Chapter 509: Inner State Life

The enormous workshop rose partially before Li Banfeng, with dozens of iron pipes moving crisscrossing in front of him.

Purely in terms of size, this massive workshop somewhat resembled Ge Junma, who had invaded the Moxian shop. However, the two were distinctly different in detail. Ge Junma was very similar to a toad, almost an mutated toad.

But this "centipede" before him was a bit abstract. To be precise, it more closely resembled a steam-powered machine. It was described as steam-driven because white mist occasionally spewed from the ceiling of the "centipede" workshop.

Qiu Luoye had once said that Neizhou people could be various creatures like chickens, ducks, geese, or dogs, but never that they could turn into machines. "Are you really a Neizhou person?" Li Banfeng asked again.

The workshop's large door opened, and a spherical object, about two meters in diameter, flew out and circled Li Banfeng twice. When he first saw the sphere, Li Banfeng thought the centipede had spat out another meatball. A closer look revealed that this sphere was very different from the previous meatball. The meatball was a single, large mass of flesh.

This sphere was an aggregate, a collection of tens of thousands of eyes. Each eye had an eyeball and pupils of various colors. Tens of thousands of eyes rotated in different directions, meticulously observing Li Banfeng.

Out of politeness, Li Banfeng nodded towards the multitude of eyes. Then Li Banfeng's figure vanished.

In surprise, the gaze of all eyes converged on one spot, then quickly scattered, searching for Li Banfeng's presence. A third of the enormous sphere exploded, and the entire workshop rolled on the ground, splashing up a large amount of mud, before quickly standing back up. This was clearly caused by pain.

This sphere was likely the eye of the "centipede workshop," an eye composed of tens of thousands of individual eyes. This unique structure reminded Li Banfeng of an insect's compound eye. Although this eye was not physically connected to the centipede workshop, it was clearly part of it; if it sustained damage, the centipede workshop would feel pain.

Li Banfeng deliberately blew up only a third of this giant eye, leaving two-thirds intact. The "centipede workshop" seemed to sense Li Banfeng's ulterior motive. The giant eye quickly disintegrated, breaking into tens of thousands of thumb-sized eyeballs that floated throughout the air.

With its eye disassembled, each eyeball began to move freely and independently. Tens of thousands of perspectives, haphazardly stacked, significantly affected the centipede's vision, slowing its movements considerably. However, the advantage of this was that the eyeballs monitored Li Banfeng's movements from every angle, making it difficult for him to use his "Fleeting Glimpse" technique. Even if "Fleeting Glimpse" was successfully activated, it would at most blow up one or two eyeballs where Li Banfeng focused his gaze, a loss and damage the centipede workshop could withstand.

As expected, Li Banfeng activated "Fleeting Glimpse" again. Bang! Bang! Two muffled thuds, two eyeballs burst. The "centipede workshop" showed no reaction; this minor damage was negligible to it. Using "Fleeting Glimpse" again, Li Banfeng focused his gaze on the factory wall.

The factory wall was unharmed; although it was the body of this "Neizhou person," it was clearly distinct from flesh and blood in the usual sense. Li Banfeng inwardly praised the "centipede workshop," noting its considerable intelligence and very wise current response.

The "centipede workshop" coiled its body, encircling Li Banfeng, seemingly preparing to counterattack. Although its reactions were slower, the scattered eyeballs also created more opportunities for the centipede workshop to attack.

After a brief standoff, a steel bar extended from the top of the "workshop centipede's" head, thrusting towards Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng did not rush to dodge; he heard the sound of steam hissing. High-temperature steam emitted a sharp, piercing whistle when sprayed. Around Li Banfeng, there were colorless, transparent rays of hot steam. These steam rays were expelled by the "centipede workshop" from its body's seams, similar in principle to a steam Gatling gun; their exact ejection points could be deduced by sound.

However, knowing the steam's location did not mean Li Banfeng could avoid it. This was not an arrow or a bullet; it was a continuous steam flow that persisted as long as it was sprayed. The scattered eyeballs allowed the centipede workshop to create an almost impenetrable steam net. If Li Banfeng rashly dodged the steel bar aimed at his head, he would collide with the steam net. If he didn't dodge, the steam rays and the steel bar attacking together would overwhelm Li Banfeng quickly. According to Li Banfeng's calculation, as soon as he moved from his spot, he would hit at least one steam ray.

