Chapter 506: What Is Indescribable

Madam spoke again of the Ineffable, a concept Li Banfeng truly had no grasp of.

The phonograph explained, "The so-called Ineffable means not knowing distance, not knowing direction, not knowing length, not knowing size. There are aspects of the Ineffable in all sorts of techniques. When you use 'Traceless Steps,' there's the Ineffable within your footwork. When you use 'Golden House, Hidden Beauty,' there's the Ineffable between life and death. When you use 'Unimpeded Travel,' there's the Ineffable between reality and illusion. And when you use 'Spacious Mansion,' there's the Ineffable between inside and outside."

With the phonograph's explanation, Li Banfeng began to gain some understanding.

The Ineffable is the most crucial aspect of techniques, and also the element within them that cannot be explained.

Madam continued, "Husband, Cloud-level techniques use the Ineffable to its absolute peak. Just now, that impish Hong Ying used the 'Seeking Fortune, Avoiding Disaster' method to predict where you would strike, and moved her ankle in advance, so naturally, you couldn't hit her. This is the profound subtlety of the 'Effortless Freedom' technique. Against a Cloud-level Traveler Cultivator, ordinary combat methods are utterly useless. Even if she stands still, you cannot harm her in the slightest."

In other words, even if Hong Ying stood still, enemies could spray her with machine gun fire, and not hit her. She would simply shift the path of the bullets.

The phonograph continued, "The 'Effortless Freedom' technique isn't just for defense. At her peak, Hong Ying single-handedly fought three Cloud-level Arrow Cultivators. The three were all over a hundred paces from Hong Ying, circling her like lanterns as they fought. Cloud-level Arrow Cultivators can cross through reality and illusion, and their attacks are guaranteed to hit. Even using the 'Effortless Freedom' technique wouldn't allow one to dodge them. At the time, I thought that girl was doomed. I planned to use a technique to hold off the three Arrow Cultivators and give Hong Ying a chance to escape. Unexpectedly, that girl Hong Ying split into three, and with a single strike, killed all three Arrow Cultivators."

Hong Ying hugged the phonograph and rubbed against it, "Xiaowan, you still remember such a small thing."

The phonograph swatted Hong Ying's rear. "Don't cling to me. I'm talking serious business with Husband, not reminiscing about your exploits."

Li Banfeng found it truly strange. "Didn't you say ordinary methods couldn't harm Hong Ying? Yet your swats are so accurate, they never miss."

The phonograph chuckled, "Husband, there's a trick to it. When I swing the board, it's bound to create wind. The sound of the wind varies in pitch and duration, which can disrupt that girl's mind. She can't predict when I'll strike, nor whether I'll hit left or right. That's why she can't dodge me whenever I hit her. But Husband, you mustn't underestimate this technique. Effortless Freedom is the essence of the Traveler Cultivation school."

Li Banfeng carefully considered Madam's previous description. "At a critical juncture, capable of killing three enemies at once—was that a doppelganger technique?"

Hong Ying laughed, "You wouldn't be wrong to call it a doppelganger technique, but it wasn't about creating fake bodies. Instead, I used the 'Effortless Freedom' technique to split a single true body. I killed one Arrow Cultivator with both hands, kicked another to death with my left foot, and a third with my right foot. That's how the three Arrow Cultivators died. Qilang, you can't learn this method yet; you should start with the basics."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked, "What kind of cultivation school is Arrow Cultivation?"

Hong Ying said, "It's about wielding arrows."

The phonograph swatted Hong Ying. "Husband is asking you a serious question, don't talk nonsense. Husband, Arrow Cultivators have all practiced bows and crossbows, but it's not just about simple archery. There are many techniques within this school, with 'Arrows Never Miss' as its foundation."

"What is 'Arrows Never Miss'?"

"Anything an Arrow Cultivator throws will inevitably hit its target, as long as it's within a certain range."

Li Banfeng exclaimed with surprise, "Madam, I have an Arrow Cultivation talent!"

Hong Ying scoffed, "The 'door' and 'window' are so close, yet I've never seen you hit the proper spot."

