The White Falcon League

Sui'an Town had departed, leaving He Jiaqing with nowhere to turn. He truly could not comprehend why Zuo Anna had abandoned him. In his mounting distress, he trudged along the coastline for a long time until two mountain ranges rose once more before his eyes. Was this Sui'an Town? It bore a striking resemblance. Perhaps Sui'an Town hadn't departed after all, and the shifting chaos within Chaoge had merely caused him to lose his sense of direction. Yet when he climbed the hillside, He Jiaqing discovered that this was not Sui'an Town. Though the terrain was almost identical, this was the entrance to another city entirely. Which city could it be? Boundless City? Was this where Li Banfeng had hailed from? He Jiaqing cast a backward glance. A blaze of fire had erupted outside the walls of Chaoge. Had the fighting already spilled outside the city? Just who was clashing with whom? Now was hardly the moment to fret over the turmoil in Chaoge; his most pressing concern was finding a way to escape as quickly as possible. He Jiaqing vaulted swiftly over the ridge and slipped into Boundless City. He had intended to find a corner in the city to lie low, never anticipating that the moment he cleared the entrance, he would come face-to-face with Luo Shaojun. "Who goes there?!" Luo Shaojun barked sharply. Hu Chihong led dozens of retainers to her side in an instant. Truth be told, Luo Shaojun along with these dozens of men weren't worth a second glance from He Jiaqing. But now was no time for slaughter; what mattered most was staying alive. He did not know Luo Shaojun, let alone this band of retainers. Within Boundless City, he was an absolute stranger. Yet He Jiaqing had his ways of transforming into an acquaintance: "I am a friend of Li Seven. Li Seven has already departed; he specially dispatched me to warn you all to leave Chaoge at once." Luo Shaojun wasn't about to swallow such a tale. "Seventh Brother is visiting Great Shang for the very first time. How could he possibly have friends in Great Shang?" So it was true—Li Seven really had come from Boundless City. He Jiaqing replied, "I am no native of Great Shang. I come from Puluo Province. You may have heard my name before—I am He Jiaqing." In fact, Luo Shaojun had indeed heard of He Jiaqing. In the dossiers regarding Puluo Province compiled by Luo Lijun, He Jiaqing's name had surfaced countless times. "You are no friend of Seventh Brother—you are his nemesis!" He Jiaqing shook his head. "Those were rumors Li Seven and I fabricated deliberately to cloak our relationship. We have been cooperating all along, reshaping Puluo Province in our own way. We might have had our share of ideological differences, but our overarching aim has never wavered, and our brotherly bond has never been severed. Just moments ago, had I not thrown open the First Gate, Li Seven would never have had a prayer of escaping the city. It was precisely because I lingered to cover his retreat that I arrived a step too late, leaving me with no choice but to turn to you for aid." "Spare me your useless chatter! Get out right now! Leave Boundless City this instant!" Luo Shaojun stood firm, yet she was still lacking in experience. Just then, she had inadvertently helped He Jiaqing confirm another crucial fact: this truly was Boundless City. He Jiaqing fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Young lady, you may have misunderstood me." Luo Shaojun retorted, "I never had any intention of understanding you! Leave at once!" The retainers leveled their weapons. He Jiaqing possessed a discerning eye, and among the arms, he spotted an awl clutched in Hu Chihong's grip—a Grade Two weapon. Once in the Inner States, one could never afford to be careless when facing a Grade Two weapon. That was a cardinal rule He Jiaqing had set for himself. Luo Shaojun's posturing was plainly nothing more than intimidation; it had not yet escalated to actual violence. Recognizing this, He Jiaqing flashed forward, snatching the awl clean out of her grasp. Hu Chihong was seized with terror. She had not even glimpsed He Jiaqing's movement; all she knew was that the awl was gone from her hand. The retainers stood frozen, unsure of how to react, and Luo Shaojun was equally stunned. "Shaojun, do not be impudent!" Luo Lijun stepped through the throng, placing herself between Luo Shaojun and the intruder, and addressed He Jiaqing. "Young Master He, where might Young Master Li be at present?" He Jiaqing asked, "May I inquire as to who you are?" "I am the Lord of Boundless City, Luo Lijun." He Jiaqing was well-versed in the official hierarchy of Great