The Trains Merge

Li Banfeng unfolded a sheet of paper given to him by the peddler. The paper had been used by Old Train to blow his nose. Recorded upon it were the essentials of the Travel Cultivator technique Boundless Traveler, including one line: "The duration of the technique depends on the foundation of one's cultivation. The Ancestor of Travel Cultivation could use it twice a day, lasting twenty seconds each time. Because he miscalculated the time and had still not broken free at twenty-two seconds, he died amidst the melee. Remember never to become careless." This line recorded the cause of death of the Ancestor of Travel Cultivation. Li Banfeng had always kept it close to heart; every time he used the technique of Boundless Traveler, he calculated the time with meticulous care. Yet to his surprise, through this very line, Li Banfeng had stumbled upon a crucial clue. The author of Floating Clouds Inquiring at Stations was the Founding Patriarch of Travel Cultivators, not Old Train. Wait. Could Old Train possibly be the Founding Patriarch of Travel Cultivators? According to the descriptions from his lady and Old Train himself, he was a grandmaster of Travel Cultivation who had reformed the entire tradition. Could a grandmaster and the founding patriarch be the very same person? Old Train had a rather peculiar way of speaking. Perhaps he hadn't intentionally deceived anyone; perhaps he simply hadn't expressed his meaning accurately. Li Banfeng continued flipping through Floating Clouds Inquiring at Stations. The subsequent content truly left one speechless: vast swathes of narrative were devoted to how he spotted beautiful women, how those beauties despised him, and how he consoled himself after being mocked. Did Old Train really love beauties that much? After interacting with him so many times, Li Banfeng had never seen him show any particular interest in beautiful women. Could it be that he concealed it deeply? Furthermore, the narrative style differed drastically from Old Train's: "Scaling mountains and crossing ridges is terribly grueling work, especially for me. Climbing over a single mountain is exceptionally difficult. Every time I cross a mountain, I have to summon all my courage. And precisely because I didn't want to climb mountains, I missed out on many fine landscapes and lovely girls. Whenever I saw people who could fly, I envied them deeply. I wanted to fly too, but I didn't have wings. So I came up with an idea: I could borrow other things to take flight. I could fly using the wind, or fly using the clouds. I wanted to fly higher than all of them." This passage was definitely off. Old Train had stated that he did not know the technique of Riding the Wind and Harnessing Clouds, yet this Founding Patriarch of Travel Cultivators seemingly created the technique with his own hands. Could it be that Old Train hadn't told the truth? Calculating carefully the above-the-clouds techniques Old Train possessed, Li Banfeng had personally witnessed Hundred Steps Traverse, Boundless Traveler, and Free and Unfettered. As a cultivator beyond the clouds, he could at most master three above-the-clouds techniques; he truly shouldn't know Riding the Wind and Harnessing Clouds on top of that. Could Old Train have lied about his cultivation realm as well? Was he not a cultivator beyond the clouds, having chosen instead to continue cultivating above the clouds? Yet back in his era, would he have had the opportunity to charge into Cloud Four or even higher levels? Li Banfeng flipped further ahead: "I can fly by borrowing wind and clouds, and I fly very high indeed. Sometimes I am delighted, but sometimes I am not, because flying too high means sometimes I can't get back down. I can't descend skillfully from the sky like others do." This sentence bewildered Li Banfeng once more. How could anyone get stuck up in the air with Riding the Wind and Harnessing Clouds? Was that difficult at all? Li Banfeng had never even paid attention to such a problem. He floated into the air inside the office, tapped and stepped with his feet to disperse the currents beneath him, and landed squarely on the floor. Such a natural, smooth process—did it really require special practice? This Founding Patriarch of Travel Cultivators really didn't have much talent to speak of. "Once, I drifted in the sky for three days and three nights. I was starving and dying of thirst, and thought that was the end of me. But later, I found a way. I made a vortex under my feet and sucked myself in, then made another vortex above my head and sucked myself back up. I was overjoyed! Just think, how fun is that!" What was fun about that? Was it fun? ...Actually, it did seem kind of fun. Who on earth was the author of this book? The simple, naive tone truly didn't sound like Old Train, yet one couldn't rule out the possibility that a complete Old Train might express himself