowning, Shen Jingye said, "Could you switch to something else? The bureau has other illusion-based carriers."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I compared them. Items that are too complex aren't suitable. The Lie-Root Stone is the handiest."
"Alright then..." Shen Jingye sighed, gesturing for his secretary to notify the Carriers Section to bring the items over.
Before long, the section chief of the Carriers Section led his subordinates over, delivering the carriers. Vice Director Chen, who oversaw dark-energy carriers, came along as well.
The carriers were laid out before them and inspected one by one. Li Banfeng had no interest in the other carriers; his entire attention was focused on the Lie-Root Stone.
The stone was fairly large, comparable to a basketball. Irregularly shaped, it was a deep yellow color, resembling steamed sponge cake, with several protrusions flecked with green spots like mold on the cake.
Going purely by its appearance, it truly didn't look like any treasure; if left on the street, no one would even bother picking it up.
Once verified, Li Qi signed for it, and the Carriers Section completed the handover.
The instant Li Qi finished signing his name, a faint smile surfaced on Vice Director Chen's face.
Shen Jingye looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Director Li, don't use this Lie-Root Stone recklessly. I'll have people keep an eye out for other carriers that can hide your tracks."
Li Qi patted the stone and asked, "Is there something wrong with it?"
Shen Jingye explained, "This stone has been in the bureau for quite some years. We've never nurtured it, so we don't know if it still retains its efficacy."
That was an honest assessment. Nurturing a Lie-Root Stone was exceptionally difficult—one had to tell it a hundred lies every day. Left neglected for a long time, a Lie-Root Stone could indeed easily lose its vitality.
Li Qi nodded. "I'll be extra careful."
Beside them, Vice Director Chen wiped away sweat. Just moments ago, he had been secretly smiling, yet in the span of a breath, his forehead had broken out in a cold sweat.
Li Banfeng took all the carriers back to his residence, left them in the room under the care of Xi Zhaofu and the others, and brought only the Lie-Root Stone into the companion dwelling.
Upon seeing the Lie-Root Stone, the gramophone was overjoyed: "Darling husband, you obtained such a rare object so quickly, and such a large chunk! This—"
The gramophone tapped her needle against the Lie-Root Stone, sprinkled a bit of hot water over it, and observed the speed at which the watermarks dissipated.
"This Lie-Root Stone isn't quite right, Husband. May your servant drill a hole in it?"
"Why wouldn't you be able to? This stone belongs to our household now; Wife, you may handle it however you please."
The gramophone drilled a hole into the stone with her needle and examined the drilled-out debris closely. "Husband, this isn't a Lie-Root Stone. This is a completely different type of stone; its material merely looks similar."
Li Banfeng was startled. "Wife, could it be that it lost its vitality after all these years?"
"Husband, this isn't a matter of vitality. This stone merely looks like a Lie-Root Stone; it doesn't possess a single property of one."
Li Banfeng recalled Vice Director Chen's bizarre smile, as well as Shen Jingye's incessant advice and warnings.
The following morning, Li Banfeng summoned Shen Jingye and placed the stone before him. "Little Shen, what is the meaning of this?"
Shen Jingye first ordered someone to shut off the surveillance cameras, then pressed his palms down. "Director Li, hear me out slowly."
"Don't speak slowly, you'd best talk fast," Li Banfeng said expressionlessly. "If you talk too slowly, I'm afraid you won't get to finish."
Shen Jingye hurried to hit the key points: "Earlier, didn't Big Head escape?"
"Don't drag the subject so far away!"
"It's not far at all—the trouble stems right from him. We speculate that He Jiaqing broke him out and stole a great deal of files and carriers from the Dark Star Bureau in the process."
At this point, Shen Jingye paused for a moment and looked toward Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng blinked and asked, "This Lie-Root Stone was also stolen by He Jiaqing?"
Shen Jingye nodded slightly.
"That can't be right," Li Banfeng recalled carefully. "You showed me the list of stolen carriers back then, and the Lie-Root Stone wasn't on it."
Shen Jingye sighed heavily and said with earnest gravity, "Little brother, if I had reported every single stolen item upward, would I still be sitting here talking to you?"
Li Banfeng chuckled. "You covered it up?"
