When he first arrived in Puluo Province, the train conductors had left a deep impression on Li Banfeng—especially the iron rods in their hands, which had been practically his nightmare during his ground-level days.
Even after reaching above the clouds, Li Banfeng had once been forced to jump from a train under a gang-beating by conductors. He had never been able to fathom their combat prowess: why would cultivators of such caliber engage in such grueling and perilous work aboard a train?
Now, Li Banfeng finally understood.
The conductor before him was not a cultivator at all. He was a product of the Golden House Hiding a Belle technique, a train administrator fashioned by some Dwelling cultivator.
Yet two questions remained beyond the scope of Li Banfeng's understanding.
First, what was the lifespan of these conductors? At Li Banfeng's current level of cultivation, even if he combined the Golden House Hiding a Belle technique with Zhang Wanlong's seeds to grow the hardiest muskmelon men, they could not live for very long.
Second, if conductors produced through Golden House Hiding a Belle were this formidable, just how terrifyingly high was the combat strength of the Dwelling cultivator who created them?
Could this Dwelling cultivator be the Heavenly Maiden?
If so, why would she use her own techniques to produce train conductors for the Outer States?
Li Banfeng took out a sheet of paper and recorded the chain of clues.
A woman of unknown identity was up on the clouds, capable of opening a passage to the Dark Star Bureau.
Inside the Dark Star Bureau were A'yu and the Heavenly Maiden; A'yu was a top-tier Watcher cultivator, and the Heavenly Maiden could control the Boundaries of Puluo Province.
The trains of Puluo Province had conductors created by Golden House Hiding a Belle.
Li Banfeng linked every detail of his past experiences together, turning them over in his mind, when he suddenly heard the conductor's announcement over the speaker: "Attention passengers: bumpy track ahead. Please return to your seats and refrain from moving about. Passengers by the windows, please ensure that the windows are closed."
In Puluo Province, frequent train passengers all knew that there was only one reason for a "bumpy track": the train was about to cross a Boundary.
By now, the train had arrived at the border between Lüshuiwan and Kudaikan. Clang, clang! After two jolts, Li Banfeng felt considerably clearer-headed.
That sound came from the wheels striking a break in the rails.
Judging by the interval between the clangs, the gap was substantial.
Why did the train jolt?
Because the rails were disconnected.
Why were the rails disconnected?
Many people in Puluo Province said that walking along the tracks allowed one to cross the Boundary, but doing so required undergoing rigorous inspections, so hardly anyone ever attempted that crossing method.
Was the inspection so strict precisely because the rails themselves could not cross the Boundary? At the Boundary, the tracks were interrupted to begin with.
To cross the Boundary, did they still rely on the Border Defense Bureau's equipment to send a signal to A'yu, prompting A'yu to contact the Heavenly Maiden to temporarily lift part of the Boundary?
The rails were not special at all; the Outer States had not taken much precaution regarding the tracks, which was why Train 1160 could even suffer a derailment accident.
What could truly cross the Boundary was the train. When rebuilding the railway in Qiqiu City, Li Banfeng had exerted tremendous effort having the companion dwelling study the rails, but in the end, it had all been wasted labor.
The rails were not special—could what was special be the train?
Yet Li Banfeng took trains frequently, and the companion dwelling had studied trains plenty of times; it had never found anything extraordinary either.
Was the train merely an ordinary train as well?
Following this line of reasoning, what truly guided the train across the Boundary were the conductors aboard!
What sustained Puluo Province's transportation capacity were the "charming beauties" the Heavenly Maiden hid upon the trains—the special abilities she had granted them.
Was all of this the actual truth, or merely conjecture?
To find out, he needed to see whether only one conductor bore writing on his body, or if every conductor came from Golden House Hiding a Belle.
Li Banfeng stepped out of his compartment and saw Conductor Tie Lvsheng patrolling the corridor. This was the "carriage patrol" described in the inscription on his body.
"Sir, please return to your compartment!"
"Just stepping out for some fresh air." Li Banfeng offered the conductor a cigarette.
"Sir, please return to your compartment as soon as possible!" This conductor did not smoke.
"I want to head over to the hard-seat cars to see a friend." Li Banfeng pulled out a banknote and slipped it toward the conductor.
"Sir, please return to your compartment immediately!" This conductor did not take money either.
Li Banfeng returned to his compartment and murmured to himself, "Tie Lvsheng—Born of Iron Law. He truly lives up to his name."