Shang and promptly altered his form of address: "My Lady Marquis, please lead Boundless City out of Great Shang immediately. The flames of battle have reached beyond the city walls, and the main army will arrive here at any moment." "Whose army are you speaking of?" Luo Lijun cared deeply about the tide of battle, desperate to know who had emerged victorious between Qiao Yi and the Sage. He Jiaqing hadn't the faintest idea who was fighting whom, yet he could still fashion an answer: "Regardless of whose army it is, once they reach this place, it will spell misfortune for everyone here." His words rang true. If the Sage arrived, Boundless City would certainly change masters, and the Luo family would be slaughtered down to the last soul. If Qiao Yi arrived, things wouldn't be much better; even if the Luo sisters managed to spare their lives for the moment, they would still end up as prisoners in chains. Luo Lijun pressed once more: "Is Prince Li Seven truly safe and unharmed?" He Jiaqing nodded. "Li Seven has already departed Chaoge." The shadow beneath her feet stirred faintly. Luo Lijun turned her body aside and said, "Young Master He, after you!" She ushered He Jiaqing into Boundless City. Luo Shaojun felt it was ill-advised, but in the end, it was her elder sister who held the final say. A short while later, a detachment of troops indeed rode up to the shore. Boundless City clamped shut its colossal maw and retreated back into the sea. Bristling with indignation, Luo Shaojun stormed into the Hall of Clarity to confront Luo Lijun: "Sister, Seventh Brother hasn't even returned, and we're just leaving like this?" Luo Lijun explained, "A large host of troops gathered at the coast, spooking Boundless City. There was simply no helping it." "But Seventh Brother—" Luo Lijun lowered her voice. "Shaojun, you must listen to your sister. I am someone who repays debts of gratitude; I would never abandon Li Seven to his fate. But staying behind in Chaoge right now serves no purpose whatsoever. On the contrary, it would only burden Li Seven. Our only path forward is to glean news of him through He Jiaqing." "Where is He Jiaqing?" Luo Shaojun made ready to track him down at once. Luo Lijun shook her head vigorously. "You cannot go to He Jiaqing. That man is extraordinarily perilous—his martial prowess rivals Li Seven's, and we still have no inkling of his true motives." "Then why did you let him enter Boundless City in the first place?" Luo Lijun wore a look of utter helplessness. "What else could I have done at that moment? If blows had truly been traded, could the few of you have held him off? And even if we fell into a deadlock with He Jiaqing, how could we have escaped once the pursuers from Chaoge caught up?" Luo Shaojun was rendered speechless. The circumstances back then had indeed been fraught with peril, and her sister had handled them with proper prudence. Seeing that Luo Shaojun had regained her composure, Luo Lijun instructed, "Pack your belongings at once and move into Yucui Building together with Yujun and Xiujun." "Why go there? Didn't Seventh Brother forbid anyone from entering Yucui Building?" "To guard against He Jiaqing. Yucui Building is fraught with danger; He Jiaqing certainly won't possess the nerve to venture inside." Luo Shaojun had no idea why Luo Lijun was so confident that He Jiaqing wouldn't dare enter Yucui Building, for she herself knew very little about the man. Luo Lijun glanced down at the shadow beneath her feet, her countenance steeped in dread. Covered in wounds from head to toe, the Sage arrived at the seashore flanked by a dozen followers. A gaunt man addressed him: "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. This subject has already deployed our arrangements; someone will arrive shortly to receive Your Majesty." The Sage nodded faintly. "Minister Shan, you have labored hard." After waiting a brief spell, two mountain ranges crested out of the seawater, and yet another settlement drew up against the shore of Chaoge. The Sage immediately led his entourage over the crest and into the valley, whereupon the mountain ranges vanished without a trace. Before long, Qiao Yi led his grand host in pursuit to the coast, but every trace of the Sage had already disappeared. Xie Gong's veins bulged with frantic agitation. "Where on earth did that old scoundrel flee to?!" A soldier stepped forward to report: "The rebel's remaining partisans have all been put to the sword." Every last subordinate of the Sage remaining within Chaoge had been exterminated. By all accounts, this battle ought to have been deemed an overwhelming triumph, yet