Shen Jingye did not deny it. "I did it for the bigger picture."
"And so you came to balance the books through me?" Li Banfeng lifted the stone.
Shen Jingye hastily waved his hands. "Don't, brother, calm your anger! Put the stone down first, hear me out! We're true friends. If you help me out this once, I certainly won't forget it. Didn't you want information on the two Puluo Wars? I'll get it for you; there will be word within a few days."
Li Banfeng pointed at the stone. "Did you make this fake rock?"
Shen Jingye smiled. "It's not entirely useless. It's called a Star-Yellow Stone, and it's considered quite a rarity in Puluo Province as well. I'm gifting it to you as an apology."
"An apology? Fine words! If you didn't give it to me, how would you balance your books?" Li Banfeng tossed the stone aside. "Shen Jingye, you owe me big for this. First, go get me a batch of stabilizers, then summon the Carriers Section Chief here. I want a few more good items from him."
Shen Jingye nodded in agreement. "Rest assured, for your use, the ledgers will certainly hold up."
"The ledgers..." Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "Draw up a list of all the items stolen by He Jiaqing that you currently haven't been able to balance out, and let me see."
Shen Jingye's eyes lit up. "Little brother, you have a way?"
"Aren't I trying to come up with one for you right now? Demanding these items back outright might be impossible, but they should be buyable."
Hearing this, Shen Jingye nodded repeatedly. "Money is no problem; I can make up the funds from anywhere. The key issue is that these items are hard to buy. Where could I find identical carriers? With the annual financial reporting right around the corner, even if you can get me back just one or two, that would be a tremendous favor. But it must be done before the higher-ups conduct their inventory audit—"
Returning to the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng carefully examined the list Shen Jingye had given him.
The gramophone asked, "Husband, did the Outer States people acknowledge it? This fake Lie-Root Stone can't be pinned on us."
"I'm not afraid of him shifting the blame. I'm thinking about how to retrieve the real Lie-Root Stone. The item was stolen by He Jiaqing, so I plan to ask him for it."
The gramophone swayed her horn and said, "That won't do! Asking He Jiaqing for the Lie-Root Stone is equivalent to telling him it has immense value. A treacherous man like him will either refuse to give it to you or thoroughly investigate its purpose. All our hard work might end up being served to him on a silver platter."
Li Banfeng had also thought of this. "That's why I can't ask him for the Lie-Root Stone alone. I have to ask for several other items as well to throw him off the scent."
The gramophone still found it problematic: "I fear you won't be able to fool him. If it were me, I wouldn't give you a single item unless you explained what they were for."
"Right, I do have to tell him."
"Husband, listen to your servant. Don't look for He Jiaqing; go to Desong Cliff instead!"
"No, under no circumstances will I go to Desong Cliff!" Li Banfeng put away the list and headed to Puluo Province.
He Yuxiu was still organizing land reclamation in her territory. She acted with too much haste, and the three-headed people were struggling to keep up.
Ye Jianhuang advised, "Miss He, I've never seen anyone in such a rush. How many days has it been since you took over this territory? You've already cleared over two thousand fang of land, and you still think it's too slow?"
He Yuxiu smiled. "I want to obtain a piece of proper land as soon as possible. On proper land, I can earn human vitality, and with vitality, I can advance my cultivation."
Ye Jianhuang snorted. "Let me tell you, this only happened because of that kid Li Qi's ideas. Go ask around the surrounding territories—how many local spirits in newland have endured for over a hundred years without ever clearing a thousand fang of land?
"Let me warn you, when it comes to land reclamation, it's not enough for you alone to acknowledge the deal; the territory itself must agree. If you keep pushing like this and the territory turns hostile, it might refuse to let you reclaim land for years. Then let's see what you can do."
He Yuxiu chuckled. "No fear. If it really comes to that, I'll just negotiate with the territory."
Ye Jianhuang lit a bowl of dry tobacco and sneered, "Sister, it's not that I look down on you. You're a fine hand at fighting, but when it comes to other methods, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Let me just ask you one thing: do you know how to talk to a territory?"
He Yuxiu gazed into the distance, assuming an expression of visionary longing.