"Then I'll just hit it and see!"

Li Banfeng dodged left, avoiding the steel bar overhead, at the cost of being pierced through the chest by a high-temperature steam ray. The instant he dodged, his instinct for avoiding harm repeatedly warned him not to move left. After dodging, the steam ray did not harm Li Banfeng. He used his "Carefree" technique to transfer a part of his upper chest to the back of his head. Having his chest attached to the back of his head was a peculiar sensation. He could clearly hear his heartbeat and feel the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

Li Banfeng's use of the "Carefree" technique seemed to be anticipated by the "centipede workshop." It controlled a dozen steam rays approaching Li Banfeng from left and right; one was about to sweep across his neck, another under his ribs, and yet another at his knee. Trying to use "Carefree" again would be much harder, as there were too many things to transfer. But even without "Carefree," there were other methods. Li Banfeng chose to endure by using his "Benevolent Heart" technique.

The steam swept over Li Banfeng several times; his skin turned slightly red, but there were no other changes. The "centipede workshop" was somewhat surprised; this was not the kind of response expected from a Traveler Cultivator. It adjusted the positions of the steam rays again, but Li Banfeng had already rushed to the side of the workshop. Sensing the unfavorable situation, the "centipede workshop" immediately closed all its doors and windows. Li Banfeng activated "Short Step" and used his "Unimpeded Passage" technique to directly enter the workshop.

He had expected the inside of the workshop to be the "centipede's" internal organs, but he was wrong. It was indeed a workshop, a steam-powered one, which was uncommon in Waizhou but ubiquitous in Puroland. Li Banfeng was no stranger to factories. He first looked up at the ceiling, where a silvery-white steam pipe ran, fitted with pressure gauges, globe valves, check valves, and drainpipes. Pipes of varying thicknesses branched off from the main steam pipe, connecting to the central steam chamber, cylinder, and piston within the workshop. This silvery-white pipe was the main steam pipe, equivalent to the "centipede workshop's" aorta.

Li Banfeng swung his Tang Dao, piercing a hole in the main steam pipe. The Tang Dao loudly proclaimed, "My blade takes the enemy's head... This looks like an intestine."

Rumble, rumble, rumble. The workshop shook violently, high-temperature steam leaked out, spraying after Li Banfeng. The temperature inside the workshop sharply increased, and the operating pistons gradually slowed, emitting sharp shrieks.

"Does that hurt bad?" Li Banfeng dodged the gushing high-pressure steam. Looking back, the knife cut on the main steam pipe was gone, leaving only a not-too-large scar. The wound healed? This pipe wasn't flesh and blood, but it had life! The life forms of Neizhou people were becoming increasingly abstract.

Li Banfeng aimed at the pipe and delivered a kick with "Trampling Thousands of Rivers." Hundreds of holes appeared on the main steam pipe. The centipede workshop, in agony, rolled on the spot, steam leaking everywhere, continuing to pursue Li Banfeng. By the time Li Banfeng dodged the steam, the wound on the pipe had healed again. This thing's self-healing ability was too strong!

Inside the workshop, steam rays moved back and forth. Due to space constraints, Li Banfeng had limited opportunities to dodge. The "Benevolent Heart" technique couldn't be used frequently, and the "Carefree" technique wasn't practiced, so he could only rely on "Short Step" to evade. This centipede was too troublesome. Furthermore, this centipede was a Gu Cultivator, yet it hadn't used any Gu techniques so far; its combat power might be less than half utilized. He couldn't delay; he needed to finish quickly.

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then pulled the Judge's Brush from his waist and stabbed it into the main steam pipe. The Judge's Brush was stunned for a moment, then cried out, "Hot!" The high-temperature steam made the Judge's Brush glow red all over. Just as it was about to scold Li Banfeng, it saw Li Banfeng point the brush tip at the pipe, about to stab it again.

