Chapter 367: Enough Courage, Then Come

Puff! Puff!

The train pulled into Blackstone Hill Station. There had been many train services these past two days, keeping the station staff very busy.

After Cheng Mingke left, transportation in Blackstone Hill returned to normal. Factories of all sizes, eager to ship their goods, frantically vied for freight cars, and large quantities of grain were quickly transported into Blackstone City.

Order had been restored in Blackstone Hill, but what about the previous child abduction incidents?

The Jiangxiang Gang was responsible for this. The Security Bureau's notice clearly stated they had no dealings with the Jiangxiang Gang and would vigorously eradicate them in Blackstone Hill in the future. Of course, these pronouncements were ignored by the residents of Blackstone Hill. They only remembered a benefactor who helped them find their children and even provided them with rice.

Blackstone Hill quickly reverted to a peaceful and joyful life. This was evident in newspaper sales; after the newspaper office reopened, "Tuberose" consistently sold very well.

However, the hatred towards the Jiangxiang Gang would not be forgotten. Major newspapers had just begun their denouncement campaigns against them. Many old cases were unearthed, and almost every newspaper featured a special column on the Jiangxiang Gang.

Stacks of newspapers were placed before Xiao Zhenggong. He briefly flipped through them and asked Shen Jingye, the director of the Dark Star Bureau, "Why are you showing me this?"

Shen Jingye replied, "I wanted to remind you that the Jiangxiang Gang's situation isn't looking good. If this faction wishes to continue existing in Prolix Province, it must undergo some changes."

Xiao Zhenggong asked in surprise, "How can it change? The Jiangxiang Gang has relied on these businesses for its livelihood since its establishment. If these businesses are gone, how will we communicate with the Saints? How will we balance the relationship between Prolix Province and other provinces?"

"We have our methods. Your traditional approaches must also undergo some changes."

"Tell me, what kind of changes are possible?"

Shen Jingye said, "The plan is still being finalized. We will inform you once it's confirmed."

Xiao Zhenggong had already guessed part of it; they intended to continue eroding the Jiangxiang Gang. Recalling the process of using the Balance Seal, Xiao Zhenggong had, in others' eyes, become a joke. He had handed over five halls to the Security Envoy. Three other halls were destroyed, but by whom remains unclear to this day. The Jiangxiang Gang, which originally operated in the shadows, was now pushed into the open, universally denounced.

But what did Xiao Zhenggong gain? He only received a mass of flesh and blood, claimed to be He Jiaqing's, but its authenticity could not be verified. The He family's assets had been frozen for a period. To dissociate themselves from the Jiangxiang Gang, and under pressure, the Security Envoy unfroze the He family's assets.

Was that the end of it? Not yet.

Shen Jingye stated, "We've carefully considered the He family's attitude towards you. From the perspective of your safety, it's indeed time to take some necessary action."

Xiao Zhenggong didn't understand. "What does that mean?"

"We've decided to eliminate He Yuxiu in the name of the Jiangxiang Gang. He Yuxiu is currently the head of the He family; eliminating her will greatly deter the He family and also provide you with more security."

"Provide *me* with security?" Xiao Zhenggong laughed aloud. What an artful way of speaking. Xiao Zhenggong knew that He Yuxiu had been in conflict with the Security Envoy ever since she became the family head.

"You want to get rid of He Yuxiu and then make the Jiangxiang Gang take the blame, don't you?"

Shen Jingye offered no explanation. "The restriction period for the Balance Seal has passed. You are now free to act. I'll remind you again: you can continue working in the Public Security Brigade, but I advise you to choose another position."

Xiao Zhenggong remained silent, stood up, and left the office.

Back home, Xiao Zhenggong sat on the sofa. Two young women prepared hot water, tested the temperature, and helped him bathe. In the bedroom, Xiao Zhenggong dismissed the two women, lay on the bed, and stared silently at the ceiling.