"Stop pretending," Ye Jianhuang flicked his pipe bowl. "You don't even know how to speak to a territory, so how could you negotiate with it? Look at what time of year it is—stop exhausting everyone. Get some good food and drink, and let everyone enjoy a proper New Year first."
Appearing beside He Yuxiu, Li Banfeng said, "Xiu'er, I think Brother Ye makes sense."
Ye Jianhuang snorted. "Old Seven, you're always ghosting in and out like this. If my guard is down next time and I strike at you, don't blame me."
"Brother Ye, I have an urgent matter and need to discuss some business with Xiu'er."
He Yuxiu asked, "What business?"
Li Banfeng handed the list to He Yuxiu: "This is a batch of numinous objects lost by the Dark Star Bureau that Jiaqing took. Could you talk to Jiaqing? The Dark Star Bureau is willing to pay to buy them back, as long as the price isn't too outrageous."
He Yuxiu looked somewhat hesitant: "Old Seven, I heard you and Jiaqing don't get along well. But I am his aunt after all—don't use this matter to harm him."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "How could I harm him? In the Outer States, I have to work for the authorities. Approaching him for business right now is purely to balance the books. Everything that could be written off was already handled, but these few items simply cannot be balanced out. Talk to him, just consider it doing me a favor."
He Yuxiu nodded. "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. I'll definitely help with this. If he refuses to return them, I'll find a way to get them for you."
He Yuxiu sent someone to the newspaper office, having Shen Rongqing get in touch with He Jiaqing.
Two days later, He Jiaqing showed up in the newland, arriving at a wooden cabin in the woods to meet He Yuxiu.
He Yuxiu explained the situation. He Jiaqing was skeptical: "Li Qi wants these items from me purely to balance the Dark Star Bureau's books?"
Instead of answering He Jiaqing's question, He Yuxiu countered, "First tell me—did you take these things or not?"
"I took them." He Jiaqing did not deny it.
"Then that settles it. Hand the items to me, and I'll deliver them to Old Seven. The two of you don't need to meet, and you won't have to worry about Old Seven harming you."
He Jiaqing stayed silent for a long time. Displeased, He Yuxiu snapped, "What's the meaning of this? Will you or won't you? Give me a straight answer!"
"Aunt, it's not that I distrust Li Qi, it's just that this matter—"
"Cut the chatter! Even if you don't trust others, do you not trust me? Whatever risks there are, I'll shoulder them for you!"
He Jiaqing reviewed the list once more. "A lot of things on here have already been sold off. Getting them back won't be easy. Aunt, give me some time; I'll go ask around first."
Having knocked around the pugilistic world for so many years, He Yuxiu saw right through his tricks: "Jiaqing, official goods from the Outer States aren't that easy to offload in Puluo Province. I think you simply don't want to bring them out and are stalling on purpose."
"Aunt, our pathway has its rules. Things that shouldn't be kept must be sold immediately. Tomorrow night, at this exact time, I'll give you an answer."
Leaving the newland, He Jiaqing went to Big Head's residence. Big Head's wife and child were already asleep, giving He Jiaqing the perfect opportunity to discuss matters with him:
"In your Dark Star Bureau, is balancing the books considered a big deal?"
"Definitely a big deal."
"Is it urgent?"
"Depends on the timing," Big Head glanced at the calendar. "New Year's Day is almost here. The ledgers must be balanced before the year-end financial report. Right now, it's a matter of utmost urgency."
He Jiaqing asked again, "Does every single account have to be squared away?"
"Not necessarily. Different accounts have different methods of disposal."
"What about the accounts for magical treasures and numinous objects?"
"You mean the accounts of the Dark-Energy Carriers Section," Big Head explained. "Dark-energy carriers are classified as weapon allocations. If two or three are damaged, the Carriers Section can handle it on their own. If more than five are lost or damaged, Vice Director Chen, who oversees carriers, has to handle it. If it exceeds ten, Shen Jingye himself must personally handle it, and even then, the matter might not be swept under the rug."
Hearing this, He Jiaqing understood. "In other words, every single item recovered counts."
"Certainly. The moment an item is recovered, it must be sent back to the bureau immediately, well before the superiors conduct their inventory audit."
