Chapter 500: Waiting for Me

Liao Zihui and Li Banfeng sealed their agreement: in ten days, Li Banfeng would assume his post as a Balancer in Yuezhou.

Li Banfeng was still curious, wondering why it had to be Yuezhou and not another city. Liao Zihui explained, "Because Yuezhou is the closest large city to the entrance of Puluozhou, and the Dark Star Bureau's headquarters are located there. Before a Balancer takes office, they must report to the headquarters first. Brother Li, if you'd rather not work at the headquarters, I can arrange a position elsewhere for you. The rank would certainly be high. Of course, you could also opt for a lower position in exchange for better information channels, like Xiao Zhengong. The Security Team is a frontline department of the Dark Star Bureau, so they certainly know more."

That same day, Liao Zihui fulfilled his first promise by lifting the travel restrictions on Ye Songqiao.

With Ye Songqiao now accessible, Li Banfeng didn't rush back to Lushui City. He had many things to do there, most importantly building a train station. This was Li Banfeng's territory, and a station was essential. His portable residence, Suishenju, had considered building a station before, but at that time, Li Banfeng wasn't familiar with Ye Songqiao's territory, so the location hadn't been chosen. After exploring the area for some time, Li Banfeng had a good understanding of the visible parts of Ye Songqiao. After comparing options, he decided to build the station on Mount Ye Qingshan.

Mount Ye Qingshan was a famous scenic spot, attracting many visitors, so building a station there carried the risk of exposure. However, Li Banfeng had carefully inspected the mountain and found many secluded spots, including a cavern that was difficult to find, hard to traverse, and easy to get lost in. This place wasn't absolutely safe, but nowhere in the world was. Building the station here kept it closer to the contract, allowing for a timely response if anything went wrong.

Precious Heart Stone was too hard to find, so a large station was unrealistic. The "joyful earth" that the old train had exchanged for a small station back in Xindi now came in handy. Speaking of the joyful earth, Li Banfeng felt a pang of regret. "It's all going towards the station! What will I use to dote on my wife later? We must save some!" The gramophone quickly chimed in, "Husband, you can't save any! Building the station is serious business; we can't cut corners."

While Suishenju worked on the station, Li Banfeng contacted Luo Zhengnan, asking him to come to Ye Songqiao. Ye Songqiao's territory was vast, far larger than what met the eye. Since it was his own domain, it needed to be thoroughly investigated. Among Li Banfeng's subordinates, Luo Zhengnan was currently the only one who could detect hidden spaces.

As soon as Luo Zhengnan arrived, Ma Wu, He Yuxiu, Xiao Yeci, and Lu Chunying also appeared. Upon learning that Ye Songqiao's transportation had resumed, their first thought was to find Li Qi. They were all delighted to see Li Qi safe and sound, but their optimism waned when they heard he was going to an Outer State.

"Seventh Brother, you can't go," He Yuxiu strongly objected. "If you're alone in an Outer State and they bear ill will and try to harm you, who will help you there?" Xiao Yeci added, "Sister Xiu is right; it's just too difficult to be alone out there!" Lu Chunying predicted, "I estimate that even if Seventh Brother survives this trip, they'll likely put him under house arrest, and it'll be hard for him to return."

Everyone disagreed with Li Banfeng's departure, except for Ma Wu, who proposed an alternative. "You can agree to the Bureau of Defense, but you don't have to go yourself. We can find someone to go in your place." This sounded like a joke; how could they simply find a substitute when the Outer State had specifically requested Li Qi? Yet, it wasn't a joke. Given Li Qi and Ma Wu's current strength, finding a substitute was entirely feasible. The most suitable candidate would be a play cultivator, who could perfectly mimic his appearance. As for internal qualities, a few days of training could teach them a similar demeanor, enough to manage for a while in the Outer State.

But Li Banfeng refused. First, he had already signed a contract with Liao Zihui. If the deception were exposed, it would ignite a war between Puluozhou and the Outer State, and Li Banfeng would suffer backlash from the contract. Second, Li Banfeng had a crucial objective in becoming a Balancer: he needed to find a way to break the boundary and create an opportunity for Puluozhou, a task he couldn't entrust to anyone else. Third, the Outer State's Balancers sacrificed Puluozhou's interests to balance relations between the Outer and Inner States. This flawed system needed to be changed, and Li Banfeng intended to help them change it.