with the Sage still drawing breath, an impending calamity seemed ever present. Unable to rein in his fury, Zhu Jin let slip a few grating words: "Elder Brother, had we acted with greater resolve, we would never have left behind such a lingering peril! Did we truly need to expend the guards of the First and Second Gates upon Li Seven? Had we simply permitted Li Seven to depart and turned all those forces against that old scoundrel instead, his head would be hanging from our banners by now!" Xie Gong sighed as well. "Hesitation in crucial moments breeds endless chaos!" Qiao Yi's face was clouded with gloom, yet he uttered not a word. The progenitor of Scholar Cultivators, Shu Wanjuan—none other than the storyteller from the teahouse—hurriedly interceded to soothe them: "Even I never imagined that Shan Chengjun could be so utterly misguided as to remain loyal to that traitor!" Shan Chengjun was precisely that gaunt man from earlier. Half the reason the Sage had survived was due to Shan Chengjun fighting with desperate abandon. Qiao Yi had laid meticulous ambushes beforehand, yet Shan Chengjun had matched an entire host on his own, hacking out a bloody path for the Sage while inflicting harrowing casualties upon Qiao Yi's forces. Xie Gong sighed. "Indeed, one cannot place the blame upon Elder Brother. So long as Shan Chengjun remains by his side, no one in the military can touch that old scoundrel." Qiao Yi felt somewhat vindicated, but Shu Wanjuan's pride was pricked. What did he mean, no one could touch that scoundrel Shan Chengjun? Shu Wanjuan had never feared Shan Chengjun in his life. Yet matters having reached this point, further words were futile. Qiao Yi dispatched his subordinates to assume immediate control of Chaoge. "So you are Li Seven!" Zuo Anna was ecstatic; she had long sought an opportunity to become acquainted with Li Seven, yet the chance had never presented itself. Li Banfeng remarked, "I truly never imagined that you were Critic's sister. He told me he only had a younger brother, that the two of them scraped by together, and that his brother later starved to death." "The fact that he shared that with you proves he genuinely regarded you as a friend." Zuo Anna exhaled a long sigh, a tinge of remorse flickering in her gaze. "Although Critic and I addressed each other as sister and brother, we share no blood ties. In truth, we aren't even kin." Zuo Anna hesitated, holding back words on matters she preferred not to dredge up. Li Banfeng did not press her regarding Critic, yet concerning He Jiaqing, he felt compelled to inquire. "Were you the one who escorted him to Chaoge?" Zuo Anna gave a slight shrug. "Those were orders from the organization." "Then why did you turn around and abandon him? Weren't you afraid of defying your organization's orders?" Zuo Anna offered her defense: "The circumstances earlier were perilous in the extreme. The latest directive I programmed for Sui'an Town was that the instant a single individual stepped inside, we had to withdraw immediately. I naturally assumed that the one entering would be He Jiaqing. Who could have foreseen that you would stumble in by sheer coincidence? Sui'an Town executed the order directly, effecting an immediate withdrawal, and I can hardly fault it too harshly for that." Li Banfeng could follow her sequence of events, yet he still found the outcome somewhat baffling: "Meaning you have no intention of returning for He Jiaqing?" "Why should I look for him?" Zuo Anna shook her head. "I have countless protocols and assignments to fulfill. He Jiaqing was merely one among many." Li Banfeng glanced toward the structures lining both sides of the thoroughfare. Several individuals had taken up residence inside, all of them three-headed people from Chaoge. It appeared they were Zuo Anna's principal mission. "Why are you bringing them to Sui'an Town?" Zuo Anna answered, "Because they wish to depart this planet and take up residence on Earth." Li Banfeng was skeptical: "Could Earth ever accommodate them?" Zuo Anna offered a more thorough explanation: "In reality, numerous people from the Inner States already reside on Earth, living and working in peace and contentment. Some have even achieved distinguished accomplishments across various fields." Li Banfeng's interest was piqued: "Are there any among them whom I might know?" Zuo Anna shook her head. "I cannot claim there are none. Given your standing in the Outer States, you must have crossed paths with people of every stripe. However, so long as they commit no acts of sabotage against Earth, we will never disclose their identities. That is the solemn