The next day, He Jiaqing went to the Liu Family Pawnshop.
When the shopkeeper saw He Jiaqing, he promptly ushered him to the back hall. He Jiaqing walked straight into the warehouse, dismissed everyone else, and unlocked a wooden chest in the storeroom.
Inside the chest were over a dozen dark-energy carriers, all taken from the Dark Star Bureau. He Jiaqing picked out a scarf and an umbrella.
He took a length of fishing line from his pocket, wound it around the umbrella and scarf several times, and waited a full hour before unraveling it.
He had attached "hooks" to these two carriers.
The longer the fishing line remained wrapped, the deeper the hooks lodged, making them harder for others to detect.
Having planted the hooks, He Jiaqing waited until nightfall, then brought the scarf and umbrella to the newland.
He Yuxiu looked at the two items, deeply dissatisfied: "Jiaqing, it's rare that I ask something of you, and you bring me just two things? There are over twenty items on this list!"
"Right now, these two are all I could recover. Hand them over to Li Qi first and tell him to wait a few more days."
"Fine then. Name your price."
He Jiaqing waved his hand. "I don't want money. I only ask that Li Qi put in a good word for me so the Garrison Office grants me some leniency."
Seeing that He Jiaqing's attitude was fairly sincere, He Yuxiu agreed. The next morning, she delivered the items to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng didn't complain about the small quantity. Returning to Yuezhou that very day, he handed the items over to Shen Jingye.
Shen Jingye was thrilled. "Brother, how much did these two items cost? I certainly can't let you pay out of pocket."
Li Banfeng relayed the truth: "He Jiaqing didn't want money; he wants some leniency. If the accommodation is sufficient, perhaps a few more items can be recovered."
Shen Jingye thought it over and placed a call to Liao Zihui that very day.
The two spoke for half an hour to settle the matter. Liao Zihui then contacted the Garrison Officer of Moxiangdian, permitting a factory under Duan Shuqun to resume operations.
Ever since He Jiaqing had been put on the wanted list, that factory had been shuttered. Now that it was finally reopening, Duan Shuqun was ecstatic, immediately passing the good news to He Jiaqing.
Sitting in the pawnshop warehouse, He Jiaqing opened the chest once again.
The information reaped by his hooks proved that Li Banfeng was indeed balancing the Dark Star Bureau's books.
The news from the factory proved that the rewards for this bookkeeping were remarkably handsome.
He Jiaqing retrieved six carriers and handed them over to He Yuxiu that same night.
This time, he didn't attach any hooks. He knew hooks would eventually be discovered by the Dark Star Bureau. Having verified what needed verifying, there was no need to compromise the hard-won tacit understanding between both sides over trivial matters.
He Yuxiu looked at the six carriers and frowned. "Dragging your feet like this, just when are you going to finish bringing all this junk back?"
He Jiaqing smiled. "Aren't I tracking them down bit by bit? I must trouble Aunt to put in a few more good words for me."
The next day, Li Banfeng received the six carriers. Among them was a deep yellow stone flecked with green spots.
"Husband, this is the Lie-Root Stone!" the gramophone exclaimed with excitement.
Li Banfeng said, "This came from He Jiaqing. Check it first to see if there are any hooks on it."
"Your servant has checked—no hooks! Your servant will start work immediately and install this stone onto the Dark Bridge Cannon!"
Li Banfeng handed the remaining carriers over to Shen Jingye, who contacted Liao Zihui again to release three more businesses under He Jiaqing.
Delighted, He Jiaqing hastily sent more items to He Yuxiu.
This time, Li Banfeng wasn't in a hurry to collect them—he had serious business to attend to.
With all experimental equipment prepared, Li Banfeng gathered his household members to assist his wife.
After three full days of bustling labor, the Dark Bridge Cannon was completed.
Li Banfeng traveled to Bei Wushuang's territory. Among all the territories in his possession, this was the most desolate, for it didn't even have anomalies left.
Entering a pine forest, Li Banfeng first carried his wife and the Dark Bridge Cannon out from the house.
Then, employing his technique of Close the Doors and Bar the Gates, he generated a halo of light around himself.
