Husband, Bring Her Along!

Teacher Song, the white-robed man, and the white crane followed a figure forward. To be precise, none of them were certain whether the person ahead was a man. His build, face, and clothing were all indistinct. Even the white crane, with his extraordinarily keen senses, could only make out a rough outline, guessing he was male purely from the voice that had called out to Qin Tianjiu earlier. This was the effect produced when a Stay-at-Home cultivator at the third tier above the clouds pushed the innate talent of being easily overlooked to its absolute limit. The crane’s perception was remarkably sharp, and maintaining such an obscuring presence cost Li Banfeng an enormous amount of physical stamina. He had no idea how much longer he could keep it up. Stepping out of the wormhole, the four of them stood together in the marshland. The white-robed man looked around, but Qin Tianjiu was nowhere to be seen. Qin Tianjiu had departed long ago. He was not on this side of the Boundary, but across it, on the territory of Kudaikan. When the gramophone had fired the Dark Bridge Cannon the first time, Li Banfeng had walked from Lüshuiwan to Kudaikan; when it fired a second time, he had walked from Kudaikan back to Lüshuiwan. The gramophone had already carried the Dark Bridge Cannon back into the companion dwelling. Li Banfeng produced three covenant deeds, laying them out before each of the three in turn. The text on the deeds was exceedingly simple: it merely required the three present never to reveal a word of what had occurred tonight. One after another, they pressed their bloody handprints onto the deeds. Li Banfeng waved at them, signaling that they could go. The white crane folded his wings across his chest and bowed to Li Banfeng. "Benefactor, would you be willing to leave your name?" Li Banfeng shook his head slightly. The crane bowed once more. "This debt of salvation shall never be forgotten in this life. For now, this life of mine rests in your safekeeping. Should you ever have need of me in the future, Benefactor, simply come to the White Crane Gang and seek out Bai Wusong. I will go through fire and water without hesitation." With that, the crane plucked a feather from his wing with a sharp peck—biting so hard that blood clung to the quill. He offered the feather to Li Banfeng. The meaning was unmistakable. This would serve as a token for their future reunion. So long as Li Banfeng produced this feather, Bai Wusong would willingly place his life in his hands. Li Banfeng accepted the feather, and his blurred silhouette returned the bow. The crane took to the air with the white-robed man. Song Shu looked at Li Banfeng, words lingering on the tip of her tongue. When Li Banfeng had called Qin Tianjiu’s name earlier, Song Shu had heard his voice. She suspected it was him, yet she had not dared to speak. While she still hesitated, the blurred figure opposite her nodded gently in her direction. It was him! It truly was him! Tears welled in Teacher Song's eyes, carrying both the joy of surviving a catastrophe and the overwhelming thrill of a long-awaited reunion. She did not know how to express what she felt at this moment, but their reunion was cruelly brief. Li Banfeng waved again, gesturing for her to leave as quickly as possible. "Thank you... Thank you..." Teacher Song knew now was no time to reminisce. Whispering her gratitude over and over, she slowly turned and walked into the night. After a few paces, she glanced back, longing for one last look at him, but Li Banfeng’s figure had already vanished. Song Shu bit her lip, unable to hold back her tears as they streamed down her cheeks. *Li Banfeng, you wouldn't even say a single word to me?* *You saved my life—how am I supposed to repay you?* *And...* *You didn't even tell me where this place is!* *Where am I supposed to go?