The white clothes hanging on the rack spoke, "Senior Brother, you didn't have to invest so much. You should have listened to me at the hospital and eliminated He Jiaqing. Now you've used the Balance Seal, severely depleting your vitality, and a large portion of the Jiangxiang Gang has been taken by other provinces. You've suffered a huge loss in this endeavor."

Xiao Zhenggong replied, "This is all I'm capable of. Go report back to Master, since He Jiaqing is dead anyway."

The white clothes sighed, "I will certainly report truthfully, but whether Master decides to reward or punish is not for me to decide."

The next evening, the white clothes quietly left the residence. Xiao Zhenggong drove to the Dark Star Bureau. He never worked on time, but today was special; it was his day on duty. Zhong Er was on duty with him again today. Xiao Zhenggong knew he couldn't get rid of him, so he ignored him and just sat in his office.

As it neared midnight, Xiao Zhenggong lit a cigar. The strong scent of smoke wafted over, and Zhong Er rubbed his nose but didn't seem too bothered. Amidst the swirling smoke, Xiao Zhenggong's figure had already drifted to the staircase. Zhong Er didn't see this. In his line of sight, Xiao Zhenggong still appeared to be sitting in his office.

Xiao Zhenggong went down the stairs to the archives again, searched through several rows of shelves, and finally found the document—the one about the boundary line.

The Jiangxiang Gang was soon no longer Xiao Zhenggong's. So what? Was the Jiangxiang Gang important? He Jiaqing had brazenly challenged him, the Saints had pressed him from behind, and the white clothes had personally come to supervise. This whole affair needed an explanation. But Xiao Zhenggong didn't want to demand this explanation himself; he didn't want to lose his position in the Public Security Brigade. He used the Balance Seal to put on a show for the Saints. Controlling the boundary line would mean controlling everything in Prolix Province.

Li Banfeng ordered a bowl of lamb noodles at a noodle shop. The place was affordable, with generous portions of noodles and meat. Many workers came here after their shifts to eat; for a worker who had toiled all day, a bowl of noodles, a lamb bone, and a bowl of wine were a reward for themselves. Perhaps it wasn't a lavish meal, but it tasted delicious. He couldn't get enough of Blackstone Hill.

After eating his fill, Li Banfeng wandered around the city. Passing by a jewelry stall, he squatted down and picked out a few pieces. The jade bracelets were made of stone, and the gold necklaces were made of copper. He bought over ten pieces for less than a hundred Huan State notes. Li Banfeng knew perfectly well the quality of these items, but his wife simply loved them. Previously, in Greenwater City, Li Banfeng had spent two hundred silver dollars to have two golden hairpins made for his wife. She picked them up with a sewing needle and promptly threw them into the junk cabinet, disliking their lack of vibrancy. The items from the roadside stalls were colorful and flamboyant. She wouldn't feel bad if they got damaged, and his wife would spend a long time playing with each piece she picked up. Hong Ying always teased his wife for being vulgar. What's wrong with being a little vulgar? The vibrant reds and greens were quite pleasing to Li Banfeng's eyes.

After selecting the items, Li Banfeng offered to pay, but the girl selling the jewelry refused to take the money. "Why wouldn't she accept it?" The girl stared at Li Banfeng for a long time, then lowered her voice and said, "You're the Benefactor, aren't you? My family received your rice." Li Banfeng dropped two Huan State notes, grabbed the items, and left.

He couldn't stay in Blackstone Hill any longer. If people discovered that the Benefactor was Boss Ye, things would get troublesome.

Back at the newspaper office, Li Banfeng had Bai Qiusheng help him prepare a travel permit, and he went to the train station that very evening. Upon reaching the ticket gate, Li Banfeng came back out. Today, travel permit checks were extremely strict. Everyone's name was repeatedly questioned. Why were names being repeatedly questioned? Could it be that Virtue Cultivation Artifact? Li Banfeng never used his real name for travel permits. If he truly encountered a Virtue Cultivation Artifact, it would be a huge problem.