differently. Then what did he mean by leaving behind that snot rag? Did the Founding Patriarch of Travel Cultivators really die? Or had Old Train deliberately thrown people off the scent to obscure his true identity? More importantly, Li Banfeng gleaned plenty of profound insights from this description of the technique. In the blink of an eye, deep night arrived. Li Banfeng, hovering in midair inside the office, opened his pocket watch. Five minutes remained until midnight. Li Banfeng asked Mengde inside the watch, "For a Travel Cultivator, does twenty seconds count as long?" Mengde pursed his lips, deliberated for a long time, and began, "Master, let's not rush—" Snap! Li Banfeng shut the pocket watch and flew straight down to the first-floor lobby. Old Train stood on the steps before the entrance and asked with a grin, "All ready?" Li Banfeng nodded, then formed a vortex beneath his feet to bring himself down to the floor. Flaunting the very technique he had supposedly created right in front of him ought to provoke some reaction. Old Train showed no reaction whatsoever. He hadn't even noticed how Li Banfeng had landed. The two arrived at the stairwell. Old Train cautioned Li Banfeng, "Not only must we watch out for A'yu and the Heavenly Maiden, but we also need to be wary of those old friends of mine who stayed in the Outer States. They might very well try to fish in troubled waters." Li Banfeng was curious about the identity of these old friends. "Are they members of the Brotherhood Alliance?" Old Train pondered for a moment. "They should be the earliest batch from the Brotherhood Alliance." He Jiaqing was a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, and Old Train had fallen into the Inner States to rescue him. Li Banfeng asked, "Brother, are you a member of the Brotherhood Alliance?" Old Train shook his head. "I'm not. Never was, and never will be." "But I heard Bitter Granny say—" Old Train's face twisted in disgust. "That bitter hag tries to recruit me every single day. She ought to use her brain—how could I ever throw in my lot under the Heavenly Maiden?" "Yet back then, you nearly lost your life for He Jiaqing." Old Train looked at Li Banfeng. "Back then, my eyes were poor; I judged the wrong man. At such a young age, the lad could maneuver beneath Xiao Laoqian's thumb, so I took him for a generational talent. The peddler wouldn't rule the realm, so I wanted to find someone who would. Back then, I genuinely thought highly of him, but that had nothing to do with the Brotherhood Alliance." As they spoke, Old Train suddenly shouted, "A'yu, you must have heard! I haven't the slightest connection to your Brotherhood Alliance! Now that I've come, tell me, are you afraid?" The gold piece in Li Banfeng's hand grew scorching hot. A'yu's frantic cries rang continuously in his ear: "Why did you bring him here?! Didn't you already get the television set? Hurry up and go attack the Bandit-Subduing Battalion!" Old Train ascended the stairwell to the sixteenth floor and came to a stop. "Here. There's a wave of steam. That old bastard is here." The "old bastard" he referred to was his other half. He pushed open the hallway door and unlocked the heavy iron door. The layers of mechanisms upon the door were all intimately familiar to him, and behind it lay the showroom. The showroom's layout was identical to last time, save for two differences. First, the glass cabinet that previously held the console television and the Painting of Mist, Rosy Clouds, and Mirage was empty; Li Banfeng had taken them. Second, the locomotive's spot was not vacant. The locomotive sat right there, spewing steam, looking as though it could barrel toward the door at any second. Old Train looked at the locomotive, scrutinizing it carefully. "What, are you afraid of me? Last time I retrieved a few parts from you, you nearly took my life. I should be the one afraid of you." "Return them to me!" The locomotive let out a muffled roar. "Fine, return them it is. I'll return the whole of myself to you!" Old Train stood at the threshold, pausing briefly. The Boundary at the doorway was effective only against Old Train. Yet while this Boundary could contain the artisan cultivator Old Train, could it contain the Travel Cultivator Old Train? Of course not. Using the technique of Boundless Traveler, Old Train forcefully slipped through the Boundary. "Old Seven, it's on!" The moment the words fell, the locomotive was already before Old Train. Though the locomotive was extraordinarily fast, it was still a step behind the Travel Cultivator Old Train. Leaping into the air, Old Train landed squarely and steadily atop the artisan cultivator locomotive. "Shall you absorb me, or shall I absorb you? Let's discuss it," Old Train said, squatting on the locomotive's roof and speaking to it in earnest. The locomotive swerved rapidly and continuously, trying to shake Old