Conductors in Puluo Province were generally dutiful, but in Li Banfeng's experience, one this rigid was rare.
Were all the conductors the same?
Li Banfeng recalled another phrase from the inscription: *Patrol the carriages until the fifth watch.*
The fifth watch was from 3:00 to 5:00 a.m. At that hour, the conductors should change shifts.
Li Banfeng went back into the companion dwelling to take a sleep. At 3:30 a.m., he stepped out of his compartment door once more, and this time he saw a different conductor.
He recognized this conductor. Back when he had entered the companion dwelling on a train and overslept, he had emerged to find two women sleeping in his compartment. Unable to offer a reasonable explanation, Li Banfeng had been fined three thousand dollars without a receipt and prodded off the train with an iron rod—this very conductor was the culprit.
Seeing Li Banfeng step out, the conductor immediately shouted to stop him. "Sir, please return to your compartment."
"Just out for some fresh air." Li Banfeng handed the conductor a cigarette.
The conductor took the cigarette, lit it, and said with a grim face, "No more than ten minutes."
This conductor was unmistakably different from Tie Lvsheng.
Once the cigarette was finished, the conductor urged, "Hurry back inside."
Li Banfeng handed him another cigarette. "Could I stay a bit longer? That little room is terribly stifling."
The conductor looked toward Li Banfeng's cigarette pack.
Li Banfeng gave him the rest of the pack, more than half full. The conductor nodded. "When you've had enough, head back to rest."
The conductor lit another cigarette and continued smoking. Having spent more time beside him, Li Banfeng caught sight of quite a few characters inscribed on his body:
*There is an attendant named Tie Miansheng—Born with an Iron Face.*
*His visage is grim as a frost-coated blade; his voice is harsh as clashing bronze. Yet beneath a stern, unyielding exterior lies a supple, sly core; harboring the cunning of the marketplace, he excels at covert maneuvers.*
*When inspecting luggage, he barks like a thundering drum; when checking berths, he recites regulations like flowing water. Yet should a purse quietly drop, his eyelids lower ever so slightly; if a modest gift is presented before him, he weighs the matter and makes allowance.*
*Patrolling carriages in the dead of night, should he find a cigarette pack left upon a berth, he slips it into his breast, saying: "This item poses a danger; I shall temporarily impound it to avoid a fire hazard."*
*Inspecting tickets along the way, should he find a passenger riding past their stop, he unfailingly levies a hefty fine, proclaiming: "Not for the coin, but to uphold the law as a warning to others."*
Li Banfeng couldn't help letting out a laugh.
Tie Miansheng knitted his brows, his face darkening. "What are you laughing at?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's rare I get to step out and breathe some fresh air. My heart felt light, so I laughed. Hehehe!"
He kept laughing like that, still chuckling even after returning to his compartment.
"Tie Miansheng—Iron Face. That name wasn't wrong either."
After laughing for a good while, Li Banfeng suddenly gritted his teeth and cursed, "Motherfucker! Back then, he took my money and still had the fucking nerve to jab me off the train with a rod! How am I supposed to settle that score?"
That incident had happened more than two years ago.
The first question was now answered: this conductor, fashioned through the Golden House Hiding a Belle technique, had lived for at least two years.
Along the way, Li Banfeng encountered seven attendants and one conductor-in-charge in succession. Every one of them had text upon their body, and every description differed.
This basically confirmed Li Banfeng's deduction: all operating personnel aboard this train had been created through Golden House Hiding a Belle.
And someone capable of creating attendants with such formidable combat prowess, in such numbers, and with such longevity—it was virtually certain that person was the Heavenly Maiden.
Sitting in his compartment and looking at the scenery outside the window, Li Banfeng couldn't help laughing out loud again.
This time, he was laughing at himself.
He was going to the Dark Star Bureau. He hadn't taken the peddler's house because he didn't want the person on the clouds to notice.
He hadn't taken the shortcut through Tiemen Fort because he didn't want A'yu to notice.
He hadn't taken a special train because he didn't want the Dark Star Bureau to notice.
Now, looking back, it had all been useless fuss.
All these attendants were created by the Heavenly Maiden; through them, she undoubtedly had ways of learning that Li Banfeng had arrived in the Outer States.
Once the Heavenly Maiden knew, A'yu would know.
As for whether A'yu would tell the Dark Star Bureau, that depended entirely on her mood.
After laughing, Li Banfeng felt a wave of wistfulness. The gap between himself and the Heavenly Maiden was rather vast.