The phonograph swatted Hong Ying again. "Don't talk back to Husband!"

Rubbing her rear, Hong Ying said, "Forget about Arrow Cultivation for now. Focus on learning the techniques seriously. The key to the technique is to clearly distinguish each part of your body. A door is a door, a window is a window; you absolutely mustn't confuse them anymore."

The phonograph swatted Hong Ying a dozen times. "Always harping on 'doors' and 'windows'! Can't you think of something else? Do you take Husband for someone like you?"

The key to the "Effortless Freedom" technique lies in the ability of each part of the body to act independently.

Li Banfeng had indeed experienced this feeling before. When his House Cultivation suppressed his Traveler Cultivation by two levels, he suffered a backlash from his cultivation and felt as though his limbs were separating from his body. That sensation was very similar to Hong Ying's description.

Recalling that feeling, Li Banfeng began to meticulously study the technique. Madam was still examining the gu worm.

"Husband, this worm isn't strong in combat, but it's incredibly resilient. Those people from the outer states, they truly cleaned up thoroughly, didn't they?"

"Fire Cultivators and Ice Cultivators swept the area clean repeatedly; it should be thoroughly purged." Li Banfeng had instructed Shen Jingye to ensure repeated purging of the area.

"Didn't they have explosives? Detonating them several times should have cleaned it up completely."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "The explosives weren't effective."

"Why weren't they effective?"

"Why..." Li Banfeng suddenly froze.

Madam's question hit a critical point.

The situation had been urgent before, and Li Banfeng hadn't thought much about it.

Those were explosives deployed by the Dark Star Bureau's professional demolition team. Why would they be ineffective?

Under what circumstances would explosives fail?

Late at night, He Jiaqing silently entered the He family mansion.

He Yuxiu had just finished listening to the accountant Sheng Shanzhou report the accounts. To be honest, it was truly hypnotic; He Yuxiu would feel sleepy after barely hearing a few sentences. Propping her eyelids open with her hand, she forced herself to listen for half an hour. He Yuxiu then changed into her nightgown and was about to get into bed when she noticed someone standing by her bedside.

Martial Cultivators' perception isn't particularly strong, but He Yuxiu was at the peak of the eighth level, close to the ninth. Someone stood right beside her, and He Yuxiu hadn't even noticed, which startled her. Just as she was about to act, she saw that the person looked somewhat familiar. "Jiaqing?"

He Jiaqing smiled at He Yuxiu.

He Yuxiu also smiled. "You rascal, when did you get back?"

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time. To be honest, He Yuxiu had heard many rumors about He Jiaqing: about the Red Lotus, about the Fraternal Alliance, and even about He Haiqin. There were rumors that He Haiqin had died at He Jiaqing's hands. However, that was just He Yuxiu's nature; she didn't care for rumors and certainly wouldn't suspect her own nephew because of them. She was still very happy to see He Jiaqing.

But He Jiaqing was not of that nature; he was very sensitive to rumors. He had come this time to confirm the Ye Songqiao Red Lotus incident. But upon seeing He Yuxiu, he couldn't help but ask another question, one that had been troubling him.

"Aunt, have you and Li Qi been... intimately involved?"

He Jiaqing was kicked out the door by He Yuxiu.

Yan Yulin, who was sleeping on the third floor, was awakened. She had intended to go downstairs and check, but remembered that He Yuxiu was never in a good mood when listening to the accountant's reports and was likely venting her anger now, so she decided not to look.

He Jiaqing wasn't angry. He stood up unreservedly and re-entered the bedroom. "Aunt, I'm just reminding you, there's a generation gap between you two. You should have some shame..."

He Jiaqing was kicked out again.

With He Jiaqing's cultivation level, He Yuxiu couldn't beat him, but an aunt was still an aunt, and there was still at least some respect. "Aunt, just tell me the truth. How many times have you been together?"

After clarifying the details of the Ye Songqiao incident, He Jiaqing left the He family mansion.