Train off. Old Train teetered on the roof, struggling to keep his balance. As the locomotive's steam vents continuously spewed mist and obstructed Old Train's vision, the roof of the locomotive suddenly split open and swallowed Old Train whole. Li Banfeng moved to step in and help, but suddenly heard Old Train's voice: "Brother, head upstairs and find A'yu! Tell her to pack her bags immediately! Don't meddle in my business here—you can't help anyway!" Woo-honk! The locomotive blew its whistle abruptly. High-frequency vibrations shattered glass display cabinets across the room. The heavy iron door slammed shut with a boom. Li Banfeng gripped the gold bar and said to A'yu, "Sister, which floor are you on?" A'yu was thoroughly infuriated. "Why are you still looking for me?! Aren't you trying to ruin me?" "I've come to save you. If I can't find you, things will get troublesome." A'yu snapped testily, "Come to the twentieth floor." Li Banfeng went up to the twentieth floor, pushed open the heavy iron door, and saw Cell No. 6. Behind the door, A'yu interrogated him: "I asked you earlier—why didn't you answer? Didn't you already get the television set? Instead of attacking the Bandit-Subduing Battalion, why did you bring Eighteen Wheels here?" Li Banfeng countered, "Do you trust the television set?" A'yu sneered. "If I don't trust the television set, am I supposed to trust you?" Li Banfeng produced a roast chicken and set it by the door. "I brought you food. What did that television set ever bring you?" A'yu gave a cold laugh. "Think you can fool me with a bite of food? Your stake is a bit too petty, isn't it?" "That stake comes with my sincere heart. You and the Heavenly Maiden get ready quickly; I'll take you out in a moment." "Take me out? You're just afraid of failing to keep me trapped, so you brought Old Train over to slap on a few more locks, haven't you?" Li Banfeng frowned. "Do you want to leave or not?" A'yu fumed, "We agreed beforehand that you'd hand the television over to A'yi. Why did you go back on your word?" "Because I don't trust that television set. I trust myself more. I've already coordinated with A'yi to deliver you straight to Hulu Village. That hardly puts you at a disadvantage, does it?" A'yu fell silent for a moment. "You truly aren't lying to me?" "I signed a covenant deed with you. If I lie to you, I'll suffer the penalty. I also have an agreement with A'yi. If I lie to her, who will help me reach Dingye City?" Ragged gasps echoed from behind the cell door; it was impossible to tell whether they came from A'yu or the Heavenly Maiden. Evidently, the other side was deeply torn. "They've merged!" A'yu exclaimed. "The two Old Trains have merged into one!" The corners of Li Banfeng's lips curled up in a faint smile. "What are you smiling at?" Li Banfeng paused, startled. "You can tell even that?" A'yu said, "You don't even know which Old Train is in charge. Isn't it a bit early to smile?" Li Banfeng was confident. "Originally, the Travel Cultivator and the artisan cultivator each made up half. Previously, the Travel Cultivator Old Train came here and stole away a portion of the artisan cultivator's body. Holding such a massive advantage, the Travel Cultivator Old Train will definitely take charge now." A'yu countered, "You make it sound so simple. The artisan cultivator Old Train took thorough precautions this time. How could a fully prepared artisan cultivator be so easy to deal with? Besides, even if the Travel Cultivator Old Train takes charge, do you know what intentions he harbors? You heard him just now—he has not the slightest link to the Brotherhood Alliance! He doesn't want to save me at all!" Rumble! The Dark Star Bureau building shuddered violently, then returned to tranquility. "Not good!" A'yu said in a low voice. "The mechanisms in the building have been reinforced! I've been played by you two—Old Train is going to trap me here for good!" Tearing sounds came from inside the room. A'yu roared at someone: "Stop fucking sleeping! Get up! We're going to be trapped to death in here! We can't get out!" Li Banfeng stood quietly at the door, completely unruffled. From beside his ear came the voice of the companion dwelling: "Ah-Qi, he's coming up." Inside the companion dwelling, Red Lotus sat on the table, looking at the Fifth Room Girl. "Can you still not see what's happening outside?" Cradling fresh flowers, the Fifth Room Girl shook her head. "I can't see anything. Little Train is blocking the view completely." Red Lotus spread her lotus leaves, feeling slowly along the wall. Thud! A lotus leaf drove into the wall, kicking up a puff of dust. "Heh heh..." the old master chuckled. "Anxious, are we? Anxious to see your master? It's still too early—you'd better wait a while longer." Zhao Xiaowan stood at the door of the Fifth Room and said to Jiu'er, "Get ready to receive her in the main room. Stall