"Stop!" The Judge's Brush was burned again. Without Li Banfeng needing to explain, it knew what to do. The two wounds it had pierced did not heal. This pipe had been affected by the "Lazy Cultivation" technique, becoming lazy and unwilling to heal quickly.

Li Banfeng took out his sickle and made a dozen more openings in the main steam pipe. A large amount of steam leaked out, the steam pressure dropped, and all pistons stopped working. This was akin to breaking the "centipede workshop's" spine, paralyzing the centipede.

Taking advantage of the workshop's immobility, Li Banfeng went to the core of the steam workshop: the boiler. The fire in the boiler was burning fiercely, and a conveyor belt nearby was feeding coal into it. This conveyor belt was remarkable; Li Banfeng didn't know its power source or where the coal it transported came from. With one swing of his blade, he cut the conveyor belt, cutting off the boiler's fuel supply. Then he poured some tea water into the boiler, and the flames inside gradually dimmed.

Hiss! Hiss! The steam pipes emitted sharp shrieks, as if the workshop was wailing. If the large toad was Ge Junma's true form, then was this workshop truly the current Neizhou person's true form? If the workshop was its true form, would extinguishing the boiler be equivalent to extinguishing its life? The furnace fire was very resilient; after being soaked in tea water for a long time, it still had not extinguished.

Li Banfeng was not in a hurry. He could sense the workshop shaking slightly, like a dying person making a feeble struggle. "I almost pity you," Li Banfeng sighed, stroking the teapot. "Tell me, are you really a Neizhou person? If you tell me the truth, I'll spare your life."

The workshop did not respond. Li Banfeng nodded. "Alright then, I'll keep soaking you."

There were only a few flames left in the boiler, and the workshop still remained silent, but its tremors and twitches became more pronounced than before. Li Banfeng's principles would not change. If clues were lost, they could be sought again, but an enemy only had one life. Cherishing life was Li Banfeng's consistent choice.

He could sense that the workshop's life force was weakening. He used his "Golden Eyes of Autumn Hairs" technique, scanning the workshop back and forth, waiting for something akin to a soul to appear. He couldn't be vague about this; Sun Tiecheng had taught Li Banfeng that if the souls of people from Neizhou were not thoroughly dealt with, there was a chance they could revive.

Specks of light appeared on the workshop walls. Were souls gathering? Li Banfeng prepared his weapon for dealing with spirits. Faintly, a song drifted from outside the workshop.

"My wounds, your tears, blood and tears mixed with the same salty taste..."

These lyrics seemed familiar. The Threaded Earring whispered in his ear, "It's that person again, the one who sang 'Guokui'." Chu Zikai was here? How did he get here? What connection did he have with the textile factory?

Li Banfeng exited the workshop but didn't see Chu Zikai's figure. He used his "Discern Spirit Sound" technique to ascertain the song's direction. Chu Zikai was still in the main factory compound, probably between workshops five and six. To know his exact location, he would need to continuously listen to his singing, but continuously listening to his singing was very risky, as he could be harmed by it at any moment. Especially since Li Banfeng was using the "Discern Spirit Sound" technique, if he were to be hit by "Splattering Roar of Blood" at this moment, it would likely shatter his internal organs.

Li Banfeng looked back at Tangyuan outside the wall; she hadn't left yet. She had killed many centipedes and was helping Li Banfeng fight. Li Banfeng looked into the distance, then back at Tangyuan, signaling her to quickly escape. Tangyuan hesitated. Li Banfeng glared at her. That glare made Tangyuan shiver, and she turned to leave immediately.

Li Banfeng had no time to be distracted; Chu Zikai was already drawing near. His singing never stopped, but Li Banfeng felt no discomfort listening to it. What was the purpose of his singing? Was it just to guard against "Fleeting Glimpse"? Then he should be singing "I Am Your Guokui."

Li Banfeng turned to look at the centipede workshop. The green light on the walls was slowly fading, and the souls that were about to emerge retreated back into the body. This indicated that the centipede workshop's life was recovering; it had pulled back from the brink of death. Chu Zikai was using his singing to save this Neizhou person. Sound Cultivation techniques actually had such an effect. No wonder his wife always sang to him when Li Banfeng was injured.

