Chapter 526: They Are Still Waiting for Me

Luo Lijun, furious, swayed her massive body and returned to the pool.

Feng Daiku remarked from the side, "Young Master Li, I've never seen anyone dare to speak to an Inner State person like that. Aren't you afraid of sparking a fierce battle?"

Li Banfeng shook his head and chuckled, "If a few words can start a war, then what's the difference between that war and a street brawl? This war won't happen; neither the Inner State nor the Outer State wants to fight. But there's one thing I'm curious about: why doesn't the Inner State want direct contact with the Outer State? Miss Feng, do you know the reason for this?"

Feng Daiku replied, "I've also thought about this. To my knowledge, the Inner State people have always regarded the Outer State as enemies. They have strict clan rules that forbid them from casually interacting with Outer State people. Even exchanging a few extra words could bring about fatal consequences."

Clan rules? This was the first time Li Banfeng had heard of such a thing.

Li Banfeng stayed overnight at Soda Kiln, taking the opportunity to check on the factory's construction progress. The next day, as Li Banfeng was preparing to leave for Greenwater City, Feng Daiku delivered another message: Luo Lijun had reappeared.

Yesterday, she had loudly proclaimed to Li Banfeng that she and her people would absolutely not accept his terms, nor would they accept his provocations. But today, Luo Lijun had changed her mind.

"My people and I have discussed it," she said. "We can agree to your terms, starting with guaranteeing the Soda Kiln entrance. We want this area to be free from any intrusion by Outer State people, including border officials."

"Can you be more direct?" Li Banfeng asked.

Luo Lijun stated, "The Soda Kiln can no longer have a border defense office."

Feng Daiku looked at Li Banfeng. This demand seemed too difficult; she had expected Li Banfeng to refuse. To her surprise, Li Banfeng agreed.

"I will negotiate with the Outer State regarding this condition, to have them withdraw the border defense office. What about the conditions I put forward?"

Luo Lijun's tentacles quivered. "We agree to add a new territory, a hundred-mile boundary, and include the deed with it, a pair of complete deeds."

Li Banfeng nodded immediately. "I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

After leaving the factory, Feng Daiku was quite concerned about the current situation. "The Outer State will absolutely not withdraw a border official from any territory. If they did, it would likely disrupt transportation to Soda Kiln. I'm afraid these terms won't be negotiable this time."

"Whether they're negotiable depends on the Outer State's attitude," Li Banfeng said, standing at the factory entrance, lost in thought. "As for the Inner State's attitude, I truly don't understand it right now."

Feng Daiku asked, "Should we try to probe them further?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "We should, but I'll leave this to you. I need to go to the Outer State; there are other things waiting for me, and many people waiting for me."

Feng Daiku paused. "Who are you talking about?"

"Many people. Many." Li Banfeng looked into the distance, not answering.

Looking at Li Banfeng's profile, Feng Daiku felt a little lost in thought. Considering his strength and dominance in front of the Inner State people, perhaps there was no other man like him in the world.

"Young Master Li, what kind of woman do you like?" Feng Daiku asked, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"A woman who can sing," Li Banfeng answered frankly.

Feng Daiku smiled. "I can sing a few tunes too. Young Master Li, which one would you like to hear?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "When you sing, can you emit smoke?"

Feng Daiku was startled. "Emit what smoke?"

Li Banfeng said earnestly, "Like a train, puffing out white smoke."

"That... I don't think I can—" Feng Daiku couldn't understand Li Banfeng's meaning.

"Then never mind," Li Banfeng shook his head, turned, and left.

Feng Daiku returned to her dwelling, leaning against a porch pillar, silently lost in thought. She picked up a bronze mirror and examined herself carefully. Feng Daiku was one of Puluo State's foremost beauties, an emotion practitioner from the clouds. With just one more glance, which man in this world could maintain his composure? Yet he asked if I could emit smoke? What sense does that make?

Mu Yuejuan and Feng Chongli had rowed a boat on the river for three full days. On the perpetually clear river surface, a heavy rain finally arrived. The change in weather signaled a new environment, and Mu Yuejuan found a new painting.

Ahead lay a bamboo forest. Feng Chongli steered the small boat to shore, and the moment he stepped onto land, he felt a dizzying sensation. Through days of exploration, Feng Chongli had discovered some patterns. "These past few days, I've been wondering, if I enter one of your paintings and just keep walking in any direction, will I eventually walk into another painting? Could I simply keep walking like this and traverse all of your paintings?"

Mu Yuejuan sneered, "Don't ask me. Go try it yourself and see if you come out alive."

Passing through the bamboo forest, they saw a pavilion ahead. A gaunt man emerged from it, looking at Mu Yuejuan with excitement. "You're here," the man hurried to meet her.

Mu Yuejuan picked up a bamboo stalk from the ground, then approached the man with a joyful expression. "How long have you waited for me?" Mu Yuejuan gently caressed the man's gaunt cheek.

"I've waited for you for three full days," the man's eyes were filled with tears. "I just knew I would be able to wait for you."

"Why are you so foolish?" Mu Yuejuan tenderly wiped away the man's tears.