pledge of the White Falcon League." The White Falcon League—the third greatest syndicate on the Third Planet beneath the Dark Star. Who would have guessed that Critic's sister belonged to the White Falcon League? "How do you disguise their physiology? Do they wear external apparatuses as well?" Zuo Anna did not answer directly: "We have our own methods, but that too cannot be disclosed to you." "You belong to the White Falcon League—does that mean this planet is your home?" Li Banfeng activated his Golden Eyes of Minute Scrutiny, meticulously examining Zuo Anna's form while relying on the Qiansi Earring and Discerning Spiritual Sound to listen for the faint hum of steam mechanisms within her. Zuo Anna seemed to see right through Li Banfeng's suspicions: "I am indeed an operative of the White Falcon League, but I am neither from the Inner States nor the Outer States. I am a Puluo native from the State of Amikan." By which she meant she was an Inner Amikan. Li Banfeng inquired, "Why do you send people from the Inner States to the Outer States?" "You probably assume all of this is done for material profit. I won't deny that profit plays its part, but if I told you that a great portion of it stems from ideals, would you believe me?" Li Banfeng kept silent. Frankly, he found it hard to believe, yet he was curious to learn what her so-called ideals were. "I presume your ideals differ from Critic's?" Zuo Anna shook her head. "They do differ. My ideal is to let all who yearn for the light finally behold it. The Inner States possess no light, nor does this entire planetary system. I merely wish to grant them a chance." Li Banfeng remained unconvinced: "You risk life and limb, maneuvering a town of this magnitude back and forth across the territory of the Inner States, solely to win a chance for the people of Great Shang to flee?" Zuo Anna poured Li Banfeng a cup of tea. "This service does not come without a price. They must contribute toward the overthrow of the Great Shang Empire. Take the royal family member we received today—he once designed two distinct types of Category One weaponry. A man of such intellect warrants absolute protection. And you, as a vital pillar resisting the Great Shang Empire within Puluo Province, would likewise receive our protection within the White Falcon League." "Why does the White Falcon League harbor such venom toward the Great Shang Empire?" Zuo Anna stated bluntly, "Because wherever the Great Shang Empire holds sway, light cannot abide. If you had witnessed the lives of the bondservants, you would understand what true darkness looks like. Should Great Shang encroach upon the Outer States, they will carry that darkness with them; should they invade Puluo Province, they will sow that same darkness there. Great Shang and the Demon Lord seek to expand their dominions, and the White Falcon League is duty-bound to halt the spread of this contagion!" On this point, Li Banfeng found himself in profound agreement. "Yet with several members of royalty vanishing into thin air, will the Shang court truly let the matter rest without pursuit?" "They will investigate, but they will not dedicate immense resources to it. The sovereign has far too many affairs to manage to squander time on trivialities. Moreover, these marginalized royals were held in little regard to begin with. Give it time, and once the royal lineage lets them slip from memory, the ripples will subside into stillness." The two struck a harmonious chord in their conversation, prompting Zuo Anna to seize the moment: "Would you be willing to join the White Falcon League and become one of us? With your renown in Puluo Province, you would command an elevated standing within our ranks." Li Banfeng shook his head. "I cannot become one of your members, but I believe I can be your friend." With that singular pledge, Zuo Anna was well satisfied. "Where do you wish to go? We must still retrieve passengers from other settlements in the Inner States, but if our schedule permits, I can convey you there." Li Banfeng stated, "I wish to go to Boundless City." Zuo Anna shook her head. "I cannot take you to Boundless City. Luo'an Town remains a forbidden taboo within Great Shang; if we were discovered, I would imperil everyone aboard." Li Banfeng did not insist. "Then take me to Qishuiyao." "Qishuiyao is unsuitable as well. That exit has drawn excessive scrutiny of late." Li Banfeng asked, "Are there any other viable exits?" "There are, located in the Outer States. Can you accept that?" Li Banfeng nodded. "That will do. I feel somewhat drained; I shall sleep for a while." "My Lady Marquis, wake up." Luo