Holding the document regarding the demolition of the Workers' Cultural Palace, Li Banfeng examined it thoroughly.
Judging from the wording of the report and the large volume of data within the text, this demolition had been an exceptionally important mission. Judging from the stringent operating procedures, it had carried a considerable degree of risk.
Although the report repeatedly emphasized that structural issues had arisen in the Workers' Cultural Palace and that the purpose of demolition was safety considerations, that pretext was plainly an excuse.
If it were merely the demolition of a hazardous building, such a task could never have been assigned to the Dark Star Bureau. Outer States authorities had already recognized back then that the Workers' Cultural Palace was an extremely perilous place, which was why they had launched the operation.
Yet judging from the outcome, the operation had clearly failed. While a vast number of photographs had been taken at the demolition site, the Workers' Cultural Palace itself still existed.
What subsequent action did the Dark Star Bureau take?
The following morning, Li Banfeng summoned Chen Changrui to his office and asked bluntly, "Did you take part in the demolition of the Cultural Palace?"
The question caught Chen Changrui entirely off guard. Li Banfeng had given him no room to stall or maneuver.
"Back then, I actually—"
"Did you take part or not?"
"I did," Chen Changrui admitted.
Li Banfeng asked, "After you demolished the Cultural Palace, did it restore itself very quickly?"
Chen Changrui lit a cigarette. "Not very quickly. Immediately.
"We evacuated the surrounding public beforehand, cordoned off the neighboring streets, deployed specialized equipment, and spent six hours demolishing the entire Cultural Palace.
"After taking the photographs, we left the scene, but before we even made it out of Yiping Road in Huahu District, the Cultural Palace had already restored itself."
Li Banfeng produced that top-secret document. "Under such circumstances, you still dared to submit a report to your superiors?"
Chen Changrui actually had seen this report before. "We had no choice but to write it. We couldn't account for ourselves to the higher-ups otherwise. We had to prove we'd done the job."
Li Banfeng lowered his voice. "Did you leave this document in Xiao Shen's office?"
Chen Changrui shuddered. "Director Li, please don't joke like that. This is a top-secret file. Why would I deliver it to Director Shen? Besides, Director Shen, he—"
It seemed this had not been Chen Changrui's doing. Li Banfeng asked next, "What was the real purpose of demolishing the Cultural Palace? Was it to suppress the black market?"
Chen Changrui pondered for a moment. "Not just to suppress the black market. To be precise, it was to keep Lin Fojiao in check. He maintained cooperation with us in certain areas, but in some matters, he overstepped his bounds."
Li Banfeng did not inquire about specifics. Just yesterday, Lin Fojiao had agreed to sell him armor and fighting chariots—acts that, to Outer States authorities, already qualified as out of line.
"After the Cultural Palace restored itself, what further actions did you take?"
"We demolished it two more times using different methods. The bureau truly wanted to knock Lin Fojiao down a peg back then."
Li Banfeng had already guessed the outcome. "And the Cultural Palace restored itself again, which meant Lin Fojiao knocked you down a peg in return."
Chen Changrui nodded. "From then on, we adopted an attitude of tacit consent toward his various actions."
Those words spoke volumes about Lin Fojiao's strength.
Li Banfeng formed a few hypotheses. The Cultural Palace might not be entirely formed from a dream, but the portion demolished by the Dark Star Bureau was very likely dreamscape.
How much of the current Cultural Palace was physical entity, and how much was dream?
During his time in the Cultural Palace, Li Banfeng had spent a period asleep.
Not only had Li Banfeng fallen asleep, but the Little Train and the whole group of magical treasures at his side had fallen asleep as well.
Yet everything in the black market had genuinely transpired.
Li Banfeng had purchased goods in the black market, and the goods were real.
Tang Changfa sold goods in the black market, and the money he collected was real gold and silver.
In those years, Du Wenming and Chu Zikai had both done business in the black market, and neither had discovered anything abnormal about the Cultural Palace.
Li Banfeng cradled Mengde in his palm. "Could this black market possibly be constructed out of a dream?"
Mengde shook his head repeatedly. "Who could possess such vast ability to weave so grand a dream?"
Li Banfeng said, "This dream might not even count as grand. The dream in the Dream-Tethering Tower is vastly larger."
Wait, he could not jump to conclusions.
Li Banfeng had wandered through many areas in the Dream-Tethering Tower alongside the Old Train, which was why he felt it was immense.
Yet how large the Cultural Palace truly was remained unknown to Li Banfeng. In his impression, the third floor used to contain only conference rooms and offices, but now that Tang Changfa had moved, the third floor had private boxes as well.