Jiang Ling'er had once remarked that if mastery of Golden House Hiding a Belle were graded on a scale of ten, Li Banfeng might not even rate a two.
Later, after obtaining the *Painting of Beautiful Women*, Li Banfeng had felt he was around an eight. Now it seemed that if judged by the Heavenly Maiden's standards, an eight was far out of reach—a three was more like it.
Alighting from the train, Li Banfeng went to the Dark Star Bureau. Arriving at his office, he first called Chen Changrui. "You had something urgent to discuss with me?"
"Yes, quite urgent," Chen Changrui replied. "Wait... Director Li, when did you get back? I had no idea!"
"You didn't know?" Li Banfeng laughed. "Come on over. If there's business, out with it."
Chen Changrui arrived at Li Banfeng's office and gave a thorough report on recent work. The most pressing task at hand was dealing with the Bandit-Subduing Battalion.
Li Banfeng looked pleased. "You're monitoring the movements of the Bandit-Subduing Battalion too? Can you find out where they're currently stationed?"
Chen Changrui was taken aback. "Director Li, the Bandit-Subduing Battalion is in the Shang State. We haven't conducted investigations over there."
"Then how do you plan to handle them?"
Chen Changrui took out several plans. "This is the plan for evacuating personnel and supplies from Puluo Province. This is the plan for deploying defenses at Santoucha. And this is the comprehensive defense deployment plan for Yuezhou should Santoucha fall."
Li Banfeng looked over the plans and asked Chen Changrui, "Fleeing right from the start—did you never consider joining forces with Puluo Province to fight?"
Chen Changrui could understand Li Banfeng's feelings. "Director Li, this plan wasn't made by me. We can only execute it strictly. Actually..."
Chen Changrui hesitated, leaving his sentence unfinished.
Li Banfeng smiled faintly. "Actually, I was never supposed to see these plans, right?"
Chen Changrui nodded slightly. Showing them had incurred a huge risk for him.
Li Banfeng locked the plans into his safe. He deliberately felt around the top and bottom of the safe with his fingers.
"This clean?" Li Banfeng looked at his fingers. "Truly not a speck of dust."
Chen Changrui answered solemnly, "Fostering a sound work environment is the foundation of enhancing efficiency."
"You haven't been sweeping the streets recently, have you?"
Chen Changrui did not shy away from the topic in the least. "There's been a bit too much work lately. Once this busy spell passes, I really do want to do some cleaning on the nearby streets."
Aside from an obsession with cleanliness, there seemed to be nothing wrong with him.
Li Banfeng took a stroll around the bureau. Everyone else was in the same state as Chen Changrui: apart from caring about hygiene, no other anomalies had surfaced. The security team members who had just returned from a mission were covered in dust; they weren't too intimidated to enter the office building because of it, but as soon as they handed over their mission report, they immediately went to the locker room to change into a clean set of clothes.
When work ended that evening, the various sections still took the initiative to carry out their garbage. Once the staff had mostly left, Li Banfeng went to the stairwell and gripped the gold bar.
"Sister, I'm here."
"What are you here for?"
"To bring you delicious food."
"Come up to the nineteenth floor."
Li Banfeng went up to the nineteenth floor, pushed open the heavy iron door, and handed A'yu the pastries he had bought from various train stations.
Chewing on the pastries, A'yu said with her mouth full, "When I asked you to visit often, it wasn't really for the sake of these snacks. It's mainly for our friendship."
Li Banfeng strongly agreed with her sentiment. "Since our friendship runs so deep, there's a matter I'd like to ask you about, Sister."
"Go right ahead!"
"There's a floor-standing black-and-white television inside the Dark Star Bureau, placed in Old Train's room. What is that television used for?"
"Cough, cough, cough—" A'yu coughed for quite a while. Li Banfeng hastily handed her a pot of wine.
A'yu drank down more than half the pot, caught her breath, and said, "You just ask right out like that? Shouldn't you investigate such a matter yourself?"
Li Banfeng didn't want to investigate. "A'yi wants that television; she said she wants to watch TV. I figured going to Old Train's place to investigate would be far too dangerous, so I might as well just ask you directly."
A'yu wrapped up the remaining pastries, cleared her throat, and said, "If A'yi said she wants to watch TV, that proves it's just an ordinary television. It probably doesn't serve any special purpose."
Li Banfeng replied, "Then why would I even bother investigating? It's just watching TV, isn't it? I'll buy her a brand-new one so I don't have to go looking for trouble with Old Train."