The halo of a Dwelling Cultivator was exceedingly similar in nature to the Boundary. Li Banfeng fell back on his old method, using the halo as a substitute for the Boundary to run an experiment.
The gramophone inspected the Dark Bridge Cannon and confirmed everything was in order, but before starting the test, she was still somewhat worried.
"Husband, the engineering of the Dark Bridge Cannon is too complex. Your servant fears there might be flaws within. When conducting the experiment, Husband must be exceptionally careful."
"Rest assured, Wife, I came prepared." Li Banfeng had also brought two cabbage people, planning to let them scout the path first.
His wife threw the first knife switch, charging the electromagnetic device. The Dark Bridge Cannon fired its first shot, and a shadow emerged over the halo.
"Husband, this shadow is the entrance to the first tier of the dark bridge." With that, his wife threw the second knife switch, charging the Lie-Root Stone. The Dark Bridge Cannon fired its second shot, and nested within the shadow appeared another shadow.
"Husband, this is the entrance to the second tier of the dark bridge."
Li Banfeng asked, "Why must there be two tiers of dark bridges?"
"The first tier is tangible, created with magnetic fields to lead Husband into the wormhole. The second tier is illusory, created with the Lie-Root Stone's illusion to guide Husband out of the wormhole. Only by relying on this wormhole can one traverse the Boundary."
Li Banfeng summoned a cabbage person and sent it walking toward the shadow.
The instant the cabbage person passed through the shadow, it dissolved into a puff of ash—exactly like an ordinary person crossing the Boundary.
The gramophone's heart sank. "It seems this gadget still doesn't work."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Don't fret, Wife, wait a little longer. The halo created by my technique isn't enough to turn a cabbage person to ash so quickly."
After waiting for two minutes, just over ten meters outside the halo, the cabbage person wobbled into view, slowly materializing!
Li Banfeng was ecstatic. Embracing his wife, he said, "It worked! Darling wife, our Dark Bridge Cannon succeeded!"
Joy filled his wife's heart as well. Sucking Li Banfeng's head into her great horn, she whirled him through half an hour of waltzing.
The following night, Li Banfeng arrived at Mazhushan, preparing to conduct the second round of experiments.
This time, he intended to cross a genuine Boundary—the Boundary between Lüshuiwan and Yaowanggou.
The gramophone readied the Dark Bridge Cannon, setting up the two dark bridges in succession.
Li Banfeng still had a cabbage person pave the way. The cabbage person entered the wormhole and, once again taking two minutes, materialized over ten meters away.
The gramophone explained, "Husband, no matter which Boundary we cross, our dark bridges lead to the very same wormhole. However it went yesterday is how it will go today; Husband needn't worry."
Though she said this, when the time came for Li Banfeng to walk through himself, her heart remained in her throat.
Li Banfeng took the key from his breast and handed it to the gramophone. "Wife, if I can't come back out, remember to go home on your own."
The gramophone shoved the key back to Li Banfeng: "Cut the nonsense! If Husband can't come out, your servant will go with you! No matter where, no matter when, we husband and wife will be together!"
Li Banfeng nodded, drew a deep breath, and stepped toward the shadow.
The moment his foot touched the shadow, it felt as though he were pushing open an ancient heavy door. Dust flew from the door panels, making him cough.
So this was the origin of the ashes!
Li Banfeng's body melded into the shadow. Before him, it was not pitch black; faint light illuminated the road ahead.
The road seemed paved with dust, the surface exceedingly fine and powdery, yet remarkably solid beneath his feet.
Li Banfeng raised his eyes and looked forward, unable to see the end of the road. He didn't dare walk too quickly; if he veered off the road's path, he had no idea what might happen.
After walking for over a minute, Li Banfeng suddenly heard someone speaking: "My Lord, it seems someone else has arrived."
Tracing the sound, Li Banfeng saw a white-robed man to his left, peering in his direction.
Isn't this a wormhole?
Why would there be someone inside the wormhole?
And the man's voice sounded somewhat familiar.
In his stunned bewilderment, Li Banfeng heard another voice speak:
"Truly strange. I also sense someone has arrived, but why can't I see them?"
Following the sound once more, Li Banfeng saw an immortal crane—standing two heads taller than a human—speaking with the white-robed man.
Chapter 600