From He Yuxiu's description, what she saw in Ye Songqiao was the Profound-Birth Red Lotus. This matter was very perplexing. He Jiaqing had obtained Cloud-level cultivation in the outer states through the Red Lotus, but now he faced a problem: the Red Lotus he once possessed might not have been real. If the Red Lotus was fake, then was his cultivation real?

Having been trapped in the basement for too long, He Jiaqing's thoughts were somewhat muddled. He rubbed his forehead. Amidst his distress, he suddenly felt an itch on his body. He Jiaqing was startled, hearing a familiar voice: "When you're sneaking around, you can't be distracted. Always being so absent-minded will cost you your life in the blink of an eye."

Green Flower!

He Jiaqing turned his head, his eyes glinting coldly, and looked at the Green Water Beggar.

The Green Water Beggar chuckled, "Now you dare to bare your fangs at me? Back then, you acted like a cat; I really didn't realize you were a tiger. First, tell me, where is the Saint's Imperial Seal?"

Dark Star Bureau, office.

Li Banfeng was reviewing the entire operation. Two key factors pointed the entire incident in the same direction. First, the textile factory had extremely poor signal reception. Second, the explosives in the textile factory were ineffective. According to feedback from the demolition team, over seventy percent of the explosives failed to detonate at the time. Over seventy percent. In Puluo State, the probability of successful explosive detonation is around one-third. In Puluo State, radio signals are almost impossible to transmit through normal channels. Why did a textile factory, abandoned for years, exhibit characteristics of Puluo State?

Li Banfeng called Tang Yuan and asked him to search for similar cases related to textile factories. Before the information arrived, Li Banfeng received a meeting notification. Shen Jingye was convening an emergency meeting to primarily discuss issues related to the Ruirong Textile Factory case. It seemed he too had realized the seriousness of the problem.

Li Banfeng went to attend the meeting. At the entrance, the administrative staff collected mobile phones. For classified meetings, not bringing mobile phones was standard procedure, and Li Banfeng didn't usually use a mobile phone anyway. The palm-sized projector, nestled in Li Banfeng's jacket pocket, automatically handed over both his mobile phone and satellite phone to him as he reached into his pocket.

After submitting his phone, he entered the conference room. Twelve deputy directors were seated in their respective places, some flipping through documents, others whispering to each other, waiting for the meeting to begin. As per custom, Shen Jingye was the last to enter, took his seat as director, and announced the start of the meeting.

Li Banfeng had thought the meeting would primarily discuss the textile factory case. The meeting did indeed revolve around the textile factory case, but the main focus was not the factory itself, nor the case, but rather the classification of the incident and accountability. The overall outcome of the incident was good; the anomalous creatures were completely eradicated, and no greater disaster occurred. However, there were issues with the process of the incident. Nine members of the demolition team died in action, and accountability for this matter had to be determined.

When responsibility was mentioned, all the directors fell silent. Shen Jingye, having prepared in advance, first questioned Director Cao, who was in charge of the laboratory. There were worms in the meatballs. Why hadn't they been detected before? This responsibility certainly couldn't be avoided. Director Cao was also prepared. He produced three documents: the first was the sampling record, which showed no issues with the sampling process. According to regulations, the laboratory had taken samples from the meatballs, from the surface to the deeper layers. The second was the analysis record, showing no problems with the analysis process or results; every necessary experiment had been conducted. The third was the re-examination record. The laboratory samples were still preserved, and after re-analysis, the results were consistent with the previous ones: the samples contained only filamentous proteins, no cellular structures, and certainly no live worms.

Shen Jingye did not delve into this issue. No matter how thorough Director Cao's explanations were, the laboratory's responsibility was undeniable. Next was the demolition team's responsibility. With over seventy percent of the explosives failing to detonate, the demolition team's own responsibility was certainly undeniable. On this matter, Director Yin, who was in charge of the demolition team, did not offer excessive explanations. He only emphasized two points: there were no issues with the procurement of the explosives, and their quality was also sound, able to withstand scrutiny. As for issues regarding on-site use, the primary responsibility lay with the demolition team leader and the participating members. On this point, no one disagreed.

With responsibilities clearly defined, Director Shen briefly summarized the operation and praised the security team's performance during the action.

