The locomotive called the companion dwelling Little Train.
The companion dwelling called the locomotive Old Train.
This proved one thing: the locomotive before his eyes was Grandpa Train.
Logically it made sense, but the question was, Grandpa Train was supposed to be trapped in the Inner States—why had he appeared at the Dark Star Bureau?
The companion dwelling and the locomotive were now locked in a head-on collision. The wheels of both trains spun relentlessly, faint, shimmering tracks appearing and vanishing beneath them. Sparks sprayed between wheels and rails, and the ear-piercing screech shattered numerous glass display cases.
The companion dwelling shouted, "Old Seven, go! Fast!"
Li Banfeng said, "If I leave, what about you?"
The companion dwelling shouted, "I'll follow the key!"
Li Banfeng dashed toward the storeroom's main doors. When he was less than five meters away, the doors suddenly receded at high speed.
It wasn't just the doors; the walls were retreating too.
In that instant of shock, Li Banfeng sensed danger lunging from behind.
He glanced back, only to see the locomotive giving chase.
Where was the companion dwelling?
Li Banfeng sprinted frantically, but he couldn't run in a straight line; he couldn't outrun a locomotive.
Left with no choice, he had to dodge laterally. Li Banfeng veered to the left. Fortunately, his turning speed was far faster than the locomotive's.
Rushing to the left wall, Li Banfeng tried to use Unimpeded Passage to slip out, only to find that the wall on the left was also receding rapidly.
Li Banfeng looked back again—the locomotive had already closed in on him.
Unable to reach the left, he cut to the right, but the right wall was also flying backward.
He tested all four walls, yet he couldn't touch a single one.
There seemed to be a strict distance maintained between the walls and the locomotive; as soon as the locomotive came too close to a wall, the wall would automatically retreat.
Was this a technique of the locomotive?
There was no time to ponder this. Since he couldn't get through the walls, Li Banfeng prepared to burrow into the ground.
*Bang!*
Li Banfeng stamped his foot, but the floor was too solid; he couldn't sink through.
This wasn't a matter of poor technique. Li Banfeng realized the storeroom floor placed a noticeable restriction on the Unimpeded Passage technique.
Leaping into the air, Li Banfeng tried to slip through the ceiling. He pressed himself flat against it, yet he still couldn't pass through.
The locomotive remained on the ground. For Grandpa Train, flying surely wouldn't be difficult, but this locomotive seemed unable to take flight. With Li Banfeng clinging to the ceiling, he was safe for the moment.
The locomotive's headlight flared, enshrouded in swirling mist.
By its beam, Li Banfeng saw the entire storeroom clearly. After the recent chase, every piece of equipment inside had suffered collateral damage; the glass cases had all shattered.
A pile of devices lay overturned haphazardly across the floor. They had certainly been slammed into—even crushed—by the train, yet their build quality was undeniably remarkable, showing no obvious visible damage.
Li Banfeng clung to the ceiling, quickly shifting toward the doorway.
*Whoosh!*
The locomotive vented a massive cloud of white steam, and the temperature in the room spiked abruptly.
Li Banfeng reached the doorway, but the train on the floor reached it in tandem. The doorway and the walls receded simultaneously; Li Banfeng still couldn't get out.
"Give it back to me!" the locomotive groaned again, and the temperature in the entire storeroom climbed significantly higher.
Li Banfeng was drenched in sweat, pushed to his limit.
Not only was he struggling to hold out, but many pieces of equipment couldn't endure the extreme heat either.
The cathode-ray screen of a standing console television cracked. The TV turned itself on, and after a flurry of static, it picked up a broadcast.
It was a quiz show that had swept the country twenty years ago. The female host was in the prime of her youth, showing this show had definitely not been recorded recently.
Beside it, a floor-standing radio turned on as well: "Dear listeners, on this radiant spring day of blooming flowers and singing birds, A'Hui must say goodbye to all our listeners and viewers. As always, A'Hui has to step away for a time. During these days, A'Hui's heart will remain right by your side. A'Hui will continue to strive and fight to build an orderly, civilized new Puluo Province."
A'Hui?
Teacher Song?
This broadcast sounded like a live transmission, but why could a radio here receive a radio station from Puluo Province?
The television show reached a minor climax. The host said, "Congratulations on completing the first round of trivia! Please state your first dream!"