Li Banfeng used "Trampling Thousands of Rivers," kicking the workshop several times. Although the "centipede workshop" was tough, large sections of its bricks and stones peeled off. Chu Zikai appeared in mid-air. He was still wearing a bamboo hat, beneath which was a mask with large eyes, a high nose, no lips, and exposed fangs. Seeing the man before him, Chu Zikai was surprised. He didn't know the man's identity but had fought him before.

Why him again?

The two gazed at each other for a moment. Chu Zikai looked at Tangyuan, who was fleeing outside the wall. "I can kill her first." This was a threat to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng nodded. "Go ahead and kill her. Let's see who's faster." With that, Li Banfeng vanished.

Chu Zikai immediately began to sing. He was fully prepared for the "Fleeting Glimpse" technique. This time, he wasn't singing just one song; he was singing "I Am Your Guokui" and simultaneously "You Are My Medicine." The two songs intertwined. "I Am Your Guokui" was catchy and grand in tune, while "You Are My Medicine" was relatively mournful and suppressed, almost imperceptible to Li Banfeng.

But the centipede could hear it. Amidst the music, the steam pipes were slowly repaired, the conveyor belt was fixed, coal was delivered to the boiler again, the pressure gauges slowly showed readings, and the pistons in the cylinders began to move slowly. The "centipede workshop" was recovering its vital signs. If Chu Zikai truly revived it, with the "centipede workshop" and Chu Zikai facing Li Banfeng two-on-one, Li Banfeng would have almost no chance of winning.

Chu Zikai's nerves were taut. While treating the "centipede workshop," he remained vigilant against "Fleeting Glimpse," but Li Banfeng never made a move. Why wasn't he acting? Was he trying to exhaust me? The "Resounding Clouds" technique consumed a lot of energy. Chu Zikai didn't want to delay, but he also didn't dare to be complacent in the slightest. He increased the volume of "You Are My Medicine." The iron pipes on the workshop slowly moved, and the centipede workshop seemed about to stand up.

Li Banfeng suddenly appeared on a tree next to the wall. Chu Zikai immediately used "Resounding Clouds" to defend. But Li Banfeng didn't use any technique. He vanished from the tree again, leaving his glove behind. The glove quietly spat out a hand-cranked gramophone, which began to play a tune, a tune specially carved by his wife.

Chu Zikai wanted to heal the "centipede workshop" as quickly as possible, and the volume of "You Are My Medicine" grew louder and louder. But the sound of "I Am Your Guokui" also increased. Someone was singing along with him! The sound came from that tree. Was this an assistant brought by the opponent, or some kind of spirit object? The voice was very similar to his, and the rhythm and melody matched his. What was this trying to do?

Chu Zikai didn't understand his opponent's intention. Li Banfeng suddenly activated "Fleeting Glimpse." The well-prepared Chu Zikai used "I Am Your Guokui" to halt "Fleeting Glimpse" before the technique took effect. With a change in tone, Chu Zikai prepared to transfer the technique to his side. As soon as the technique was released, its direction was wrong. The transferred technique didn't hit Tangyuan; it hit the "centipede workshop."

Chu Zikai was greatly alarmed. His own singing had been pulled off-key by the gramophone's song, causing the technique to deviate. Just like the exploding off-road vehicle back then, "Fleeting Glimpse," which was originally ineffective against the workshop, caused severe damage to it after being transferred by Chu Zikai.

Boom! The centipede workshop shuddered, and one wall was completely blown away. The recently restored main steam pipe was severed, and its equipment and gauges were scattered across the floor. The steam chamber and cylinder in the center of the workshop were blasted to pieces, but this was not the most fatal damage. The most fatal damage came from the boiler. The shockwave from the explosion extinguished the flames in the boiler.

Chu Zikai wanted to rush forward and relight the boiler. Li Banfeng's figure appeared near the "centipede workshop." If Chu Zikai focused purely on defense, Li Banfeng would have few ways to deal with him, and even a slight carelessness could lead to injury. But now that Chu Zikai wanted to go on the offensive, it was a different matter. Li Banfeng would not let him get close to the centipede workshop; even one attempt could cost Chu Zikai his life.