As the meeting was about to conclude, Li Banfeng interrupted Shen Jingye. "The security team fought a bloody battle. Is a few words of praise all they get?"

Shen Jingye emphasized, "We have given high recognition to the security team's performance."

Li Banfeng said, "Since you recognize it, then provide something tangible. Are you giving money, or promotions?"

Shen Jingye's brow furrowed slightly. "In this operation, we did achieve certain results, but we cannot gloss over the problems. It's not appropriate to talk about achievements before the problems have been clearly addressed, is it?"

Li Banfeng said, "Some problems have already been clarified. Some problems, no matter how you explain them, can't be made clear, because those problems originate with you!"

Shen Jingye widened his eyes and said, "Director Li, you must take responsibility for your words. What problem exactly originates with me?"

"You were the overall commander of the operation. The on-site demolition plan was determined by you. Did you consider the consequences after the demolition? Now the demolition has failed, and you're blaming the demolition team. But if the demolition had succeeded, scattering worms everywhere, uncontrollable, whom would you blame then? If the worms had spread throughout Yuezhou City, who would bear that responsibility?"

Shen Jingye shook his head. "Your hypotheses are simply not valid..."

"What's not valid?" Li Banfeng produced Shen Jingye's operation plan. "These aren't hypotheses; this is the combat plan you wrote in black and white. Blowing the meatballs to smithereens was the result you wanted. If that result isn't valid, why did you write these plans? Were you just rambling?"

Shen Jingye remained silent. Some truths were understood by everyone, but no one dared to speak them aloud.

Li Banfeng scanned the room and said, "When something goes wrong, you immediately shift blame to the dead, while remaining silent about the contributions of the living. From start to finish, all you think about is how to evade responsibility. Who indulged you into this habit? The demolition team executed the blasting mission on site, operating flawlessly. They bear no responsibility here. They died in the line of duty and must receive fair treatment. The security team's contributions are indispensable and they must receive the rewards they deserve!"

When his words landed, everyone bowed their heads in silence.

Shen Jingye was sweating profusely. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "The main purpose of this meeting is to define responsibilities. Other matters..."

"The operation plan is right here, and all responsibility rests with you. Haven't we already defined everything?"

Shen Jingye shivered, feeling as though that single sentence had pierced his chest.

That very sentence just now had profoundly shaken Li Banfeng himself.

Where did that penetrating power come from?

Upon careful analysis, it seemed to come from two aspects: first, the irrefutable evidence of the Foolish Cultivation Technique; second, the House Cultivation Technique, "Spacious Mansion." The Foolish Cultivation Technique deepened the psychological shock, the Voice Cultivation Technique deepened the sensory shock, and the imposing aura further increased everyone's mental pressure.

But how could these two techniques manifest simultaneously within a single sentence, and connect so smoothly?

Shen Jingye was breathless. He was certain Li Banfeng had used a technique, yet he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Under the pressure of that imposing aura, Shen Jingye slowly began, "For this matter, I bear responsibility..."

Li Banfeng looked at the secretary and said, "Write it down: all responsibility lies with Director Shen!"

Shen Jingye did not argue. He continued, "Regarding rewards, any change in position requires the appropriate procedures." This sentence implied that promotions were practically impossible. Shen Jingye then said, "Every position has a fixed salary, which is also explicitly stipulated by regulations." This sentence implied that salary raises were also impossible. Shen Jingye continued, "According to the performance assessment management regulations, the security team as a whole can receive one commendation, and bonuses will be distributed according to the established system."

Li Banfeng immediately asked the secretary to look up the regulations. After reviewing them, Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead. The bonus amount was truly too limited.

Shen Jingye said, "Material rewards are always secondary. What we value is spiritual encouragement."

Li Banfeng's eyes lit up. He noticed a special provision in the regulations: "For Dark Energists who achieve merit, their cultivation levels can be increased according to procedure; this is also a form of reward."

Shen Jingye shook his head. "As a matter of principle, we do not adopt this form of reward."

"Why not?" Li Banfeng frowned. "What principle are you basing that on?"