Lijun groggily poked her head out, rubbing her antennae. Turning her gaze, she saw He Jiaqing standing beside her conch shell. Terrified, Luo Lijun was about to scream for help when He Jiaqing waved his hand, gesturing for her to remain quiet. "Fear not, My Lady Marquis. I have sought you out merely to meet an old acquaintance." "What friend of yours could possibly be here?" "There is one," He Jiaqing said, casting his eyes toward the shadow upon the floor. "During daylight, I caught a glimpse of him." The shadow had been uncovered by He Jiaqing. Yet Luo Lijun did not descend into panic; the shadow had laid out arrangements for her beforehand. Because she needed to steer Boundless City and oversee its administrative affairs, Luo Lijun could not remain cloistered within Yucui Building all day like the others; she had to alternate shifts with Luo Yanjun. This presented a predicament: what should be done if He Jiaqing harbored ulterior motives? In such an event, Banfeng Two's instructions were to lure He Jiaqing toward Yucui Building as much as possible. Luo Lijun told He Jiaqing, "That friend you speak of ought to be residing within Yucui Building." He Jiaqing scrutinized her. "What is so peculiar about Yucui Building?" "Yucui Building is heavily fortified by elite guards and under strict vigilance. It is a secure sanctuary." Reflecting upon it, He Jiaqing realized her words rang true. Over the past two days, he had surveyed the Marquis Residence; the most heavily guarded precinct was indeed Yucui Building, and explicit orders had been posted throughout the manor stating that any unauthorized trespass into Yucui Building would be met with summary execution. So Li Banfeng's shadow was hiding inside Yucui Building. A Shadow Cultivator's shadow could not stray excessively far from the practitioner. Could Li Banfeng's true form also be stationed within Yucui Building? If he truly resided there, why had the Luo sisters persistently badgered him demanding Li Banfeng's whereabouts over these past few days? Had the sisters been putting on a charade all along? Why put on an act for him? Given Li Banfeng's present strength, if he genuinely wished to battle, he had ample capital to do so. Could that Shadow Cultivator be someone else entirely? Dwelling on it was pointless; He Jiaqing resolved to visit Yucui Building to see for himself. Employing his art of scaling walls and vaulting roofs, He Jiaqing arrived before Yucui Building. On the ground floor, Yanjun, Yujun, Xiujun, and Shaojun were sound asleep. The pavilion was spacious, yet the four sisters were of considerable stature, making their sleeping quarters quite cramped. Yet they had no choice; they were forbidden from ascending to the second floor. Jiang Ling'er's temperament had shifted drastically—she refused to permit any strangers into her domain. Only after Banfeng Two had pleaded incessantly did she allow the four sisters to sleep downstairs, forbidding them from taking a single step onto the second floor. While they dared not ascend, He Jiaqing had unexpectedly intruded. With guards stationed before the ground-floor entrance, He Jiaqing found walking through the front inconvenient and slipped in through a second-floor window instead. The moment his feet touched the floor, He Jiaqing looked up, only to see a flash of blue robes dart before his eyes. Who was that?! Warm blood began trickling slowly down his cheeks, chest, and back. Before He Jiaqing could even comprehend what had transpired, over a dozen lacerations had been carved across his flesh. Without a second thought, he flipped backward and leaped out through the window. Banfeng Two glanced toward Jiang Ling'er, a faint scoff in his voice: "Didn't you claim that uttering an enemy's name guarantees their death? This enemy is named He Jiaqing—why didn't you finish him off?" Jiang Ling'er turned her gaze toward the shadow: "Do you hold my covenant deed?" Banfeng Two shook his head. "The deed isn't in my possession; it's with Li Seven. But Li Seven and I are essentially the same person, so—" Jiang Ling'er cut him short: "He holds the deed, while you do not. On what grounds do you claim to be the same person?" Banfeng Two bit his forefinger; this girl was impossible to hoodwink. Jiang Ling'er pressed further: "Since you are not the same person, who granted you the audacity to intrude into my chambers in the dead of night?" Banfeng Two sensed mortal danger drawing near; Jiang Ling'er was about to strike at him. Just as he was about to flee, a clattering of roof tiles sounded overhead. He Jiaqing had climbed onto the roof? With his martial prowess, his