* Song Shu was not particularly familiar with Puluo Province. There were many places she had never visited, and this marsh was certainly one of them. The weather was bleak, with heavy dark clouds blotting out the stars. In the dead of night, there were no buildings anywhere in sight. Song Shu felt for the magnetic field in her surroundings, only to find it in complete disarray. That was hardly surprising; half the territory in Puluo Province had chaotic magnetic fields. Teacher Song gripped her left index finger with her right hand, pulled it outward, turned it two turns clockwise and one and a half turns counterclockwise. She wanted to place a call and seek help from the radio station. But just as the call was about to connect, she pressed her finger back into place. She could not broadcast this location; doing so would surely put Banfeng at a disadvantage. She had to keep walking. Ahead, the vague outline of a forest loomed. Once inside the trees, perhaps she could find her bearings. After walking for more than two hours, Song Shu entered the woods. Past a few rows of trees, the snow had already piled past her knees. The marsh outside the woods was free of ice, yet the snow inside was more than a foot deep. The territories of Puluo Province defied all common sense. By rights, with her level of cultivation, trudging through snow should have been trivial. But she had been trapped in the wormhole for far too many days, and unlike Little Fatty Qin, she could not just eat anything. By now, her body was dreadfully frail. Reaching deep into the woods, Song Shu could no longer fight the exhaustion. Leaning against the trunk of a tree to catch her breath, she scooped up a handful of snow and stuffed it into her mouth to quench her thirst. "Young lady, why are you eating snow?" Song Shu had barely swallowed the mouthful when the sudden voice made her choke on the icy slush, coughing violently. She looked all around and saw a woman dressed in black, walking slowly toward her from the distance. Seeing how lightly the woman moved, leaving not the slightest depression in the deep snow, Song Shu knew she possessed extraordinary martial skill and immediately raised her guard. "Are you lost? Are you hungry? I have some pastries here." As she spoke, the woman arrived before her. "You are..." Song Shu stared at the woman for a moment, momentarily entranced. *How can someone be this beautiful?* Her skin was so fair, yet perfectly balanced—a shade paler and she would look drained of life, a shade darker and she would lose that radiant glow. Her complexion sat precisely at the golden mean of perfection. Her figure was exquisite. An inch taller and she would seem too imposing; an ounce slimmer and she would appear too fragile. Yet every curve was impeccably proportioned, capturing all of grace and delicate allure in equal measure. It was not just her figure. From her brow to her eyes, from her nose and lips to the curve of her neck, one could inspect her dozens of times without finding the slightest flaw. Tracing down inch by inch, every feature looked as if it had been meticulously sculpted. Even if one found Puluo Province's foremost painter—Mu Yuejuan, the Danqing of a Hundred Flowers—and gave her a decade, she could never capture such a beauty on paper. While Song Shu stood dumbfounded, the woman looked her over closely. "Young lady, your face is haggard and covered in dust. Did you run into villains?" "N-No." Song Shu’s cheeks flushed as she lowered her head. After being trapped in the wormhole for so long, she knew she must look awful—disheveled, unkempt, even wretched. The woman said, "My home is nearby. Come to my place, wash up, have something to eat, drink a bowl of hot soup, and get a good night's sleep." "This..." How could that be proper? Setting aside that this was Puluo Province, even in the Outer States, deep in the desolate wilderness, if you ran into a woman of unknown origin inviting you into her home, would you dare go? Song Shu inhaled a deep breath of chilly air, doing her best to clear her head. "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm in a hurry." "In a hurry for what? The wind and snow are so fierce—can you even find your way? Come home with me." The woman’s eyes flashed, and Song Shu’s heart gave a violent tremor. Song Shu ducked her head even lower, not daring to meet the woman’s eyes, and pitched her voice as low as she could. "My home isn't far either. It's just ahead. My father is waiting for me to return." "Silly girl, who are you trying to fool? I know everyone within ten leagues of here. What village or settlement do you live in? Tell me." "It really is just ahead, not far at all..." "Come home with me." "I... I can't..." "Come home with me." "I won't..." Though her mouth said no, Song Shu's feet carried her forward behind the woman, completely beyond her control. She dared not look at the woman, but averting her gaze made no difference. Even the woman's voice had the power to ensnare one's soul. Song Shu followed her all the way out of the forest, the voice echoing incessantly in her ears: *Come home with me.