"The main principle we adhere to is to be extremely cautious with dark energy," Shen Jingye glanced at his watch. "There are many more tasks ahead, so today's meeting concludes here. Director Li, I understand your urgent desire to provide more encouragement and support to the security team, but nothing can be achieved overnight. The reward scheme for the security team requires more in-depth analysis and discussion."

Having said that, Shen Jingye didn't officially dismiss the meeting and walked directly towards the conference room door. This was to prevent Li Banfeng from speaking further. Seeing Shen Jingye stand up, the other directors also rose, preparing to leave.

Li Banfeng silently watched Shen Jingye walk to the door, then silently watched Shen Jingye walk back from the conference room's back door. Shen Jingye was lost; he couldn't find his way out of the conference room. To be precise, where Shen Jingye had just walked was not a door. The projector had silently altered the layout of the conference room. After circling back and forth a few times, Shen Jingye returned to his seat and quietly looked at Li Qi. The other directors also sat back down, some pretending to organize their notes, others feigning to read documents. They vaguely sensed that Director Shen was furious, about to completely fall out with this new balancer.

Shen Jingye sat in silence for a moment, then smiled at Li Qi and said, "Director Li, do you know there are cameras in this venue? Do you know our meeting process will be recorded? Do you know that your current irrational actions will cause many problems?"

Li Banfeng suddenly realized, "So this entire meeting was recorded? Should I release the meeting content publicly? Or perhaps let the security team and demolition team see it first?"

Shen Jingye's veins pulsed on his forehead, and he gritted his teeth, "How long do you intend to prolong this?"

Li Banfeng glanced at his watch. "Nothing can be achieved overnight. I understand your urgent desire to leave the conference room, but precisely how to leave is a question that still requires further analysis and discussion."

Someone wanted to make a call, but their mobile phone wasn't on them; all phones had been collected by staff before entering the venue. Someone wanted to call the staff outside, but after glancing at Li Qi, they didn't dare to speak.

From eleven in the morning until half-past one in the afternoon, the discussion yielded a result. The result was: no food was bearable, but no access to a restroom was intolerable. After in-depth research and discussion, both the responsibility classification and the reward scheme were finalized. The demolition team was cleared of responsibility, and the security team was rewarded with harmonizing agents.

Li Banfeng had seen the concept of harmonizing agents in relevant documents; these were equivalent to cultivation pills in Puluo State. Li Banfeng agreed to the meeting's outcome, and Shen Jingye finally successfully left the conference room.

Deputy Director Wang followed behind Director Shen and quietly asked, "Should we bring security personnel next time we have a meeting with Director Li?"

Shen Jingye nodded. "It's certainly something to consider."

The security team received their harmonizing agents, and Chen Changrui knew that Li Banfeng had fought to secure them. "Director Li, I must thank you greatly for this matter. Our team members..."

Chen Changrui was expressing his sincere thanks, while Li Banfeng was intently examining the distribution list. All security team members received harmonizing agents, including those who had not participated in the battle from start to finish. According to Tang Yuan's explanation, if calculated by Puluo State's standards, the amount of harmonizing agent each person received was roughly equivalent to one Serpent-Spot Pill. Tang Yuan, He Bensheng, and others who contributed more were given an extra day's supply of harmonizing agents. The distribution plan had been personally formulated by Shen Jingye, and the team could only strictly adhere to it.

Li Banfeng smiled wryly repeatedly, but Chen Changrui didn't find it too little. "I believe this is the true essence of improving ability. With this incentive, I believe all team members will be greatly encouraged. I believe some people, and some things, do not change with shifts in environment. I believe I was not mistaken."

This statement was clearly a test for Director Li. Chen Changrui believed he was Li Banfeng, who had left Yuezhou two years ago.

Li Qi put down the form and looked at Chen Changrui. "I think you need to change. You should strive for more for the security team; that is your duty as a captain."

Chen Changrui was somewhat surprised. He had intended to offer Li Banfeng some guidance as an elder, but he hadn't expected Li Banfeng not to need his advice.