footsteps upon the tiles should have been noiseless; he had deliberately produced that commotion. Sure enough, He Jiaqing's voice drifted down from the rooftop: "Is that Li Seven inside the room?" Banfeng Two gestured for Jiang Ling'er to remain silent, tilting his head upward as he answered: "Not Li Seven—this is Li Six. What business do you have with Li Seven?" He Jiaqing chuckled. "I care no longer for Li Seven. I seek Li Banfeng." Jiang Ling'er had no idea who Li Banfeng was and turned to look at Banfeng Two. Banfeng Two called back, "Li Banfeng isn't here either. I am Li Banling." He Jiaqing let out two dry chuckles, then fell solemn. Li Banfeng had once told him that Granny Wu from the welfare home had cared for seven children, all of whose names had been bestowed by her: Banshan, Banluan, Banling, Banya, Bangang, Banyue, and Banfeng. Did a person named Li Banling genuinely exist? If the individual downstairs truly was Li Banling, it proved that Li Banfeng was not in Boundless City, which would clarify a multitude of puzzles. He Jiaqing inquired, "Were you the one who pilfered the covenant deeds from me?" Banfeng Two retorted, "It wasn't pilfering—it was an honorable, open-and-shut confiscation!" "Fine, even if you took them by force, they ought to be returned to their rightful owner now." "First off, you were never the rightful owner of those items, so on what basis should they be returned to you? Why don't you return the things you stole yourself?" He Jiaqing sighed. "Very well, I won't bicker with you over reason. Can we strike a trade?" "What kind of trade?" "I wish to exchange an item for a covenant deed. Are you willing?" Banfeng Two smirked. "What do you intend to offer in exchange? That is the life of a regional local spirit. What item do you think could possibly match the worth of a covenant deed?" He Jiaqing replied, "Naturally, I will trade another covenant deed in return. I wish to exchange for the deed of Chu Yaoxian. That woman is my beloved; she is exceptionally fair, and my affections for her run deep. I have stated my reasons, so pry no further." Banfeng Two located Chu Yaoxian's deed from his pouch and asked, "Whose deed are you offering in return?" "I offer the deed of Chu Yaohan." He Jiaqing waited quietly for Banfeng Two's reaction. "Deal," Banfeng Two agreed without hesitation. He Jiaqing laughed. "You agreed with such haste—just who is this Chu Yaohan to you?" "She is my beloved! A real beauty! Do you have any further questions?" Banfeng Two replied with equal breeziness. He Jiaqing pondered for a moment, then remarked, "I have never once heard of a local spirit named Chu Yaohan. I suspect this Chu Yaohan's origins are far from ordinary, and that she holds immense significance for you. If I trade on equal terms like this, I will come out on the losing end. I wish to offer this one deed in exchange for two of yours. Will you trade?" "No deal! Be on your way!" Banfeng Two refused to yield an inch, without the slightest hesitation. He Jiaqing deliberated briefly. The deed of Chu Yaohan had never been the focal point of his inquiry, so he decided to make a concession first: "Never mind, one for one it is. How shall we conduct this transaction?" "Out in the open. Come down; I shall await you inside the room!" He Jiaqing shook his head. "I dare not descend. The mistress of the chamber seems to possess a rather volatile temper." "Rest assured, she listens to me. Step inside and make the trade." Banfeng Two passed the pouch of deeds to Jiang Ling'er, keeping only Chu Yaoxian's deed in his own hand. He Jiaqing entered through the window, surveyed Banfeng Two, and shook his head. "Banling, you still lack sincerity. I have personally descended to conduct business with you, yet you fob me off with a mere shadow?" Banfeng Two was equally helpless; only a shadow was present. "Take your item and leave at once. If the mistress of this chamber flies into a frenzy in a moment, you'll be handing over that deed of yours for nothing." He Jiaqing handed Chu Yaohan's deed to Banfeng Two. Having seen the other half of this deed before, Li Banfeng naturally recognized its authenticity at a glance. He then delivered Chu Yaoxian's deed to He Jiaqing. Having concluded the trade, He Jiaqing vaulted back onto the roof, yet he did not depart. "Banling, care to strike another deal?" "Another deal? Why didn't you bring it up all at once just now?" He Jiaqing laughed. "I only just remembered. There is someone named Li Furong whose deed is also in my hands. Would you care for it?" Fortunately, Banfeng Two possessed no facial features; otherwise, the moment He Jiaqing