* Like someone who had lost her soul, she walked faster and faster. But as she moved, the woman's voice abruptly vanished. Song Shu looked up, only to find the space before her empty. Not a single silhouette remained. Had she met a fox spirit or a mountain ghost? Song Shu slapped herself across the face. *I am a cultivator above the clouds. I am a university lecturer. I have received higher education! How could I believe in such nonsense? How could I be duped by a mountain ghost?* Stepping out of the woods, Song Shu faintly spotted a road marked with frozen footprints and cart ruts. If she followed this road, she ought to find dwellings. She had probably hallucinated back in the woods. Trapped in the wormhole for so long, cold and starved, having hallucinations was only natural. Yet why had that voice felt so real? *Come home with me.* Even after walking a great distance, the words still echoed in her mind. ... Deep in the forest, Li Banfeng dashed through the snow with Zhao Xiaowan slung over his shoulder. If he had arrived a moment later, Zhao Xiaowan would have escorted Song Shu straight home—and perhaps served her up on the dinner table by now! "Husband, it's freezing cold! Bring her home!" "My lady, stop talking in anger. If we truly bring her home, would she ever walk out alive?" "Why should she walk out? Wouldn't it be wonderful to keep her home to attend to you, Husband? She can give you a few chubby babies, and I'll look after the children for you!" "My lady, don't be angry." "Why would I be angry? I'm not angry at all! I took human form again, yet you didn't even say you liked it. All day long you just hold that gramophone... "And just look at how pretty that little vixen is! Bring her home! I'll get along wonderfully with her. I certainly won't kill her!" Li Banfeng carried his lady back into the companion dwelling. Teacher Song had already made it out of the woods, and Little Fatty Qin had people to look after him in Kudaikan. The only question was where the white crane and his follower had gone. That would depend on their own fortunes; given the crane's immense cultivation, nothing should go awry. ... The white-robed man rode atop the white crane, flying straight toward Green Water City. "Lord, that woman never caught up with us. I wonder where she went." "Her cultivation is substantial. There is no need to worry." "I'm not worried, I just feel a bit reluctant to part. She was quite a nice person." The crane let out a chuckle. "She is quite good-looking, but put her out of your mind. She knew our savior; the two of them might well be a pair." "Lord, how could you tell they knew each other? Our benefactor didn't even show his face." "There are things you don't yet understand. You will learn in time." The next morning, the crane flew near Green Water City and landed on the ground. With a gentle sweep of his wings, he transformed into a man in his early forties. Holding a folding fan, dressed in white robes with a bamboo flute tucked into his sash, he looked handsome and imposing, exuding an extraordinary air. His only flaw in attire was that he was wearing almost the exact same robes as his follower. The follower, named Bai Xinsheng, felt intimidated seeing the bustling crowds in the city and kept ducking behind the crane. Since childhood, he had accompanied the crane in secluded cultivation. Not long after emerging, they had been trapped in the wormhole. In his entire life, Bai Xinsheng had never seen so many people. "Lord, let us hurry to the gang." The white crane, Bai Wusong, was the senior martial brother of Bai Wuchuan, leader of the White Crane Gang. His original purpose in coming to Lüshuiwan had been to succeed to the gang leadership. "No need to rush there. Let us inquire about the gang's current state first." Bai Xinsheng was taken aback. "Lord, why not ask at the gang itself? Do you not wish to be the gang leader?" Bai Wusong shook his head. "I never wanted to be gang leader in the first place, and with my current cultivation, the position no longer suits me. "Back then, the gang faced a generational gap, and they forced me out of seclusion. I had no choice. Now, if Wuchuan can manage the gang properly, let him continue as leader." "Why should he? Why let that kid get off so cheap?" Bai Xinsheng protested. "We were trapped for so many years, and he never sent a single soul to help us! Now he gets to pick up the leadership for nothing? How is that fair?" The crane frowned. "Do you know how many gangs in Puluo Province have been ruined by internal strife? If I