Between Lin Fojiao and Meng Qian, who was truly stronger was impossible to say.
Why not just ask Lin Fojiao directly?
Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling, took out an oil canvas, and painted a portrait of Meng Qian using Western painting techniques.
Once finished, Li Banfeng asked his lady wife, "How did I do with this portrait?"
His wife studied it for a moment, nodding repeatedly. "This person is Zuo Wugang, isn't he? I've heard my dear husband mention that when he worked as an enforcer, he was bold and ferocious enough. Husband truly captured his spirit..."
Li Banfeng grabbed a cloth and turned the oil painting facedown.
Painting was hopeless; better to write. Li Banfeng opened the Scroll of Beauties, intending to find a suitable woman as a template to compose a description of Meng Qian.
Flipping through a few pages, he actually found a fitting one. The original text read:
*A maiden named A'qian, possessing the beauty of an immortal descending into the mortal coil.*
*Cold as an icy soul submerged in a frigid pool, ethereal as a solitary swan fading into the azure vastness.*
*Eyebrows like distant spring mountains shrouded in mist and haze; eyes holding autumn waters where stars conceal themselves and clouds descend.*
*Before crimson lips part, a thousand words are sealed behind pearlescent teeth; with a faint brush of plain sleeves, all seven emotions are gathered into the Moon Palace.*
*Moving like drifting wind whirling snow, pausing like thin mist congealing frost.*
*Leaning against stone to watch the clouds, gazing into pools to mirror her reflection, in idle moments she displays the divine grace of Mount Gushe.*
*Holding a flower in silence, drinking alone beneath the moon, amid distant solitude she conceals the tender allure of the River Goddess.*
*Silken black tresses cascade like waterfalls unadorned by jade, blessed naturally with celestial light for pins and rings.*
*Silk garments trail the earth untouched by dust, requiring no gold-threaded embroidered gowns.*
This passage was quite good; he could adapt it directly. Li Banfeng lifted his brush, dipped it in ink, recalled Meng Qian's likeness, and pondered for a long time.
How should he change it?
Did this... even need changing?
Li Banfeng felt every single word was completely spot on.
*A maiden named A'qian...*
This appeared to be describing Meng Qian herself.
Was Meng Qian in the Scroll of Beauties as well?
Could she truly be mentioned in the same breath as his lady wife?
Li Banfeng found it hard to believe. He transcribed the description of Meng Qian, carried it out into the courtyard, and sprinkled a drop of blood.
A woman rose from the paper—features well-proportioned, expression languid, dressed in plain white. She sat quietly beside Li Banfeng, staring blankly into space.
The one who stepped out was indeed Meng Qian.
Looking identical alone proved nothing. When Li Banfeng employed the technique of the Golden House of Concealed Beauties, the image he constructed in his mind had been Meng Qian.
Did this "Meng Qian" possess Dream Cultivator arts?
Li Banfeng scrutinized the written description, finding nothing related to dream cultivation.
Should he add a little something?
While Li Banfeng was formulating his phrasing, the whole household fixed their eyes on Meng Qian, watching intently and with total absorption.
Quietly, the glove rubbed its fingers together. "This woman is by no means inferior to the mistress of the house!"
The projector lit its lens. "Still different from our lady mistress. After all, one gets tired of looking at our lady mistress—"
The clock pendulum struck the projector. The projector paid it no heed, its lens remaining fixed on Meng Qian.
Zhao Xiaowan tapped the projector. "What did you just say you were tired of looking at?"
The projector spun around, aiming its lens at Zhao Xiaowan. "A woman crafted through techniques possesses no soul; I grow weary of looking at her in a single glance! But our venerable lady mistress, I could never tire of gazing upon her!"
Zhao Xiaowan walked over to the woman, looked her up and down, and smiled. "Darling husband, is this person Meng Qian?"
Li Banfeng said, "I fashioned this using Golden House of Concealed Beauties. She looks essentially identical to Meng Qian. Do you know her, my lady?"
Zhao Xiaowan shook her head. "I don't know her, but I have heard of her. Among the younger generation of Dream Cultivators, Meng Qian achieved remarkable heights. Only, she defected to the Inner States at a young age, so her reputation in Puluo Province isn't very good."
"What was her reason for defecting to the Inner States?"
His wife pondered for a moment. "There are many accounts regarding this. Some say she went to the Inner States in search of wealth and rank, but that claim doesn't hold water. The Inner States did grant her an official post, but not even a noble title. With her cultivation, she had no shortage of wealth and rank in Puluo Province.