mentioned Li Furong, his expression would certainly have betrayed him. He desired that deed more than anything—he would have willingly traded the entire pouch of deeds to He Jiaqing for it. "Not interested!" Banfeng Two delivered his swift reply. This refusal caught He Jiaqing somewhat off guard. "Why don't you want it?" "I don't even know this person. What would I want his deed for?" Did Li Banling truly not know the truth, or did this deed bear no relation to Li Banfeng? "Allow me to remind you: someone once referred to Li Banfeng as Li Furong." Li Banling responded with composure: "I know about that. He was always buying cigarettes for Granny Wu. Back then, Granny Wu called him Li Furong, while Old Man Li at the gatehouse called him Li Luotuo. But what does any of that have to do with this? Neither of us brothers knows any local spirit named Li Furong. What use would we have for buying his deed?" He Jiaqing said, "I am conducting business with complete sincerity. Don't come to regret this later." "There is nothing to regret. If I don't know him, I don't know him." "Very well, then I shall take my leave." He Jiaqing departed, carrying his pouch of deeds. Whose deed was Li Furong's, in the end? If it didn't belong to Li Banfeng, could it truly belong to Li Haoyun? Listening to He Jiaqing's receding footsteps, Banfeng Two's heart bled. Li Furong's deed was the very thing Li Banfeng had sought to reclaim all along; Banfeng Two was Li Banfeng, their thoughts entirely aligned. Yet he could not agree to the trade earlier. The instant he agreed, it would be tantamount to admitting that the deed belonged to Li Banfeng, and He Jiaqing would instantly raise his price. It wouldn't be redeemable one-for-one, nor one-for-ten; even forfeiting the entirety of Boundless City to He Jiaqing wouldn't suffice to reclaim it. That deed would become a lifelong lever of leverage over Li Banfeng! Banfeng Two longed to grit his teeth, yet he possessed no teeth to gnash. The foremost priority was: once He Jiaqing was sent away, what should be done next? *Old Jia, where on earth have you gone?* *Clatter!* The plates on the table lurched, spilling a generous splash of the broth Zuo Anna had just stewed. Li Banfeng asked, "Which stop have we arrived at?" Zuo Anna answered, "We have reached Nanhao, an exceedingly prosperous city in Great Shang. An operative of ours is stationed here; while his rank is not high, he is exceptionally dependable." Before long, over a dozen natives of the Inner States stepped into Sui'an Town. They were of manifold shapes and forms: several resembled fish, others resembled lizards, and one was most bizarre of all—his body consisted of two concentric iron rings with ball bearings nestled between them. Was that... a bearing? Zuo Anna placed special emphasis on introducing this Mr. Bearing: "His name is Zhou Shuncheng. In Nanhao, he successively liberated over two thousand three hundred bondservants, performing an extraordinary service. We will arrange a most comfortable livelihood for him in the Outer States; it is the reward he rightfully deserves." "Liberating bondservants counts as a service to your cause?" Zuo Anna nodded repeatedly. "I can see that you resonate deeply with this." Li Banfeng replied, "Indeed I do. There will be ample opportunities for us to cooperate in the future." Zuo Anna greeted Zhou Shuncheng: "You have labored hard on this journey!" "I cannot claim to have labored hard," Zhou Shuncheng replied. His inner ring remained stationary while his outer ring spun once in place—his customary manner of greeting. "Miss Zuo, the one who truly bore the hardship this time was Big Bin. Without him bustling about to manage every detail along the way, we certainly would never have made it out." Li Banfeng inquired, "Who is Big Bin?" Zuo Anna explained, "He is a vital operative stationed in Nanhao. His true name is Daboynes; 'Big Bin' is merely a nickname others bestowed upon him." Fearing he might have mistaken the identity, Li Banfeng asked, "Is this Daboynes one of your Inner Amikans?" Zuo Anna shook her head repeatedly. "He is a native of Puluo Province, and was once a rather renowned private detective there. 'Daboynes' was a name he chose for himself. As for why he took that name, I don't entirely understand it either. He will arrive shortly; you may ask him yourself." Li Banfeng chuckled. "There is no need to ask him. Have you ever studied Hanyu Pinyin?" Zuo Anna failed to grasp his meaning: "I have never studied your pinyin." Li Banfeng smiled. "No matter, I shall teach you right now—it isn't difficult at all. Repeat after me: b... in... Bin!"