return and trigger a power struggle, do you know how many disciples would lose their lives for it?" Bai Xinsheng hung his head. "If he gets to be leader, what are we going to do?" "Distance ourselves from the mortal dust, devote ourselves to cultivation, and live quiet days. What is wrong with that?" Bai Xinsheng glanced at a roadside stall selling sesame flatbreads and swallowed hard. "I can't find any quiet right now. My stomach won't stop growling—it's agonizing!" He was starving. After eating moss in a wormhole for two years, how could he not crave mortal food now that it was right before his eyes? When the crane had emerged from seclusion, he had carried plenty of travel funds—enough not just to buy a flatbread, but to establish a modest family estate. But all that money had been lost in the wormhole. Now, master and servant had not a single copper between them. For a figure of his caliber to be stumped by the price of a flatbread sounded absurd, but the crane refused to steal or rob. He wanted to earn his keep by his own abilities. Yet how could he make money? With his status, he certainly couldn't serve as a bodyguard. After some thought, the crane led Bai Xinsheng to an overpass. Standing by the roadside, he lifted his flute and began to play. Many street performers gathered on the bridge—storytellers, opera singers, martial artists, magicians, plate spinners, and basin balancers. Earning a living from scratch took genuine talent. The crane played three tunes, but not a single passerby gave him a coin. Bai Xinsheng told his master to rest, picked up his own flute, and played several tunes. People paused occasionally to listen for a moment, then turned and walked away, still without tossing a coin. Feeling embarrassed, Bai Xinsheng lowered his head. He knew they were busking, but he couldn't understand why the passersby wouldn't pay. Could they truly be playing so poorly? It wasn't poor playing at all. The trouble lay in their choice of music—refined, highbrow melodies that simply had no place on a crowded overpass. As an hour drew near without a single penny earned, the two were fretting when a man standing by the road pulled out a silver dollar and handed it to Bai Xinsheng. Bai Xinsheng hurried to take it and looked up at the stranger. The man wore a tailcoat and bowtie, with an upturned mustache above his lip—the picture of a refined gentleman. On the overpass, giving a single Huan state banknote was considered generous; this man had offered a whole silver dollar, making the crane hesitant to accept. The man smiled. "You two truly understand music. It is only that this bridge hardly matches your artistry. If you would honor me, why not stay at my place for a while? I can record a few records for you and test the market." The crane cupped his hands. "Sir, how may I address you?" The gentleman introduced himself. "My name is Ling Miaosheng. I run a business called Miaosheng Gramophone Shop. I traveled abroad for some time and only returned today, fresh off the train." Seeing his sincerity, and knowing that he had no wealth to be swindled out of—nor could anyone cheat him out of anything else given his cultivation—the crane accepted. Master and servant accompanied Ling Miaosheng to the shop. Ling Miaosheng prepared a private room specifically to listen to their performance. They played another piece, and Ling Miaosheng was thoroughly enchanted. On the spot, he ordered records to be cut and offered them one hundred silver dollars as remuneration. The crane declined. "How could we take so much?" Ling Miaosheng shook his head. "This is hardly much. These records are sure to sell well. Once we turn a profit, we can settle the figures in detail." That evening, Ling Miaosheng invited the two to dine at the shop. When dinner was served, Li Banfeng arrived bearing gifts. Upon his return, Ling Miaosheng had immediately sent someone to invite Li the Seventh. Li happened to be at Xiaoyaowu, and since Ling Miaosheng had been away for so long, Li naturally came to visit. Seeing the crane and Bai Xinsheng, Ling Miaosheng stepped forward to introduce them. "These are two artists, Mr. Yang Shaofeng and Mr. Cai Weiming." The names were fabricated on the spot. Li Banfeng did not recognize the crane, nor did the crane recognize Li Banfeng. However, Li Banfeng recognized Bai Xinsheng, and from Bai Xinsheng's respectful demeanor, he deduced that the other man was Bai Wusong, the white crane. Why had this senior martial brother come to Green Water