Returning to his residence, Li Banfeng received a call from Luo Zhengnan: the key to the New Land had been made. Though called a key, it wasn't shaped like one. It was shaped like a voltage tester pen. Luo Zhengnan took the key to Flower Lake Park and first demonstrated how to use it. He pressed his thumb on the tail of the voltage tester pen and slowly drew its screwdriver-shaped tip across the ground until the pen lit up, indicating the location of the keyhole.

This process was simple for Luo Zhengnan, as he could perceive the direction of the entrance. However, it was somewhat difficult for Li Banfeng. He didn't possess the Electro-Cultivation talent, so he could only probe bit by bit with the voltage tester pen. After probing for over ten minutes, the voltage tester pen finally lit up. Luo Zhengnan instructed Li Banfeng to insert the pen into the soil and begin rotating it.

"Don't rush, turn it slowly. As long as the pen gets brighter and brighter, it means you're turning in the correct direction."

After nearly three turns, the smooth ground began to blur, and Li Banfeng and Luo Zhengnan fell into the lake water. Beneath the lake water, the method of using the pen was the same: find a suitable spot in the lakebed mud, rotate the pen, and open the next entrance.

Upon entering the New Land, Li Banfeng held the pen, studied it for a moment, and asked Old Luo, "Can I just memorize the keyhole's location to avoid repeatedly probing the ground?"

Old Luo shook his head. "I've tried; it doesn't work. The location is different every time."

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "The New Land's entrance is different every time? Is that a characteristic of outer state New Lands?"

Luo Zhengnan explained, "Seventh Master, actually, the New Land entrances in Puluo State are also different every time."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "How is that possible? I frequently enter and exit the New Land, and the entrances are always the same."

Luo Zhengnan said, "Seventh Master, that's because you haven't observed carefully enough. Not just you, but perhaps not one person in ten thousand can notice the changes. Take Lanyang Village's New Land entrance, for example. The next time you go, even if it's just an hour later, there will be changes."

"What changes?" Li Banfeng had no impression of this whatsoever.

However, this truly wasn't something gained by impression; Luo Zhengnan had measured it out inch by inch with a ruler.

"Seventh Master, the Lanyang Village New Land entrance has many makeshift shacks, do you remember?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I remember. In Lanyang Village, people too poor to find proper housing would live in makeshift shacks. The shacks closer to the New Land were easier to find because fewer people would claim them."

"The shack closest to the New Land entrance was thirty-two feet away. Most people wouldn't dare live there, as they would be attacked by anomalous creatures. One time, I entered the New Land at eight o'clock. Starting from the shack, I measured to the New Land entrance, and the distance was thirty-two feet and six inches. When I entered the New Land again at half-past eight, and measured from the shack to the entrance again, the distance was thirty-one feet and three inches—a full foot and three inches shorter."

"That much difference?" Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "Old Luo, was there a measurement error? Besides, what do you consider the New Land entrance? Is there a precise location?"

"Of course," Old Luo said. "Seventh Master, my cultivation school is unique. I can truly perceive the boundary between the New Land and the Normal Land; there's absolutely no way to be wrong. That shack stays in place and doesn't move, but this boundary is constantly shifting. Sometimes it changes in length, sometimes it swings left and right. The measurement results are different every time. I can't explain the pattern here, and even less the reason why, but this change genuinely exists."

Cannot describe its length, cannot describe its direction.

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "Should this be called the Ineffable?"

Luo Zhengnan nodded. "I believe it's the same as what some cultivation schools refer to as the Ineffable."

Li Banfeng stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.

Luo Zhengnan remained silent, knowing he shouldn't disturb Li Banfeng at that moment. But despite not wanting to disturb him, he was. Luo Zhengnan's head suddenly shook, and a call came in. Taking an antenna from his pocket and attaching it to the top of his head, Luo Zhengnan answered the call.

After the call ended, Luo Zhengnan said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, news from Fifth Master: Qin Tianjiu has been found."

Li Banfeng asked, "Is he still alive?"

"He's still alive for now," Luo Zhengnan's expression turned grim. "Hard to say how long he can last."