for as long as you can, and whatever you do, don't try to be brave." Jiu'er walked with unsteady steps. "How could I dare try to be brave? That's my mother! My legs cramp up just standing before her." Hong Ying chimed in from the side, "Surely it won't come down to us stepping in?" Zhao Xiaowan said, "Hard to say. No one knows what state Old Train is in." In front of Cell No. 6, the stairwell shook violently. Chuff! Chuff! The sound of belching steam drew near, as if a train were about to roll right up. A'yu shouted, "What is he trying to do?! Isn't trapping us here enough? Is he going to kill us?!" Li Banfeng asked, "The Heavenly Maiden was trapped by Old Train because she was gravely wounded back then. After so many years, she should have recovered by now, shouldn't she?" "Why are you asking that?!" A'yu roared. "Even at a time like this, you're still trying to pry words out of me?!" "Just asking casually. Nobody said you had to answer." Li Banfeng looked down at the stairs. Step by step, the descending flight of stairs flattened out, gradually turning into a slide. The handrail split down the middle and transformed into two rails laid out on either side of the stairway. A beam of light shone onto Li Banfeng's face. A locomotive crawled slowly up the stairs toward the twentieth floor. "Woo—!" The whistle shrieked, making Li Banfeng's eardrums ache. "Come on, then!" A'yu roared even louder than Old Train. "Come up! Let's settle things once and for all right here!" Chuff! Chuff! Chuff! The puffing steam suddenly quickened its pace. Li Banfeng flew into midair to make way for Old Train. Old Train surged up the stairs and rammed straight into Cell No. 6. A halo of light rippled before the door of Cell No. 6. The previously invisible Boundary now flared with brilliant radiance, scorching the locomotive until smoke billowed incessantly from its hull. A'yu was still screaming, "Come on! Take one more step forward if you dare!" Hiss— White mist sprayed from beneath the locomotive, followed by an aged voice. "Old Seven, what did you tell her?" Li Banfeng replied helplessly, "I told her we came to rescue her, but she didn't believe me." This was the Travel Cultivator Old Train. He had already reclaimed his complete body and possessed control over it. The reason he had reinforced all the mechanisms in the Dark Star Bureau was to prevent A'yu from escaping through other avenues. They were old acquaintances; Old Train knew just how treacherous A'yu was, and he knew she had infiltrated deep into the Dark Star Bureau over this period. Now, A'yu had no other way out. Old Train said, "A'yu, get on board quickly and bring the Heavenly Maiden with you. This Boundary is too fierce; I won't be able to hold out much longer." Smoke poured continuously from the locomotive's body. This Boundary was indeed formidable. "Still trying to deceive me?" A'yu didn't believe him. "Once we board your train, the two of us will surely die." "Heh heh heh!" Old Train laughed. "If you don't get on, do you think you won't die? The Outer States don't care about you anymore, but plenty of other places have their eyes on you—the Shang State, Tufang, the White Falcon Alliance. They've all sent people over. When they make their move, they won't be so easy to reason with. So long as the Heavenly Maiden can still control the Boundaries, alive or dead makes no difference to them. But then again, is this Heavenly Maiden of yours dead or alive?" A'yu ground her teeth. "Never mind whether she's alive or dead! Let them come! Let anyone who wants to come bring it on! See if I flinch!" Old Train's tone turned sinister. "You might not be afraid, but I am. If you don't leave, I'll kill you both. That's better than leaving you in someone else's hands." A'yu laughed coldly. "Fine then, baring your fangs, are you? Can't even be bothered to say a few pleasant words anymore." "I'm asking you: are you leaving or not?" "Where exactly are you taking me?!" "I'm asking you: are you leaving or not?" Chuff— Steam filled the room. A'yu shouted, "Fine, I'll go with you! But let's make things clear: that Boundary at the door was left by the Heavenly Maiden to trap me. I can't cross it, and the Heavenly Maiden can't retract this Boundary either." Old Train said, "I can carry you across. Get on board now!" Li Banfeng heard faint footsteps. A'yu brought the Heavenly Maiden into the locomotive. Clang! The moment the train door shut, it would be difficult for A'yu to get back out. Woo-honk! The locomotive blew its whistle and backed out of the room. Li Banfeng followed the locomotive down the stairs and stepped out of the lobby. He took out the jade stone, just about to open the entrance to Hulu Village, when Old Train suddenly froze in place. "Brother, what are you waiting for?" Screeech—clatter clatter clatter! Iron wheels ground against the ground, sparks showering from the axles. Steam