A'yu chuckled softly. "Little brother, an ordinary television probably won't do, will it?"
"Why wouldn't it do? Just say it! You want to get out, don't you? Why beat around the bush? We can negotiate this."
A'yu grew a bit excited. A murmur came from inside the cell: "Did you hear that? He said we can negotiate! With his help, we can definitely get out!"
Li Banfeng waited for the Heavenly Maiden to speak, but after waiting a long while, he heard no sound from her.
A'yu adjusted her vocal tone, her voice turning deep and weathered. "This television in the Dark Star Bureau can receive unusual signals. Through this television, A'yi can see the mother she has been separated from for so many years. She has only this one modest wish—are you willing to help her?"
Li Banfeng considered this for a moment. "Did A'yi tell you this herself?"
"Well, no."
"If she didn't say so, how do you know it's her wish?"
"I guessed! What else could she use that television for?"
Li Banfeng didn't quite grasp A'yu's meaning. "You're saying A'yi wants that television because she misses you?"
"Yes. On the television, she can see me." A'yu's tone grew melancholy once more.
Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "Sister, you're on television?"
A'yu was taken aback for a second. "Why would I be on television? She misses me and wants to video call with me! Don't you even understand that?"
"If she misses you, why doesn't she just come see you directly? I could bring her to the Dark Star Bureau and guarantee her safety."
A'yu sighed. "We mother and daughter haven't seen each other in years. Some things simply cannot be said face-to-face."
Li Banfeng challenged, "What kind of reasoning is that? If you can't say it face-to-face, you can say it through a TV?"
A'yu grew annoyed. "Between you and your family, have you never had words you couldn't say face-to-face?"
"Never!" Li Banfeng replied crisp and clear.
This was the truth. Before coming to Puluo Province, he hadn't even had any kin.
After arriving in Puluo Province, he felt there was nothing that could not be spoken before family.
A'yu tried her best to explain, "That child A'yi isn't as outgoing as you think. Some things, she just can't bring herself to say in person."
"What kind of words can't be said?"
"Suppose you were A'yi. What would you say when you saw me?"
"'Mother, have you eaten?'"
A'yu snorted. "Wrong on the very first line! A'yi doesn't call me Mother; she calls me Sister."
"'Sister, have you eaten?'"
"Stop with the eating! When A'yi sees me, the first thing she's bound to ask is whether I'm doing well. Stuck in this cage, what do you expect me to say?"
"'And you can say it on the television?'"
"If we speak through a television, I will never let A'yi see this cage. I'll show only my face and tell her I'm doing wonderfully."
Mimicking A'yi's voice, Li Banfeng said, "'Sister, then keep living here forever!'"
A'yu burst into laughter. "Pfft! Little brother, your voice imitation is quite good, but the temperament is all wrong! A'yi would never abandon me. She would definitely want to rescue me. But if she makes a reckless mess at the Dark Star Bureau, things will blow up out of control. That's why that can't be said face-to-face either."
Li Banfeng continued to imitate A'yi: "'Sister, tell me where you are. I must rescue you!'"
A'yu sighed. "'I don't need you to rescue me. Just live your life well.'"
"'Sister, if I don't break you out, I can't go on living like this! I won't even want Hulu Village anymore!'"
"'There's plenty of time ahead. Once I've figured out how to get out, I'll have you find a way to rescue me. If you miss me, just turn on the television and you'll see me.'"
"'Sister, does this television only let me see you? Can I see anyone else?'"
"'Who else would you want to see?'"
"'Sister, I want to find a helper to rescue you!'"
"'I already told you not to rescue me! You crazy girl, whom could you possibly find to rescue me?'"
"'I'll go find Lai Wuju! As long as I find her, she can definitely rescue you.'"
"'I can contact Lai Wuju at any time. You don't need to worry about—'"
Mid-sentence, A'yu stopped dead.
Li Banfeng smiled. "You can contact Lai Wuju at any time? Sister, you're quite capable."
A'yu sniffled. "Did you learn this move from Sun Tiecheng? Doesn't look like it! I know Fool cultivator techniques inside and out: Speaking with Utmost Certainty, Ironclad Proof, Grip Weakness and Strength... yours doesn't resemble any of them. Rolling with the Incline is somewhat similar, but still not quite the same. You didn't just build a slope—you built a whole theater stage! You lured me right into the play! You acted out a scene, playing my daughter, and actually managed to rope me in! How wildly arrogant of you to use such a technique—"
"Sister, let's not talk about the play. Let's talk about Lai Wuju first."