Li Banfeng stood silently by the boiler, waiting for Chu Zikai, to see what other tricks he had up his sleeve. Around the centipede workshop, green light glowed again. The "centipede workshop" had completely lost its life; its soul was about to emerge.

Chu Zikai suddenly changed his song. He sang "I Am Your Guokui" while simultaneously singing "Come with Me in the Next Life."

"Even if we can't hold hands in this life, we'll walk together until old age in the next..."

"Come with Me in the Next Life" was not Chu Zikai's song; it was a popular hit from last year. Li Banfeng hadn't heard it much and couldn't make out the lyrics, but he only noticed the centipede's spirit rapidly detaching from the workshop and rushing towards Chu Zikai. This song could summon souls. Chu Zikai had realized the centipede workshop was beyond saving, so he settled for a secondary goal: taking the centipede's soul.

Li Banfeng pulled out the riding crop given to him by Prince Chun and, with extreme speed, lashed the centipede's soul over a dozen times. The centipede's soul was injured and couldn't move. A scent of blood wafted from Chu Zikai. He was going to use "Splattering Roar of Blood" to fight Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng was waiting for this move. The glove on the tree was ready, having changed to a new record. This was a record specifically recorded by his wife to counter "Splattering Roar of Blood." After both Li Banfeng and the Threaded Earring had suffered losses from this technique, his wife had spent many days researching and conceived a method to break it using a record. The record contained a segment from the opera "The Fourth Son Visits His Mother." As long as the glove could time the playback correctly, the opera could weaken the lethality of "Splattering Roar of Blood."

Using the "Splattering Roar of Blood" technique came with a price: Chu Zikai himself would be injured. Once injured, he wouldn't be able to use the "Resounding Clouds" technique, which required extremely high physical demands. Without "Resounding Clouds," Chu Zikai would lose his means of countering "Fleeting Glimpse." Chu Zikai had prepared his "Splattering Roar of Blood" technique, the glove had adjusted the needle's position, and Li Banfeng was ready to strike.

Woo-ow! A sudden alarm sounded outside the wall, and large numbers of public security officers rushed into the factory compound. What's happening? The Dark Star Bureau sent reinforcements? Who called for these reinforcements? Could it be Tangyuan? Why was the alarm so loud? And so piercing? Did this alarm sound seem to contain a technique?

Hearing the alarm, Chu Zikai seized the opportunity to change tactics, switching to his "Echoing Resonance" technique to amplify the alarm sound tens of times over. The glove cranked the gramophone, attempting to counteract Chu Zikai's technique, but the opera on the record had no effect on the "Echoing Resonance" technique. Seeing this, the glove no longer clung to the fight. It quickly swallowed the gramophone and slipped into Li Banfeng's pocket.

The deafening alarm sound made Li Banfeng dizzy. The previously motionless soul of the "centipede workshop" was startled awake and rushed towards Chu Zikai again. The sudden change completely disrupted Li Banfeng's plan. Li Banfeng swung his riding crop, lassoing the "centipede workshop's" soul. With a pull, he drew the soul and the crop together into his sleeve. Chu Zikai continuously amplified the alarm sound, charging towards Li Banfeng amidst the sonic assault.

Continuing the fight under these circumstances would put Li Banfeng at a great disadvantage. Li Banfeng did not engage Chu Zikai. He delivered a kick to Chu Zikai. Chu Zikai flew away, and Li Banfeng also flew away.

Traveler Cultivation's ninth-level technique, "Separation of Ten Thousand Li."

Li Banfeng, flying through the air, looked at the public security officers streaming into the factory compound. They stumbled around the factory, unable to find the battle site of Li Banfeng and Chu Zikai. The alarm kept blaring, and it was unclear who it was meant to warn.

Carrying the centipede workshop's soul, Li Banfeng flew for an unknown duration before falling into a paddy field. After climbing out of the paddy field, Li Banfeng looked around for a long time. "Where is this place?" An old man nearby, splattered with mud and water, looked at Li Banfeng and asked, "Are you from the north? What's going on?"

Li Banfeng gave the old man fifty yuan as compensation, found an empty spot, and brought the "centipede workshop's" soul into his portable dwelling. "Wife, I brought back a Neizhou person."