City, skipped claiming the leadership of the White Crane Gang, and instead taken up busking at Miaosheng Gramophone Shop? Li Banfeng did not press the matter. Cups clinked and toasts were exchanged, the conversation flowing pleasantly. After dinner, Ling Miaosheng settled the master and servant in their quarters, then sat down for a private chat with Li the Seventh in the shop. Li Banfeng asked, "Did you visit Inner Amikan this time?" "I did. They have changed considerably. In the past, they never treated sorcerers like humans. Now they treat them with some courtesy. Sorcerers are their equivalent of cultivators, though they differ somewhat from ours." Li Banfeng was familiar with the concept of sorcerers. They had no pathways or tiers, but possessed certain dark abilities, as Critic had once explained to him. "Why has Amikan become friendly toward sorcerers?" "At first, I thought their mindset had shifted. Later, I learned they had received intelligence that a war might break out soon. According to Inner Amikan, the Demon King is about to summon the fires of Hell to ignite the land of Amikan." Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "Does Hell refer to the Inner States?" Ling Miaosheng nodded. "That is my deduction. But many of my memories were stripped away. Amikan still plays the same old tricks; they keep most matters concerning Inner Amikan deeply concealed. "I recorded some memories onto vinyl records. I used a few specialized techniques that should bypass Amikan's inspection. Once those records are shipped back in a while, I will recover most of my memories. By then, many secrets should come to light." Li Banfeng and Ling Miaosheng had always gotten along splendidly. Just as their conversation hit its stride, the field telephone rang. It was Luo Zhengnan, reporting that Liao Zihui had come to Xiaoyaowu with an urgent matter to discuss with Li the Seventh. Li Banfeng cautioned Ling Miaosheng, "The two musicians you brought in are no ordinary figures. Be sure to treat them well." "I treat every artist with great care." Ling Miaosheng escorted Li Banfeng outside the shop and bowed deeply. Over at Xiaoyaowu, Liao Zihui had waited so long that he hadn't even touched a drop of wine, sweating profusely from anxiety. "Zihui, what has you worked up into such a state?" "Brother Li, Shen Jingye is missing!" "Who?" "The director of the Dark Star Bureau, Shen Jingye! He went to investigate Gourd Village yesterday, and he never came back!" "Did he enter Gourd Village?" Liao Zihui shook his head. "We can't confirm that yet—at least, we cannot officially classify it as such. Once it's classified, Shen Jingye is finished..." "What kind of friendship do the two of you share? When did you start caring so much about him?" In Li Banfeng's recollection, Shen Jingye and Liao Zihui had a long history of bickering and buck-passing. "Things were different back then. Minor squabbles, throwing nonsense at each other—none of that mattered. This is serious. If he went into Gourd Village, he might never come out. Even if he does, he won't be able to clear his name." "He chose to go to Gourd Village himself. What can I do about it?" Li Banfeng seemed utterly unconcerned. Liao Zihui pleaded, "Nothing is settled yet. He might not have entered Gourd Village. The man isn't great, but he can still do some decent work. You worked smoothly alongside him; if they replace him with someone else, you'll certainly find it insufferable, and the whole Dark Star Bureau will suffer too." Li Banfeng smiled faintly. "Whether things are easy or hard, what does it matter to me?" To be frank, Li Banfeng felt his role as balancer was nearly finished. The issue of the Boundary was basically settled, and the Outer States' attitude toward Puluo Province had largely been corrected. All that remained was to wait for his lady to improve the Dark Bridge, giving the cannon a wider effective radius and longer duration so that more people could cross the Boundary safely. Once that task was complete, Li Banfeng felt his mission in the Outer States would be fulfilled. Of course, the problem of the three-headed people still needed resolving, but that was not something the Dark Star Bureau could handle. Each release of three-headed people required an exchange of mutual interests. What meaning did the Dark Star Bureau still hold for Li Banfeng? The only meaningful parts might be his trusted confidants: Lightbulb, Tangyuan, and Zhong'er. Liao Zihui seemed to read Li Banfeng's thoughts. "Brother