The contestant replied, "I want a new formal dress!"
*Clack-clack-clack!*
The steam sewing machine in the storeroom clattered non-stop, quickly stitching together an evening gown. The gown flew up to the ceiling, chasing Li Banfeng everywhere.
After dodging for a moment, the game show peaked again. The host announced, "Congratulations on completing the second round of trivia! Please state your second dream!"
"I want a component stereo system!"
*Bzzzt!*
Inside the storeroom, several vintage loudspeakers assembled together, and a video player started blasting electronic music. The booming bass rattled Li Banfeng's chest!
Scorched by steam, pursued by dresses, and assaulted by the stereo, Li Banfeng was on the verge of collapsing.
At this critical moment, Li Banfeng swiftly approached the right wall. The locomotive moved right in tandem, and the right wall receded accordingly.
Li Banfeng picked up speed; the locomotive accelerated to match.
Pushing his speed to the absolute limit, Li Banfeng veered sharply, abandoning the right wall and lunging straight for the main doors.
The locomotive wasn't nearly as nimble in turning, and Li Banfeng managed to shake it off for a short distance.
Yet the locomotive had preparations of its own. A fresh formal dress from the sewing machine clung to the ceiling, blocking Li Banfeng's path.
If he chose to dodge, even a single second's delay would allow the locomotive to catch up immediately, rendering all his efforts moot.
Since dodging was out of the question, he had to charge through. The Tang dao unsheathed first, stabbing into the dress.
The scythe followed, tearing outward from both sides in an attempt to rip the dress apart. But it failed—the fabric of the dress was exceptionally resilient.
If he couldn't tear it, he pinned the dress to the ceiling. Once Li Banfeng shot past, the Tang dao and scythe released it.
Li Banfeng made it through, and the scythe and Tang dao disengaged smoothly.
Little did he expect that the steam sewing machine hadn't stopped at all. In that short span, it had churned out over a dozen formal dresses, which had already gathered at the doorway, waiting for him.
This time, going around was unavoidable; charging head-on would only get him ensnared.
With Li Banfeng's footwork, weaving around the dresses was no trouble, but the locomotive surged up from behind once more, and the doorway retreated from Li Banfeng yet again.
With steam billowing, the speakers blaring louder, and the sewing machine whirring faster, Li Banfeng seemed driven into a corner.
The companion dwelling materialized again, ramming into the locomotive once more.
This time it wasn't head-on; the companion dwelling crashed into the locomotive's flank.
The locomotive overturned on the spot, and Li Banfeng seized the opportunity to rush to the storeroom entrance.
A halo of light flared, and a Boundary rose across the doorway.
This wasn't the first time Li Banfeng had seen a Boundary in the Dark Star Bureau, and to this day, he still hadn't found its source.
Li Banfeng pulled the Boundary switch from his chest and pulled the wooden lever, extinguishing a short segment of the Boundary.
Stepping through the gap and bolting past the doors, Li Banfeng returned to the corridor.
Peering inside through the doorway, the companion dwelling was gone. The locomotive righted itself, its headlight still ablaze, shining squarely into Li Banfeng's face.
It chugged out thick smoke, its wheels spinning madly as if hurtling toward him.
Yet from Li Banfeng's perspective, the train was running in place, not advancing at all.
After a short while, the locomotive calmed down. The headlight shut off, and the surrounding cloud of mist dissolved.
The steam sewing machine stopped running, the fire in its built-in boiler extinguishing.
The floor-standing radio returned to the wall, falling silent.
The "component stereo system" dismantled on the spot into six separate loudspeakers, each returning to its original position.
Shattered glass shards hovered in midair, fusing back together into display cases that enclosed each device.
The tailored dresses did not revert; instead, they opened a wardrobe by the wall and neatly hung themselves on coat hangers.
In the blink of an eye, the storeroom was cleaned spotless. Even the condensation left behind by the steam was wiped dry by scraps of cloth beside the sewing machine on their own.
As if no one had ever set foot inside, all traces had been erased—except for that floor-standing television.
Its cracked screen had restored itself, but unlike the other appliances, it was still playing the program:
"You have achieved three dreams. Do you wish to continue the challenge?"
"I choose to continue."