"Others say she went to the Inner States to hide from enemies. Truth be told, who becomes an outstanding hero of their generation in Puluo Province without making a few enemies? There was no need to flee so far.
"Opinions vary, but her defection to the Inner States is a confirmed fact. Because of this, she found it difficult to gain a foothold in Puluo Province, and recent news about her is scarce."
As she spoke, his wife hooked a finger beneath "Meng Qian's" chin.
"Meng Qian" sat woodenly. There was resistance, annoyance, and dodging, but none of it was strongly expressed.
The wine gourd observed Meng Qian's state and gave a slight wobble. "Little brother, this falls a bit short."
His wife smiled. "Husband, you merely copied down the description from the Scroll of Beauties. Without putting in the effort, you naturally cannot produce a good charming beauty."
Li Banfeng picked up the Scroll of Beauties and read it once more. "I don't know much about Meng Qian either. I can't just fabricate things out of thin air, can I?"
His wife said, "Fabricating out of thin air wouldn't hurt. It's just like forging weapons. Even if the materials are chosen, whether you cast a saber or a sword still depends on my husband's intention."
Li Banfeng understood her meaning. As long as it did not severely contradict his own understanding, he could incorporate plenty of invention into the description of Meng Qian.
After lifting the brush, Li Banfeng set it back down.
He studied Meng Qian for another few moments. "Being wooden is actually quite fine. A little touch-up is enough."
By afternoon, Li Banfeng phoned Tang Changfa. "Tonight, the three of you rest at home. I'll run the stall at the cinema."
Tang Changfa was terrified. "Shopkeeper, that won't do! How could we let you handle this labor?"
"Just for tonight. It's settled."
Hanging up the receiver, Li Banfeng summoned Meng Qian and tidied her up once more.
"Just let him get a single look. Any more and I fear giving it away. One look is enough!"
At eleven o'clock that night, Lin Fojiao got out of bed, washed up, changed clothes, and sat behind his office desk, dozing.
At midnight sharp, the black market opened on time.
At a quarter past midnight, Lin Fojiao snapped his eyes open, sweat instantly drenching his cheeks.
He had experienced a nightmare: an exquisitely gorgeous woman dressed in white had appeared in the Cultural Palace.
This woman was someone he clearly recognized.
Lin Fojiao stepped out of his office, first standing in the corridor and glancing in both directions.
Then he walked toward the door of a luxurious private box. Just as he was debating whether to enter, the door swung open, and Li Banfeng made a gesture inviting him inside.
Lin Fojiao entered the box, sat on the sofa, and swept his eyes around the room. "Seventh Master, running the stall in person tonight?"
The tea had just finished brewing. Li Banfeng poured a cup for Lin Fojiao. "A friend came to visit tonight, so I came over to entertain her."
"Seventh Master, this friend of yours doesn't seem like someone who ought to come to the Outer States, does she?" Lin Fojiao fixed his gaze on Li Qi, and Li Qi felt a wave of chill.
He was not afraid of danger, and it was certainly far better than Lin Fojiao's usual drowsy state.
"Boss Lin, can you explain the reason behind this? Why can't Meng Qian come to the Outer States?" Li Banfeng laid the matter bare.
Holding the teacup lid, Lin Fojiao gently stirred the tea. "It's not that I won't let her come; she simply doesn't have the nerve to come. But if Seventh Master lent her that nerve, that would be a different story."
Li Banfeng smiled. "Where would I get so much nerve to lend her? Boss Lin makes me sleep when you want me to sleep, and wakes me when you want me awake. Before Boss Lin, even I have to tread cautiously when speaking."
Lin Fojiao tapped the water droplets off the teacup lid. "Seventh Master takes offense. Anyone who comes here to do business, buyer or seller alike, remains half-dreaming and half-awake. That is Lin's rule."
Li Banfeng raised his cup and took a sip. "Words spoken in dreams don't count. That is Li's rule."
Lin Fojiao gave a slight nod. "Then an exception will be made this once. From now on, in this domain of mine, Seventh Master certainly won't be made to sleep."
Li Banfeng said, "Then pray enlighten me, Boss Lin: how exactly did I fall asleep?"
Lin Fojiao stood, pulled back the curtains, and revealed a glass curtain wall. From the outside, the curtain wall was invisible, but from inside, one could clearly view the cinema screen through the glass.
"Anyone who comes to do business will fall into a dream the moment they watch the movie here."
Watch the film first, then talk business—that was the rule of the Cultural Palace black market. Li Banfeng connected the dots. "I didn't watch the movie last night; I went straight to your office."