belched relentlessly, yet the train wheels refused to budge. Old Train seemed to want to move forward, yet had locked his own wheels in place. What was he doing? Li Banfeng felt a chill of danger wash over him. Had Old Train gone mad? Amidst his shock, he heard Old Train mutter in a low voice, "Dove Occupying the Magpie's Nest... you can still use this technique?!" "Hmph hmph!" A'yu's laughter drifted from within Old Train. "Old bastard, you let your guard down. The Heavenly Maiden is sleeping, not dead. What's so strange about using a technique?" Li Banfeng had never heard of a technique called Dove Occupying the Magpie's Nest. Yet he was certain of one thing: A'yu had temporarily seized control of Old Train. A'yu said, "Li Qi, you were quite sincere to actually let me out. Too bad you offered too much sincerity. I only wanted a television set—why did you have to go out of your way to do something so superfluous?" Li Banfeng said, "Sister, I want to take you to Hulu Village. I'm going to open the entrance to Hulu Village right now. A'yi is waiting for you in the village." Inside Old Train's body, A'yu replied, "I believe you. My second daughter is the most obedient of all. Tell her to wait a couple more days. Tell her mother still has things to do, and once they're done, I'll come shower her with affection." Old Train chuckled. "She's your flesh-and-blood daughter. Better to go see her sooner. What use is this little trick of yours against me?" Screeech-clatter! Sparks continued to spray from Old Train's wheels; he was locked in a struggle against the Heavenly Maiden. Formidable as the technique of Dove Occupying the Magpie's Nest was, against Old Train, it wouldn't last even a minute. Nor was A'yu remaining idle; she was doing everything she could to search for an exit from the locomotive. "Don't waste your energy," Old Train said with a laugh. "Half my body was enough to trap you two. Now that I have a whole body, do you really think I'd let you get away?" A'yu laughed as well. "Half a body was hard to deal with, but a whole body is actually easier. Old Train, you owe me a life." Whoosh— The steam valve suddenly opened, releasing pressure from the steam drum. Old Train's body shuddered violently, and the wheels that were on the verge of moving ground to a halt once more. The artisan cultivator Old Train with only half a body hadn't possessed so many memories, nor so much sentiment. But a complete Old Train was a completely different story. Old Train knew that now was not the time to haggle over ancient debts, and he knew he should deliver A'yu to Hulu Village as quickly as possible. Yet he could not do it. "I owe a life to A'yi," Old Train said, fighting to keep his mind clear. "Is there any point in mincing words? Whose life was paid in the end?" A'yu felt a slight gap along the locomotive's door. Chuff! The artisan cultivator Old Train seized consciousness, breaking free from Dove Occupying the Magpie's Nest, attempting to drive forward. "You owe the lives of my entire family!" A'yu cried out again, and Old Train's wheels jammed once more. This time it wasn't the technique of Dove Occupying the Magpie's Nest; Old Train himself had malfunctioned. The train's whistle wailed without stopping, steam building up and discharging rapidly in turbulent bursts. Old Train's mind was in chaos; he was about to lose his sanity. Just as A'yu was on the verge of forcing open the locomotive's door, a loud clang rang out, and the locomotive shuddered violently. Before A'yu could figure out what was happening, the locomotive suddenly tilted backward. The front sixteen of the eighteen wheels lifted off the ground, leaving only the rear pair dragging behind. Someone had lifted Old Train up and was hauling him forward. Who could possibly lift Old Train? Right now, only one person could do it. Little Train. A'yu's deduction was correct: Little Train had attached hooks to Old Train and hoisted him up. "Li Qi, you let Little Train out?!" A'yu called out, but there was no response from outside. A'yu cried out again, "Li Qi, must you take me to Hulu Village?! Can't you allow me to finish what needs to be done here first?! I promise not to harm Puluo Province! The moment I finish my business, I will return to Hulu Village immediately! I'm begging you!" She spoke with such pitiful sorrow that Old Train trembled all over. Yet a smile lingered on A'yu's face. She stroked the woman on her back and murmured softly, "Little Train is here. He's finally here." The woman on her back had her arms draped over A'yu's shoulders, completely motionless. Clutching the iron door of the locomotive, A'yu whispered, "Open the door, Old Train. Open this door, and all past grievances will be wiped clean." Inside the companion dwelling, in Room Thirteen, Red Lotus frantically waved her lotus leaves. She's here. A'yu is finally here! No matter what, I must get out today!