"A reminder once more: you still have three lifelines remaining—"
*Creeeeak!*
*Clang!*
The heavy iron doors slammed shut.
The glove asked Li Banfeng, "Master, do you want to open this door again?"
"Can it still be opened?" Whether it was an illusion or not, Li Banfeng felt the iron doors were shut even tighter than before.
Li Banfeng was not mistaken. The glove felt along the seam of the doors. "More force has been added to this door. With my old capabilities, I probably couldn't pry it open. But things are different now. Give me a quarter of an hour, and I can open it once more."
Before Li Banfeng could answer, the companion dwelling spoke: "Don't. We can't fight Old Train again right now. I'm hauling train cars; I can't beat him."
Li Banfeng returned to the sixteenth-floor stairwell. Exiting through the stairwell door, he arrived at the elevator lobby.
Where he entered was where he exited—the maze in the stairwell was gone.
Li Banfeng looked into the various offices; everyone was working normally, showing no signs of anything amiss.
Just moments ago, two trains had collided inside the Dark Star Bureau building—more than once, no less. Had none of these people noticed at all?
Returning to his office, Li Banfeng locked the door, hid the key safely away, and stepped into the companion dwelling.
Inside, the house was in utter shambles. Tables were overturned, shelves toppled, and Hong Ying was sweeping up.
Li Banfeng came forward to help, explaining to his family in the process, "Just now I went into a storeroom in the Dark Star Bureau, and there I ran into—"
Hong Ying righted an overturned shelf. "We all saw it, from the Fifth Room."
Ninth Miss was picking up shattered jars and bottles. "I don't think my eyes deceived me. That person was Old Train."
Li Banfeng verified once more, "You're saying that the locomotive in the storeroom is Grandpa Train?"
"Yes, that's him."
"Grandpa Train is a train?"
Ninth Miss said, "No one can clearly pin down Old Train's appearance. Sometimes he's a white-haired elder, sometimes a youth in his prime, sometimes a factory, and sometimes a train. He possesses supreme mastery in artisan cultivation. He has built many things, including his own body."
Li Banfeng straightened the bedding and sat on the edge of the bed. "Grandpa Train is trapped in the Inner States. He told me so himself, and I even met his shadow in the Inner States."
Ninth Miss said, "He is the man my older sister favored most, and I learned many Travel Cultivator techniques from him. I would never mistake him. If you don't believe me, ask the old master of our house. He knows Old Train best."
Silence fell over the room. After a long wait, the old master spoke: "Old Seven, that is Old Train. An incomplete Old Train."
The glove said, "I haven't met this senior before, but his skills are truly terrifying. Old master, even if this senior is incomplete, you can't best him?"
"Heh, A'Tao, you sure have a sweet tongue," the companion dwelling chuckled dryly. "He is incomplete, but so am I. What's more, I have this whole family to protect."
Li Banfeng confirmed two matters with the companion dwelling.
"He kept saying 'Give it back to me.' Did he want me to return the train key to him?"
The companion dwelling answered, "Yes. Even though he didn't state it outright, he definitely wants to take me back."
"If I don't give the key back to him, will he kill me?"
"He will!" the companion dwelling said with absolute certainty. "Judging by his bearing just now, he was out for your life."
"Impossible..." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Grandpa Train isn't that kind of person..."
The companion dwelling said, "I don't know what the Old Train you met was like, but the Old Train I know has always been like this. Killing has never been a big deal to him. One moment he calls you brother, the next he turns on you ruthlessly. Ever since the day I gained sentience, that's who he has been."
Li Banfeng sat by the bed, his expression vacant.
He asked another question: "When he called out 'brother,' he was calling me, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he recognized you. Otherwise, his very first strike would have killed you."
"Why would he recognize me? If this train is a part of him, and this part has always been trapped in the Dark Star Bureau, then this part of Grandpa Train should never have seen me."
The companion dwelling knew nothing of what had transpired between Li Banfeng and Grandpa Train; it could only deduce based on its own memories: "His other parts must share a connection with this one. As for how they connect, I don't know either. Old Seven, don't go looking for him again. Absolutely do not. I want to save him too, but it must be at the right time. If you recklessly break him out, you have no idea what the consequences will be. I'm injured and need to rest for a while. Old Seven, I leave the household matters to you. Whatever you do, don't be reckless."