Lin Fojiao asked, "What movie was playing last night?"
Li Banfeng recalled, "A comedy."
Lin Fojiao said, "Seventh Master, that proves you still saw it."
Li Banfeng had the glove draw the curtains closed. "Boss Lin, since you've told me the truth, I won't hide anything from you either. Meng Qian hasn't entered your domain. I merely crafted a puppet earlier."
The two exchanged glances for a moment, and each broke into a faint smile. The chill in the box gradually dispersed.
"Now that sincerity has been shown, let's talk business." Li Banfeng intended to order three hundred suits of armor and ten Wuchong Fuxu fighting chariots from Lin Fojiao.
"Seventh Master has remarkable boldness. With such a massive quantity, I will need some time to prepare the goods."
"That's fine. Let's settle on the price first."
Once they agreed on the price, Lin Fojiao produced a contract and laid it before Li Banfeng.
Glancing at the sheet, Li Banfeng found it familiar. "Is this covenant paper?"
Lin Fojiao nodded. "The rules of Puluo Province—we both understand them."
The two pricked their fingertips and pressed their prints. Li Banfeng asked, "Boss Lin, are you from Puluo Province?"
Lin Fojiao replied, "I was in the past, but it's hard to say now."
"Can you tell me the reason?"
"I think life inside a dream is quite fine, but the peddler could not tolerate me." Lin Fojiao's eyelids drooped; he was growing weary once more. "Seventh Master, trains are currently halted between the Outer States and Puluo Province. Delivering the goods might prove somewhat troublesome."
"The trains will resume shortly. You need not worry about that."
Lin Fojiao left the box holding the covenant deed and returned to his office.
Li Banfeng collected the contract, packed up the stall, and headed through the night to Santoucha.
Qiu Zhiheng had been waiting for word from Li Banfeng. The underground city housed many Outer States enterprises whose products were sold exclusively to the Outer States. With the railway severed, these companies were all waiting to ship out their freight.
Ma the Fifth had already tested the railway; the train could successfully cross the boundary between the Outer States and Puluo Province. Once this batch of cargo was shipped out, the train could haul back the armor and fighting chariots on its return trip. The prerequisite for all of this, however, was that the Border Defense Bureau did not cause trouble.
The Border Defense Bureau, which had once controlled Puluo Province to a certain degree, now retained only this single foothold in Santoucha. Yet in this territory, the Border Defense Bureau commanded the Sinless Army and controlled Sinners' City. At present, Liao Zihui maintained his office inside Sinners' City.
To evade the celestial light, Liao Zihui's office was situated underground, devoid of windows and stripped of any distinction between day and night.
By three in the morning, Liao Zihui was still awake. Sitting beside his desk, he used a gramophone to play one old song after another.
After a rendition of "Roses Everywhere in Bloom," Li Banfeng switched the record and put on "Love and Passion."
This old song was a favorite of both Li Banfeng and Liao Zihui.
Seeing Li Qi seated opposite him, Liao Zihui showed neither surprise nor tension.
He handed over the rosters of both Sinners' City and the Sinless Army to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng accepted the rosters and asked, "Have you received documentation from the higher-ups?"
Liao Zihui shook his head. "The higher-ups won't issue documents lightly, but they are fully aware of what's happening."
"Brother Liao, I don't want you to take the fall for this."
Liao Zihui gave a bitter laugh. "I'm destined to take the fall. But out of respect for you, they won't make things too difficult for me. At most, they'll force me into early retirement.
"Retirement isn't bad either. I'm looking forward to enjoying good days in Xiaoyaowu."
"Alright! When the time comes, I'll visit Xiaoyaowu to show you support."
Liao Zihui put on a protective suit. "Then today, I'll show you support right here in Sinners' City. Let's do the handover on-site."
The two came above ground. Liao Zihui said, "I arrived in Santoucha by train. Aside from the train, there is currently no way to cross the boundary."
A'yu had become Li Banfeng's house spirit, rendering all of the Outer States' equipment for crossing the boundary useless.
Liao Zihui led Li Banfeng to the square at the center of Sinners' City and said to him, "Now I can't even control the trains. Where you take them depends entirely on your disposition. My suggestion is to keep them in Sinners' City."
Li Banfeng looked at the dormitories of Sinners' City. Every building was completely identical, with windows as tiny as could be and iron doors fitted with iron locks, serving as constant reminders of one fact: this was a place for sinners to live.
Behind the iron doors, pairs of eyes peered out quietly. They did not know who had arrived, but seeing personnel from the Border Defense Bureau, none dared sleep. Some among them were very likely facing punishment; the higher the status of the visitor, the harsher the penalty would be.