Li, I beg of you, give him a hand. Haven't you always wanted three-headed people? I'll find a way for you. If you can pull Shen Jingye back, we can handle it off the books—I'll transfer a batch over to you." The offer was sincere enough. Li Banfeng nodded. "Fine. I'll go have a look." ... Late into the night, a meeting was still underway at the Dark Star Bureau, chaired by higher-level official Guan Zhengyang. "I truly never expected such a problem to arise from the head of the Dark Star Bureau! Higher authorities have emphasized time and again that in our work, we must keep our responsibilities in mind, keep our mission in mind, and clearly understand where the baseline boundary lies! "Old Chen, speak up today. In implementing the instructions and requirements from above, what work have you people done? Where have you placed your sense of responsibility and boundary?" Chen Changrui kept his head down. Following Guan Zhengyang's prompt, he quickly gathered his thoughts and replied, "We conducted an in-depth study..." "Enough! What use are these empty platitudes?" Chen Changrui had barely opened his mouth before Guan Zhengyang cut him off. Chen Changrui's response had been entirely superfluous; Guan Zhengyang simply wanted to humiliate him, humiliate the entire Dark Star Bureau, and reclaim the face the Research Office had lost. Asking Chen Changrui to speak was merely an excuse to transition to his next point. And he certainly needed a transition, as this meeting had already dragged on for over five hours. Next, Guan Zhengyang intended to escalate the issue further: "For such a grave problem to occur in the Dark Star Bureau today, there are certainly multiple reasons, but we must pinpoint the root cause. "During a critical mission, Shen Jingye, as head of the Dark Star Bureau, lacked even the most basic awareness of boundaries. As the investigator assigned to Gourd Village, he failed to resist its temptations. This proves that severe problems have cropped up within the Dark Star Bureau, particularly in ideological awareness! The root of this problem lies in—" *Clang!* Li the Seventh pushed the door open and walked in. Guan Zhengyang was about to erupt, but seeing that the newcomer was Li the Seventh, the fire died in his throat. "Director Li, what is the meaning of..." "Move." Li the Seventh looked at Guan Zhengyang without expression. Guan Zhengyang stared in astonishment. "I told you to move. Do you not understand plain speech?" Li the Seventh seized Guan Zhengyang by the collar and set him aside. Seeing this, Vice Director Wang hurried to stand up and helped Guan Zhengyang over to his own seat. Guan Zhengyang refused to sit. Gritting his teeth, he moved to storm out of the conference room. Li the Seventh frowned. "Where are you going? A meeting is in progress! Do you have no concept of discipline?" Guan Zhengyang’s face turned livid, and he sank into Vice Director Wang's seat. Truth be told, he was defiant, yet he could not overcome the terror in his heart. Back when he had been captured by the Birch Hermitage at the hotel, one of his ears had been sliced off. Simply because he had spoken a couple of extra words, Li the Seventh had dragged him to the bureau and interrogated him severely, nearly preventing his ear from being reattached in time. If he walked out of this conference room today, there was no telling what consequences would follow. Li Banfeng swept his gaze across the room and addressed the assembly: "Director Shen personally tracked leads concerning Gourd Village. During the pursuit, due to special circumstances, he is currently trapped in an Unnameable Land. We must now concentrate all our strength to rescue Director Shen." Guan Zhengyang looked at Li Banfeng. "What proof do you have for any of this? Why would Shen Jingye be trapped in an Unnameable Land? Have the origin and nature of this so-called Unnameable Land been verified?" Li Banfeng countered, "Do you even know what an Unnameable Land is?" "It... well..." Guan Zhengyang pressed his lips together. He had heard the term before, but it originated from Puluo Province, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out how to describe it. Li Banfeng looked squarely at him. "You don't know a thing, yet you've been spouting nonsense here for half the day? Have you no shame?" Guan Zhengyang shot back, "Then why don't you explain it? What exactly is an Unnameable Land?" "If I explained it, would you even understand? How about I take you there to see for yourself?"