Li Banfeng realized with a start, "Old master, where are you hurt? What medicine do you need? I'll go fetch it."
The companion dwelling smiled. "What medicine could possibly treat me? Just give me two days of peace and quiet."
The companion dwelling fell silent.
The glove whispered in Li Banfeng's ear, "Why do I feel like the old master really grew old today?"
Once the house was tidied up, Li Banfeng left the companion dwelling.
Back in his office, he called Chen Changrui inside.
"Old Chen, any word from above?"
Chen Changrui shook his head. "Ever since you said you wouldn't attend the meeting, higher-ups put the matter on hold. I heard from Gao Yina that the superiors haven't brought up dissolving the Dark Star Bureau again."
Li Banfeng nodded. The Dark Star Bureau was safe for now.
"You haven't received any other news, have you?"
Chen Changrui paused, not understanding what "other news" meant. "Director Li, do you mean the new shipment of harmonizing agent ingredients?"
"I mean... yeah, that."
Chen Changrui said, "The newly arrived ingredients have all been delivered to the warehouse. Taking a lesson from last time, we carried out strict inspections."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "We cannot let our guard down; the alarm bells must ring perpetually. In a few days, we will launch another special inspection."
It was indeed time for a special inspection. The number of three-headed people under his command was growing, and all who had joined a pathway were waiting for the harmonizing agent. A single three-headed man consumed the portions of three people; relying solely on his wife to process and produce it had made keeping up with demand somewhat difficult.
Li Banfeng asked Chen Changrui again, "Aside from that, nothing else?"
"Nothing."
Li Banfeng stared at Chen Changrui for a long time. Judging from his expression, Chen Changrui wasn't lying.
If the storeroom Li Banfeng had entered was the genuine records room, two trains colliding inside would have certainly damaged it. Under such circumstances, Chen Changrui should have received a notification.
Since Chen Changrui hadn't received any alert, it proved that storeroom wasn't the genuine records room.
Where on earth was the real records room?
Could the contents inside be even more astonishing than that storeroom?
"Old Chen, have you heard of Cell No. 6?"
In less than a second, Chen Changrui blinked seven or eight times. Under such circumstances, if he claimed not to know, Li Banfeng would never believe him.
After weighing his options, Chen Changrui decided to tell the truth: "I have heard of Cell No. 6. I learned of it from Director Shen. At the time, we were carrying out an important mission with the entire Security Squadron deployed. Director Shen suddenly said he had to return to the bureau. He pulled thirty core personnel to accompany him, including me. Having the security captain leave the scene during a critical mission was highly abnormal. After returning to the bureau, Director Shen left me with one instruction: if any mishap occurred, I was to report to higher-ups that a problem had arisen with Cell No. 6. Having worked at the Dark Star Bureau for so many years, I only knew of five holding cells. I asked Director Shen where Cell No. 6 was located, but he didn't answer. Afterwards, Director Shen didn't show his face for an entire day; I suspect he must have gone to Cell No. 6. The next day, Director Shen came to work at the bureau as usual and even summarized the previous day's mission. He never mentioned Cell No. 6 again."
The information Chen Changrui possessed ended there. Li Banfeng asked about a detail: "Around what time did Shen Jingye return to the bureau?"
"Ten-thirty in the morning."
Zhong'er had entered Cell No. 6 at 3:50 in the afternoon; the times didn't match.
Could it be that time wasn't the key condition to the stairwell maze?
Then what was the key condition?
What on earth caused the storeroom from the fifteenth floor to appear on the nineteenth floor?
Li Banfeng couldn't fathom an answer.
That night, Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling and went to the Fifth Room, asking the Fifth Miss to replay the scene from the storeroom.
This task had normally been handled by the projector, but at the time, the projector had to control the surveillance equipment and had remained outside the storeroom, unable to film.
Compared to the projector, the Fifth Miss's perspective was relatively limited. Her field of view was equivalent to looking through a train window; many crucial details had eluded her.
Watching it from start to finish, Li Banfeng spotted a critical detail: the storeroom walls were moving synchronously with the train's motion.
Li Banfeng reviewed it twice, then asked Hong Ying, "Is this a Travel Cultivator technique?"