Li Banfeng had to go to the Outer State, but the situation in Puluozhou also needed to be maintained. He instructed everyone, "After I go to the Outer State, if disputes arise among you, try your best to exercise restraint and tolerance towards each other." Lu Chunying assured him, "Seventh Brother, don't worry. We share a bond of life-and-death friendship; there are no irreconcilable grievances between us." He Yuxiu remained silent, as did Ma Wu. Li Banfeng knew very well that while their friendship was real, it wasn't entirely reliable. With Li Qi present, each faction would show deference, not entirely out of friendship for him, but more out of respect for his strength. Before any conflict erupted, no one knew which side Li Qi would take, so they had to think twice before acting. However, once Li Qi was no longer in Puluozhou, friction due to conflicting interests would be unavoidable. If the Inner or Outer States intervened, it was hard to say when a violent clash might occur.

Conflicts and friction were inevitable, so Li Banfeng made only one demand: "If you truly decide to fight one day, notify me in advance. If anyone keeps it a secret, don't blame me for turning against them!" Everyone agreed. Next, Li Banfeng had to give Ma Wu some private instructions, mainly concerning business matters. There was no need to elaborate on other businesses; Ma Wu managed them all impeccably. The only problem was Ye Songqiao. Every time he went to Ye Songqiao, Ma Wu wore "disgust" on his face. This couldn't be blamed on Ma Wu; Ye Songqiao was indeed off-putting. Every shop was a century-old establishment, and if you asked a merchant, their ancestors had been in the same business. There was nothing fresh or new in Ye Songqiao; it was always the same goods, the same prices. Doing business there meant you could calculate a hundred years of profit in advance. Ma Wu naturally detested such a place.

Yet, Li Banfeng still wanted Ma Wu to make Ye Songqiao's business successful. Ma Wu was helpless. "Seventh Brother, Seven Autumn City's business is becoming more respectable, and Loess Bridge's business is gradually improving. When I put effort into these places, I can at least see changes. Why do you insist I focus on Ye Songqiao? What's the reason?" How could he explain it? That he had reached the "cloud" level and needed popularity, and Ma Wu had to help him develop Ye Songqiao? He couldn't say it directly. Li Qi's explanation was, "I've checked the feng shui; Ye Songqiao's market is about to boom. We can't miss such a good opportunity." Ma Wu agreed; he would comply with anything Li Qi asked of him.

Li Banfeng gave a few more minor instructions. After Suishenju finished the station, Li Banfeng visited Fool's City. Some business could be left to Ma Wu, but some still needed his personal attention. Li Banfeng gave Tang Changfa ten thousand silver dollars: "While I'm away, live well and don't let anyone suffer injustice." Tang Changfa didn't understand Li Banfeng's meaning. Yan Qinger cautiously asked, "Shopkeeper, are you abandoning us?" "What nonsense! I'm just going on a long trip and will be back soon. Where's our city lord?" Yan Hong'er replied, "The city lord brought back two helpers from outside, one named Ah Gui and the other Ah Huang. He's often taken them out to handle matters recently, but we don't know what they're doing specifically." Li Banfeng had met Ah Gui, but who was Ah Huang? From the name, he didn't sound like a significant figure.

Leaving Fool's City, Li Banfeng went to Iron Gate Fort. Although Luo Zhengnan had informants there, Li Banfeng was still uneasy about the group of house cultivators. When he met the fort master, Wu Yongchao excitedly recounted the recent battle: "Fort Master, that man named Chen Weixin was driven away. Was that your doing?" Li Banfeng smiled without answering, checked the accounts, left some money for the fort, and called Luo Zhengnan to ask him to keep an eye on them. Luo Zhengnan, still searching for hidden spaces in Ye Songqiao, was very confident when Li Banfeng mentioned Iron Gate Fort: "You don't need to worry about Iron Gate Fort. Other places, maybe, but not here!" Li Banfeng didn't understand Luo Zhengnan's meaning. Luo Zhengnan said, "Some things I can't tell you over the phone, lest someone overhears. When you reach the Outer State, I'll come to see you, and then you'll understand."