A'yu's tone turned exceedingly tender. "I was just fibbing to A'yi. How could I possibly contact Lai Wuju? Don't listen to my nonsense."
Li Banfeng said, "With this television, you could mobilize A'yi and Lai Wuju in tandem, having them work together to find a way to break you out. That's the logic, isn't it?"
A'yu sighed. "Look at you, why must you always be so suspicious? A'yi doesn't have so many schemes."
"You, on the other hand, have quite a few."
"Little brother..."
"Don't be in a rush, Sister. Didn't I just say that if you want to get out, I can help you too? But shouldn't we discuss the price?"
A'yu felt she was getting a raw deal. "A'yi asked you to retrieve the television, so she must have promised you a price. If you charge both ends, that's hardly honorable."
Li Banfeng sighed. "I simply feel I'm taking a loss on this deal."
"First tell me what price A'yi offered you."
"She agreed to open a path for me into Dingye City."
"Dingye City! I'm familiar with that place!" A'yu laughed. "You want to burn down the Shang State's granary?"
"It's not a granary anymore. It's already become a military base—the encampment of the Bandit-Subduing Battalion."
A'yu hissed softly. "The Bandit-Subduing Battalion is formidable indeed; Puluo Province might not be able to hold them off. Stationing the Bandit-Subduing Battalion in Dingye City—whose bright idea was that? Qiao Yi's, right?"
Li Banfeng voiced repeated praise. "Sister, even though you're trapped in this cell, you know everything happening outside."
"You flatter me, little brother. Dingye City is exceptionally perilous. If A'yi agreed to open a path for you, you're not getting a bad deal." A'yu began bargaining.
"A'yi is only opening a path. Whether the Bandit-Subduing Battalion can be wiped out is another story. Meanwhile, I'm the one who actually has to retrieve the television. Factoring that in, I'm still taking a loss." Li Banfeng countered.
A'yu was reasonable enough. "Forcing your way into Dingye City really isn't easy. How about this: once A'yi opens the path, you bring the television along, and I'll give you another hand."
"How will you help me, Sister?"
"I just said I know Dingye City very well. As long as the television reaches Dingye City, I can find a way to project part of my techniques there and directly help you locate the Bandit-Subduing Battalion. What do you think of that price?"
Li Banfeng was skeptical. "Are you truly that familiar with Dingye City?"
"What, you don't believe me?" A'yu laughed. "Dingye City is also called Grid Island. When one grid falls into danger, the other grids remain unharmed for a short while. Don't you think it resembles a certain place?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "You mean Puluo Province, Sister?"
"Exactly! The proper lands of Puluo Province are also grids laid out one by one. Dingye City is just a miniature Puluo Province. Your big sister has plenty of methods to deploy there."
Li Banfeng still felt this sounded somewhat unreliable. Just because the layout was similar, could she really pinpoint the Bandit-Subduing Battalion's location?
"Little brother, you still don't trust me. How about this: after the matter is done, I'll teach you another technique—a Dwelling cultivator technique."
"You think I'm a Dwelling cultivator, Sister?"
"You know I'm in contact with Lai Wuju, so this matter naturally can't be hidden from me. There's only a single layer of window paper left between us; poking it through does no harm. Go ahead and pick a technique. If I can't teach it to you, you don't even have to give that television to A'yi."
Li Banfeng weighed it for a long while before saying, "I choose All Wishes Fulfilled."
A'yu laughed for a long time. "Little brother, you sure know how to choose! All right, have it your way: All Wishes Fulfilled."
"Let's sign a covenant deed, then." Li Banfeng pulled a sheet of covenant paper from his pack.
A'yu suddenly interjected, "Wait a moment. Is that covenant paper from the peddler?"
Was this really so important?
"What if it is?"
A'yu hesitated for a brief moment. "If it's covenant paper from the peddler, then I can't teach you All Wishes Fulfilled. Because other than herself, no one can learn that technique."
Li Banfeng said, "Sister, you're not being honest at all. Were you intending to cheat me earlier? If All Wishes Fulfilled can't be taught, what technique do you intend to teach me?"
A'yu turned considerably more cautious this time. "As for the technique, I'll confer with her. I guarantee it will be an above-the-clouds technique, and one you haven't learned. Once the Bandit-Subduing Battalion is wiped out and you've learned the technique, you can hand the television over to A'yi. Little brother, deal?"
P.S. Dwelling cultivators actually have techniques too!
Chapter 766