Hong Ying pondered for a moment. "It looks a bit like Sever Path to Open a Road. When the train is about to crash into a wall and has no road ahead, he extends a path for himself."
Ninth Miss chuckled. "Let's not talk nonsense. Sever Path to Open a Road opens up a path. If he gouged an opening in the wall, that would be Sever Path to Open a Road. Pushing the entire wall back bears no resemblance to opening a road, does it?"
Hong Ying's brows shot up as she glared at Ninth Miss. "Then why don't you explain what technique Old Train used back then?"
Ninth Miss shook her head slightly. "I can't tell what technique that is."
Hong Ying snapped, "If you can't tell, why are you running your mouth so much? Looking for a beating?"
Ninth Miss sighed heavily. "My inability to tell only proves it likely isn't a Travel Cultivator technique. Old Train also attained grand mastery in artisan cultivation; this room most likely features his artisan techniques."
Hong Ying thought it over carefully. "Moving walls—I really have seen that among artisan techniques."
While everyone was still speculating, the footage began shaking violently.
Similar tremors had appeared multiple times. Hong Ying scolded Miss Five, "Haven't you eaten? Are your hands trembling? Why are you shaking so much? You're making me dizzy!"
Miss Five didn't dare utter a sound. Ninth Miss said, "That's because the old master was fighting Old Train. Their movements were too fast; looking outside from within the house, it naturally shook intensely."
Hong Ying asked Li Banfeng, "Seventh Brother, did you see the two of them fight back then?"
Li Banfeng had only seen two collisions. He had been busy fleeing for his life, missing many details.
However, since the companion dwelling was injured, it proved they had definitely fought fiercely.
Ninth Miss said, "Old Seven, look and see if there are mechanisms or the like in this storeroom. If we can find the mechanism, perhaps we can find the way to control the walls."
This suggestion was very valuable. Li Banfeng had Miss Five play the footage repeatedly, and everyone searched together for traces of mechanisms in the storeroom.
The glove whispered into Li Banfeng's ear, "Master, don't forget the old master's warning: now is not the time."
Now was not the time to rescue Grandpa Train; the companion dwelling had indeed said so.
Yet Li Banfeng would continue investigating the stairwell. If he ended up in that storeroom again next time, he had to know how to escape.
Late into the night, the whole family went to sleep. Li Banfeng sat on the sofa in the Fifth Room and fell asleep as well.
On the wall, the scene in the storeroom played once more. The image grew slightly blurry, gradually replaced by a screen of static.
Amidst the static, the outline of a figure emerged. It was a pretty young woman with a pair of braided pigtails, wearing student attire unique to Puluo Province reminiscent of a qipao, strolling leisurely through a sea of flowers.
She plucked a bunch of fresh flowers, turned toward the screen, and offered a faint smile.
She seemed to be smiling at Li Banfeng.
Before her, a desk appeared with a vase atop it. She placed the flowers into the vase, and the scene on the screen slowly began to shift.
The sea of flowers vanished, replaced by a brightly lit studio hall.
The braided pigtails turned into a standard short bob, the student attire became a white suit, and the pretty schoolgirl transformed into a dignified, elegant television host. She was speaking:
"Congratulations to our contestant! You have achieved three dreams. Do you wish to continue the challenge?"
"You still have one lifeline remaining. Are you sure you want to use it now?"
"I must remind you: if you answer this question incorrectly, all previous dreams will vanish like bubbles. Time is up; you must give me an answer as soon as possible."
The voice was neither loud nor faint, yet throughout the entire companion dwelling, not a single soul could hear it—neither the Peeping Cultivator in Room Seven, nor Li Banfeng's Qiansi earring.
The red lotus heard it. Only she heard it, because the sound was directed specifically at her.
Silently, the red lotus came to the Fifth Room. She unfurled her petals and leaves, exposing the lotus core. She, too, spoke to the host on the wall:
"What is the meaning of this? Threatening me?"
The host on the wall looked toward the red lotus. "I am not threatening you. I am merely reminding you: your dream is on the verge of being realized, and the promise you made to me should be fulfilled."
The red lotus waved her lotus leaves and said, "Is that so? Truly close to being realized? I feel there is still quite a distance between me and my dream."
The host maintained her professional smile. "I believe the distance is very short. She is not home, and he is asleep. I can help you transmit some messages. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Chapter 687