Leaving Iron Gate Fort, Li Banfeng visited Medicine King's Gully. Qiu's Pharmacy had opened two branches, and business was booming. Qiu Zhiheng had visited Elder Yao's residence two days prior. "Elder Xu found a master wine cultivator who's treating Elder Yao. I expect Elder Yao will wake up. Brother, since you're going to the Outer State, I have a friend I'd like to introduce you to." Qiu Zhiheng wrote a letter and handed it to Li Banfeng: "This friend is involved in black market dealings. There are many cultivators in the Outer State, but most of them don't reveal their identities. These black market merchants are the ones who deal with them the most. This person is close to me and has a decent temperament. He might be useful in the future." Qiu Zhiheng had been responsible for the Lu family's Outer State business back in the day, so his connections were naturally very reliable.

Leaving Medicine King's Gully, Li Banfeng visited Seven Autumn City, Black Stone Slope, and Loess Bridge, giving instructions everywhere. The ten-day period was finally over.

The night before his departure, Ma Wu hosted a farewell banquet for Li Banfeng at Xiaoyaowu. He asked Jiang Mengting to sing, but she kept crying and couldn't utter a sound. Li Banfeng frowned, "Why are you crying? I'm not not coming back." Jiang Mengting wiped her tears and said, "Master Qi, can I come with you?" Li Banfeng replied, "How can Puluozhou's top singer just casually go to the Outer State? Once I get settled and prepare, I'll arrange a concert tour and invite you to perform then." Jiang Mengting didn't know what a concert tour was, but her tears continued to fall. Li Banfeng comforted her, "Stop crying, sing me a song!"

Jiang Mengting composed herself for a long time, then placed a record on the gramophone and sang "When Will You Return?". "Good flowers don't bloom forever, good times don't last always. Sorrow piles on a smiling brow, tears stain a sash of longing. After tonight's parting, when will you return..." Jiang Mengting's voice was so beautiful. Aside from his "wife," Li Banfeng thought no one sang better, not even Mengde. Li Banfeng lit a cigarette, constantly applauding and cheering for Jiang Mengting. Hearing Li Qi's voice, Jiang Mengting sang even more passionately. When the song ended, she looked towards his seat, but Li Qi was gone. Half a glass of wine remained, and half a cigarette lay beside the glass. Jiang Mengting sat in Li Qi's seat, waiting for a long time, but he never returned. Ma Wu also didn't know where Li Qi went.

At Lushui City train station, Li Qi was already on the platform. He had said he would leave tomorrow, but he bought a ticket for tonight, preferring a quiet departure to a tearful send-off from a crowd. Few people were on the night train. The platform was deserted. Nearby, a few vendors sold late-night snacks. Tangyuan and Dengbao were buying food; they were returning to the Outer State with Li Banfeng. "Master Qi, what would you like to eat?" Tangyuan, used to calling him Master Qi from Xiaoyaowu, blurted out. Li Banfeng glanced around: there was oil tea, eggs, pastries, and instant noodles. Instant noodles... that was uncommon in Puluozhou.

The instant noodle vendor was an old woman. Li Banfeng approached, lowering his voice. "Second Aunt, did you come to see me off?" Kupuopo (Bitter Granny) chuckled, "Big Nephew, just leaving like that? When are you going to repay me for those three trainings you owe me?" "Three trainings? What are you talking about?" Li Banfeng was confused. "Don't want to admit it, huh? I'll let you off tonight, we'll settle accounts later," Kupuopo turned and shouted to a corner of the platform, "Come on!"

Chu Er, wearing rough cloth clothes, approached Li Banfeng, head down, eyes looking up. "Why are you going to the Outer State?" Li Banfeng replied, "Just to go around and see." Chu Er's voice trembled. "I went to Ye Songqiao because I have a grudge against the Bureau of Defense, not to save you. If the Bureau of Defense has any issues, they can come to me. You don't need to bother with my affairs. Don't go to the Outer State." Li Banfeng stared at Chu Er for a moment, still silent.

The train whistle blew; it was about to depart. Chu Er whispered, "Don't go, I'm begging you..." Li Banfeng placed his hand on his fedora, pulling the brim lower. Chu Er looked up, wanting to see Li Banfeng's face one more time. Li Banfeng's hand remained on his hat; he didn't lower it. The train whistled again. Li Banfeng took off his fedora and placed it on Chu Er's head. His movements were gentle, deliberate, and careful. He stared at Chu Er for a long time. Chu Er, wearing the fedora, looked beautiful. Li Banfeng turned and boarded the train.