It seemed the previous events hadn't entirely blown over. Shortly after leaving the train station, Li Banfeng felt like he was being watched. Why would I be targeted? Was it because I suddenly left just before inspection? This action was indeed suspicious, but as a seventh-level Dwelling Cultivator, he wouldn't normally attract attention unless someone happened to spot him. Could there be another possibility—that my attire aroused suspicion? A black suit, a black top hat, with the brim pulled extremely low. The Security Bureau might be targeting people dressed similarly.

I need to change clothes. Li Banfeng found a secluded spot and returned to his Portable Dwelling. Inside the dwelling, Li Banfeng pondered which clothes would be suitable. A white suit? A gray suit? In Blackstone Hill, it was best not to wear a suit anymore. He had once commissioned a sky-blue long gown in Greenwater City but later found it troublesome to wear and left it mostly untouched in the third room. Upon reaching the third room, Li Banfeng changed into the long gown, put on a gray-white top hat, tossed his suit onto the floor, and pondered his next move.

Hide at the newspaper office for a while? No. The newspaper office had previously clashed with the Security Bureau and was probably also being watched. Return via the New Land? That would be quite difficult. Elder Yao's map didn't indicate Blackstone Hill's location, so Li Banfeng wouldn't know how to navigate once he reached the New Land. Moreover, the New Land in Blackstone Hill had left a severe shadow on Li Banfeng; last time, while searching for the New Land, he inadvertently stumbled into Dreamweaver Tower. Are there any other options? Prepare a package himself and have someone from the newspaper office send it out. This approach seemed secure but was not suitable now. He had already considered it: the newspaper office was likely being watched. If someone from the newspaper office went to the station, and the train didn't leave or the package was confiscated, Li Banfeng's situation would become dangerous.

As he pondered, he suddenly heard a rustling sound from inside the suit. Li Banfeng thought it was his gloves. He lifted the suit and saw a small iron box slide out of an inner pocket. The iron box contained a screw given by Elder Tang. Li Banfeng didn't lack hidden weapons, and this item had been on him, unused. Unexpectedly, as soon as the box touched the ground, it vanished into it.

Li Banfeng exclaimed in astonishment, "Old fellow, what are you doing with my screw?"

"Good stuff!" the Portable Dwelling exclaimed.

"What's good about it? What's its use?"

The Portable Dwelling did not reply. Something given by the local deity of Blackstone Hill should be considered a treasure, yet it was just swallowed by the dwelling. It's fine if it swallowed it; I wasn't using it anyway, and at least no one else benefited from it. Since the dwelling acquired something good, he figured his luck would improve.

As he pondered, Li Banfeng noticed another item had slipped out of his suit. It was a mechanism he had obtained from a subordinate of the Jiangxiang Gang's hall master during their encounter. Is this thing useful?

Li Banfeng had an idea!

Late at night, Li Banfeng, holding a map of Blackstone Hill, wearing the sky-blue long gown and the gray-white top hat, raced northward through Blackstone Hill. He passed through the city, crossed the suburbs, and after more than three hours, reached the Blackstone Hill border. Like other familiar border lines, it was a single line stretching endlessly in both directions, with no vegetation around it.

Li Banfeng took out the mechanism, pulled the lever, but saw no reaction on the border line. He threw a branch across. The moment it flew over the border line, it turned to ash. It seemed he had overthought it. The "boundary line" and the "border line" didn't seem to be the same kind of thing; at least, this remote control wasn't universal.

Returning to his Portable Dwelling, Li Banfeng continued to strategize when he suddenly heard an old voice whisper in his ear, "Come to the third room, I'll help you modify it." It was the voice of the Portable Dwelling. Modify what? The remote control? It could modify this too?

Li Banfeng went into the third room and placed the remote control on the ground. Similar to what happened with the screw, the remote control was quickly swallowed by the ground. After waiting for over an hour, the remote control reappeared from the ground. Li Banfeng picked it up and saw no changes from before.

"Can this thing be used on the border line?"

The voice of the Portable Dwelling spoke again: "That depends on whether you're brave enough."