"Is it a toad?" His wife was very excited, and the entire family was very excited. They were accustomed to rare delicacies; even a Cloud Cultivator wouldn't faze them. But the flesh and blood of a Neizhou person made them restless; they still remembered the taste of that toad from before.

The Gramophone excitedly said, "Projector, you missed the last meal. After I finish eating, you'll be the first to eat this one." The Projector looked at Li Banfeng, then said after a moment of silence, "Regret is the beauty of art." "What regret..."

Li Banfeng released the soul of the "centipede workshop"—only the soul. The Gramophone played a slow tempo, singing softly, "Oh, my dear master, is this meal specially prepared for your humble servant?"

Hong Ying was annoyed. "Seventh Master, you can't do this! That wicked woman is eating meat, aren't you going to leave even a spoonful of soup for the rest of us?" The Gramophone raised its board as if to strike, and Hong Ying shouted, "Brothers and sisters, let's fight this evil woman! Don't let her hog all the food!" Chaos erupted in the portable dwelling. Li Banfeng sighed, speechless.

The Dark Star Bureau searched for a day and a night but found no trace of Li Banfeng. Director Shen Jingye sat in his office, his right hand tightly clutching his chin, his expression exceptionally grave. Deputy Director Wang said beside him, "According to You Xuehan's description, a very fierce battle took place at the scene. The 'hidden space' she mentioned still hasn't been found. Director Li is likely in serious trouble this time." Shen Jingye remained silent, still tightly clutching his chin. Li Qi had disappeared. He had actually disappeared. He had to clench tightly, otherwise Shen Jingye would burst out laughing.

At her workstation, Tangyuan's eyes were red from crying. She regretted leaving the battlefield at the last moment; otherwise, she would have surely saved Seventh Master, or at least known where he went. After crying, Tangyuan sobered up. Seventh Master was alive, definitely still alive. She would search again tomorrow, at least find the scene of the incident. Perhaps Seventh Master was still in that courtyard, perhaps the battle wasn't over, perhaps he was still waiting for her...

The desk phone rang, and Tangyuan froze. It was a call from Director Li's office. Who could it be? Tangyuan answered the phone and heard Li Qi's voice: "Tangyuan, come to my office."

Clang! The receiver dropped from her hand onto the floor. Tangyuan couldn't believe she had really heard Li Qi's voice. She picked up the receiver again, only to find that the other party had already hung up.

After staying at her workstation for a moment, Tangyuan wiped away her tears, took out a mirror, and tidied her makeup. As was her habit, she took her notebook, slipped a pen into her jacket pocket, adjusted her glasses, straightened her posture, and walked towards Li Qi's office. The office light was on. Was it him? Was it really him?

Tangyuan took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Come in!"

Tangyuan entered and saw Li Qi sitting behind the desk. Her body trembled uncontrollably. She wanted to go up and hug Li Qi, but she didn't have the courage. Li Qi was very calm. He first poured Tangyuan a glass of water. "Sit down, have some water."

Tangyuan sat on the chair, picked up the glass, and took a sip. The water was very salty because she wanted to cry so badly. Swallowing the water, Tangyuan tried to compose herself. Li Banfeng remained calm. He looked at the water glass and said, "The taste isn't quite right, is it? I added a laxative to the water."

Tangyuan froze for a moment. Her wildly beating heart now pounded even faster. "Seventh Master, why..."

Li Banfeng's face darkened. "Did you call the Bureau's people to the textile factory?" Tangyuan shook her head. "It wasn't me. Without your orders, I wouldn't call for reinforcements from the Bureau." "Then who informed them? Lightbulb and Celebrity?" Tangyuan shook her head repeatedly. "I don't know that. It really wasn't me!"

Li Banfeng smiled grimly. "If you don't tell the truth, you'll suffer."

"Seventh Master, it really wasn't me! If you don't believe me, I'll drink the whole cup!" Tangyuan picked up the cup and drank all the water.

Li Banfeng was taken aback. Tangyuan said, blushing, "I'll endure it right here in front of you. I didn't lie to you, believe it or not!"

Seeing Tangyuan's fierce resolve, this matter likely wasn't her doing.