Chugging sounds. The train began to move. Under the shadow of the hat's brim, Chu Er's tears fell, one by one. The brim seemed to lower slightly, as if unwilling to let others see Chu Er crying.

Inside the carriage, Tangyuan and Dengbao were playing cards. Dengbao knew how to count cards, while Tangyuan played purely by feeling. In less than two hours, Tangyuan had almost lost a month's salary. Li Banfeng continuously looked out the window at the scenery. Dengbao seemed a bit worried. "When I came, Datou told me it's best to keep the curtains closed on train 1160, especially when passing San Tou Cha. You can't look at that place. For someone at my level, looking might cause problems." Tangyuan asked, "Why didn't Datou come back with us?" Dengbao replied, "He applied to stay in Puluozhou for another month, said he had an unfinished mission." Tangyuan was surprised. "What mission?" Dengbao shook his head. "I don't know. Since coming to Puluozhou, I've never known what he's been busy with."

In Lushui City, at the former headquarters of the Jiangxiang Gang, Datou led Xie Juncong to the rockery. Over the past while, Datou had been searching everywhere for He Jiaqing, discovering that He Jiaqing had recently been in contact with Cui Tike. He finally contacted Cui Tike through connections at the Bureau of Defense. Cui Tike, who had just returned from Jianren Gang, provided a clue regarding He Jiaqing's whereabouts: the former Jiangxiang Gang headquarters. This site was now Luo Zhengnan's territory. Xie Juncong had tried searching multiple times but found no useful clues. Now, with Luo Zhengnan in Ye Songqiao and defenses relatively lax, Xie Juncong had called Datou to search together. "There's a secret room under this rockery," Xie Juncong said. "If we don't find it here, there's no need to come back. Luo Zhengnan is not to be trifled with. If he catches us, we won't get away easily." Datou couldn't spot any signs of a secret room. Xie Juncong used various spiritual objects and magic treasures to probe, spending several hours, but still couldn't find the entrance to the secret room. "Forget it, the craftsmanship is too brilliant. I'm stumped. Let's go." Xie Juncong was ready to give up, but Datou insisted he keep searching for a bit longer. After another hour, it was almost dawn. Xie Juncong was determined to leave but suddenly heard some movement. "Someone's in the secret room!" Xie Juncong was startled. He fumbled on the ground, following the sound, then turned to Datou. "There's a brick below that seems to have a crack, but the crack isn't through."

The train reached Haichiling. Li Banfeng and Tangyuan bought a lot of food: steamed buns, fried dough sticks, fried cakes, flatbreads, and potstickers. The two ate and drank heartily, but Dengbao, with dark circles under his eyes, didn't touch a bite. Li Banfeng was curious why Dengbao didn't want to eat at Haichiling and admired his composure. "What's wrong with you? Are you sick?" Dengbao forced a laugh. "No, just tired." Tangyuan snorted, "He deserves it. Earlier, when we passed Kudaikan, I warned him not to open the window. But he went back to his own carriage and secretly opened it." Li Banfeng was surprised and asked Dengbao, "How many times did you 'come'?" Dengbao pursed his lips. "It should be sixteen times." "A twenty-minute stop, and you 'came' sixteen times?" "Kudaikan... it's good," Dengbao closed his eyes, recalling the intensely sweet scent of Kudaikan. Tangyuan glared at Dengbao. "I'm warning you, San Tou Cha is next. Keep your curtains drawn. You absolutely can't look at that place!"

Li Banfeng hadn't been to San Tou Cha in the two years he'd been in Puluozhou. With about a dozen kilometers left to San Tou Cha, the train's announcement system turned on again: "Dear passengers, we are approaching San Tou Cha. Please return to your carriages, do not move around, lower your curtains, and absolutely do not open the windows. If you feel unwell, please contact the crew immediately." Tangyuan stood up. "Master Qi, we're going to our carriage. Please be careful, and it's best to lower your curtains too." Li Banfeng nodded. Tangyuan and Dengbao returned to their respective carriages. There was no way Li Banfeng would lower the curtains; he had to observe closely this time.