Liao Zihui first ordered his subordinates to unlock the dormitories.
The iron doors swung open, but the dormitories remained deathly silent. Not a single person dared step out.
Holding a megaphone, Liao Zihui shouted loudly, "Starting today, the Border Defense Bureau officially transfers all administrative authority over Sinners' City and all sinners within the city to the Comprehensive Institute for Equilibrium Work.
"The determination of guilt and the sentencing of prison terms for all sinners within the city will be reviewed and re-examined by the Comprehensive Institute for Equilibrium Work.
"Next, Director Li will address everyone."
Liao Zihui handled the matter exceedingly well. He was merely transferring administrative authority from one institution to another; when taking the fall in the future, the pressure he faced would be far lighter.
The staff had prepared a loudspeaker for Li Banfeng as well. Li Banfeng held the megaphone, waited for a long time, and spoke a single sentence: "You are not guilty."
The voice lingered above Sinners' City. Unsure if they had heard clearly, the dormitories remained entirely silent.
After waiting another moment, Li Banfeng spoke a second sentence: "Follow me."
He lowered the megaphone and walked toward the main gates of Sinners' City.
He walked alone at the front. After covering half a street, a few bold three-headed people finally followed him out, walking behind Li Banfeng toward the main gate.
After crossing one street, more than a hundred people followed in his wake.
After crossing a second street, a long procession trailed behind Li Banfeng.
Arriving at the gate, the staff members were still awaiting Liao Zihui's order to open up. Li Banfeng simply used his Tang dao to slice through the mechanical bolt and pushed open the steam-driven city gates by hand.
*Thump! Thump!*
Outside the gates, a group of three-headed people was beating drums—the great drums unique to Sinners' City.
The people inside recognized them. They were the ones who had previously followed Li Qi out of Sinners' City.
The great drums of Sinners' City were sounded under only two circumstances.
First, they were beaten at New Year's, representing Sinners' City's hopes for life.
Second, they were beaten when life became unlivable, representing Sinners' City's struggle for survival.
It was not New Year's now. They beat the great drums with all their might, waiting to depart alongside their kin.
Yet the three-headed people inside the city dared not emerge. A boundary encircled Sinners' City; the moment one stepped over it, they would be reduced to ash. This was common knowledge in Sinners' City—a piece of knowledge etched into everyone's mind from birth to death.
Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat and took a step toward the boundary.
Some of the three-headed people wanted to follow, but having extended a foot, they pulled it back.
Juanzi shouted from the crowd, "Follow Seventh Master!"
Xiaoshan shouted, "Come out! Once we're out, we're not guilty anymore!"
Mengzi said nothing, snatching up drumsticks and beating the drum with all his might.
Li Banfeng crossed the boundary, standing outside the city completely unscathed.
He turned and waited for the three-headed people inside, watching them walk out of the city one by one.
At first, they did their best to leap across the boundary line on the ground. As the crowd grew denser, they abandoned their reservations and trampled directly over the boundary.
The three-headed people who exited gathered together. They searched, they questioned, asking all around who had set them free.
Juanzi dared not step forward to explain, not daring to get too close; she only had one head left now.
Tu Heng shouted to the crowd, "It's Seventh Master! Seventh Master came to save us!"
"Which one is Seventh Master?" They still did not recognize Li Banfeng.
Once all the three-headed people inside Sinners' City had arrived outside, Li Banfeng vanished silently into the crowd.
From the gold nugget in his pocket came A'yu's voice: "You can truly walk away just like that? Walking away from such immense gratitude without a word?"
Li Banfeng said, "This doesn't count as immense gratitude. I promised to rescue them, so I had to make good on my word. They are human beings, and they ought to live like human beings."
A'yu snorted coldly. "Don't go forgetting my share of the credit! If I hadn't retracted the boundary in advance, how could they have made it out?
"You've gained so much human sentiment this time. If it's enough, hurry back and advance your cultivation. I'll teach you the technique of Mystic Light Slaying Evil."
Li Banfeng glanced up at the sky over Sinners' City, constantly feeling as though celestial light might fall at any moment.
"Was the celestial light in Santoucha also created by the Heavenly Maiden?"
A'yu huffed. "If the Heavenly Maiden had that kind of ability, would she have been beaten to such a state by the peddler? The celestial light in Santoucha is called true celestial light; it has nothing to do with the Heavenly Maiden. When the Heavenly Maiden created the technique of Mystic Light Slaying Evil back then, it was because she was inspired by the true celestial light."
Chapter 787