Soon, the train entered a tunnel. For a full hour, outside the window was pitch black. After exiting the tunnel, Li Banfeng finally saw some light—not sunlight, but flashing lights, like frequent lightning across the night sky. Was it lightning? No! It was more sustained than lightning, with beams of light falling from the sky, lasting several seconds before disappearing. Li Banfeng was very familiar with these light beams; they were 'heavenly light'. Heavenly light fell frequently, illuminating the forest. Large shadows in the forest approached the train. The train was moving extremely fast; ordinary people couldn't discern the origin of the shadows. But Li Banfeng could: they were people, dense crowds of figures rapidly surging towards the train. These figures were very tall, with three heads on broad shoulders.

A three-headed person jumped onto the train, desperately clinging to the outside of the carriage. Li Banfeng opened the window, wanting to let the three-headed person into the carriage. An iron pole extended from the train roof, poking the three-headed person off the train. All the conductors were on the roof, one by one poking off the three-headed people who climbed onto the train. As the train passed through the forest, the three-headed people disappeared, and the endless wilderness was empty.

After another half hour, the train stopped. The announcement reported the station: "San Tou Cha station. Passengers disembarking here, please gather your luggage and alight promptly. Due to the short stop, passengers not disembarking should remain seated, do not move around, do not open windows, and do not open curtains." Li Banfeng watched the scene outside through his open window. The platform was deserted. Only two passengers disembarked there; no one boarded. At the edge of the platform was an iron fence. Through the gaps in the fence were hands—many pairs of hands reaching in. A crowd of three-headed people was pressed against the outside of the fence, reaching towards the platform. They wore tattered clothes, which could barely be called clothes; they were ragged pieces of cloth that offered minimal cover. Even beggars in Puluozhou wore better. Their hair was disheveled and covered in dust, appearing a bleak gray under the streetlights, contrasting with their dark faces, making it impossible for Li Banfeng to discern their age or even gender. They kept reaching out. What did they want?

Li Banfeng threw all the food from his carriage out the window. The food flew over the platform, over the fence, and landed among the crowd. The three-headed people received the food, with some brief scrambling. But regardless of whether they got food, they all extended their hands through the fence and bowed towards Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng stood by the window, motionless for a long time.

Clang! Clang! A conductor knocked on the door, then pushed it open. "Sir, please close your window." Li Banfeng turned to the conductor, silent. After a moment of eye contact, the conductor lowered his head, retreated outside the carriage, and closed the carriage door. The conductor was terrified. He had great combat power on the train and, by rights, shouldn't feel fear towards anyone. But at that moment, he genuinely felt fear.

The train departed. Li Banfeng continued to watch outside the window. Watching the figures rapidly receding, Li Banfeng muttered, "Wait for me, wait for me!" The train left the station, approaching the boundary between Puluozhou and the Outer State.

Li Banfeng hid his key and returned to Suishenju. Whether Suishenju could cross into the Outer State depended on this moment. The room vibrated slightly. Suishenju was exerting itself. Everyone was nervous. Li Banfeng held the gramophone, which softly sang "Train Song": "Running on flat ground, crossing mountains and rivers, puffing smoke, / Add coal and water, we're on our way, once the train starts, its power is boundless. / Over bridges, through tunnels, iron wheels rolling through dangerous passes, / We fear no hardships, rain or shine, we travel ten thousand rivers without error."

Bang! Suishenju jolted. Hong Ying was scared. "Old Master, can we make it through?" After a long wait, an old voice spoke up. "Is this the Outer State? I think I've been here before." They made it! It was considerably easier than expected. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The gramophone asked, "Old Master, what does the Outer State look like?" "Can't quite describe it. It's not entirely like Puluozhou." Li Banfeng stroked the gramophone's horn. "My dear wife, when we get to our destination, I'll take you out to explore." Suishenju sounded annoyed, "You just go out whenever you want? Are there no rules at home anymore?" Li Banfeng laughed. "Our family is venturing into the Outer State, so we'll need to be more flexible. When I buy some good things to bring back, we can discuss it slowly."

In Lushui City, at the former headquarters of the Jiangxiang Gang, Xie Juncong spent three nights and used dozens of spiritual objects and magic treasures to finally pry open a crack between the bricks. These spiritual objects came not only from the Ghost Hand Sect, but Shen Rongqing also gathered all his brothers' belongings, sending everything usable. Through the crack, a figure, flat as paper, slipped out. The figure lay on the ground for a long time, gradually transforming into the emaciated He Jiaqing.