Next to the pavilion was a bamboo house. The man led Mu Yuejuan by the hand towards it, but Mu Yuejuan accidentally stumbled. "Oh," Mu Yuejuan gasped softly, and the man quickly steadied her.

"Let me see quickly, are you hurt?" The man bent down and carried Mu Yuejuan into the bamboo house. The girl was very light; he carried her with no effort at all. What he didn't know was that from the moment Mu Yuejuan stumbled, the girl he picked up had transformed into a bamboo stalk.

Mu Yuejuan and Feng Chongli continued their journey. Feng Chongli looked back at the bamboo house and asked, "How long have you known that man?"

Mu Yuejuan thought for a moment. "About half a year."

Feng Chongli said, "Has he always been sleeping with that bamboo stalk?"

Mu Yuejuan replied, "It's not like that. That bamboo is something I painted. In my painting, that bamboo and I are no different."

Stepping out of the painting, the two entered a room. The location appeared to still be in Greenwater City, likely an old house in Yuanzhufang, south of the city. There was little furniture, only a dining table by the bed, with a dish of pickled vegetables and two moldy steamed buns on it.

Feng Chongli sighed, "He was frugal, spent a fortune to buy one of your true works, only hoping to spend a wonderful night with you. If he knew the truth, wouldn't he be filled with regret over this transaction?"

"If he doesn't know, he won't regret it. As I said, in the painting, the bamboo and I are the same," Mu Yuejuan looked back at Feng Chongli and scoffed, "A businessman like you will never understand the subtleties of such affections."

At the Dark Star Bureau, Zhong Er held a box of documents, took a deep breath, and walked towards Director Shen's office.

Bulb grabbed Zhong Er from behind. "Brother, what are you doing? Are you crazy?"

Zhong Er shook his head. "I'm not crazy. Some things just have to have a conclusion!"

Bulb said, "What kind of conclusion can you get by being so impulsive right now?"

"Whatever the outcome, someone has to ask about this." Zhong Er shrugged off Bulb and knocked on Director Shen's door.

"Come in," Shen Jingye looked up at Zhong Er, smiling. "Xiao Qin, do you need something? Come sit down."

"Yes, Director Shen, I'm here to inquire about Director Li," Zhong Er said, sitting opposite Shen Jingye.

"What do you want to ask?" Director Shen maintained his smile, as if looking at an ignorant child.

Zhong Er was no stranger to such smiles. "Director, I just want to ask about Director Li's condition."

"Regarding Director Li's condition, I've already emphasized it at the meeting: we are currently investigating. Until we have a clear investigative result—"

"Are we really investigating?" Zhong Er placed the box of documents in front of Shen Jingye. "I've been investigating Director Li's whereabouts recently. I've collected a lot of information about Lady Bagworm, including her combat abilities, her living environment, her activity patterns, and daily habits. I wanted to submit these documents to help with the investigation, but no one in the bureau was willing to accept them. I truly don't know what's going on. Are we really investigating Director Li's whereabouts?"

"I emphasized it again, we have always been investigating!" Shen Jingye took the document box. "I've received these documents. I acknowledge your contribution to the investigation."

Shen Jingye firmly believed that the sincerity he displayed should move this stubborn subordinate. This young man should see hope and then return to his workstation to await news. However, Zhong Er's subsequent reaction completely exceeded Shen Jingye's expectations.

"You took the documents, but you won't even look at them, will you?"

"Of course, I'll look—" Shen Jingye was controlling his emotions. He was angry because Zhong Er had spoken the truth; he genuinely had no intention of looking at those documents.

"The anomaly that appeared that night wasn't Lady Bagworm at all, was it?" Zhong Er interrupted Shen Jingye.

"What basis do you have for saying such a thing?" Shen Jingye became even angrier, because Zhong Er had stated the truth within the truth.

"Of course, there's a basis," Zhong Er pointed to the document box. "According to Puluo State's relevant information, Lady Bagworm's most effective combat method is to hunt enemies by spitting silk. I investigated the scene many times and didn't find a single strand of insect silk. This completely contradicts Lady Bagworm's combat habits! Lady Bagworm usually ambushes from high places. There are several unfinished buildings near Suichen Road, but no signs of combat were found near any of them. Lady Bagworm is extremely large and doesn't have the habit of burrowing into the ground. The area around Suichen Road is open. After the battle ended, where could such a behemoth hide?"

Shen Jingye frowned. "Who told you to carry out an unauthorized investigation? Call your Captain Chen here!"

Zhong Er shook his head. "No need to call Captain Chen. This was my personal action, and I'll bear the consequences myself. Director Li received orders from the bureau to carry out a mission, and now he's missing during that mission. Yet, we haven't even launched a single genuine search and rescue operation. As a combatant, I should at least know what we are fighting for!"

"Enough!" Shen Jingye could no longer tolerate it. "How do you know we haven't carried out search and rescue operations? Some work cannot be disclosed to you because it involves many secrets. You are using limited thinking to question our overall work!"

Shen Jingye finally found his rhythm. For the remainder of the conversation, he would unleash his full verbal barrage, leaving no chance for Zhong Er to speak. But just as the conversation got back on track, Shen Jingye's desk phone rang.

He saw the caller ID; it was Director Du. Shen Jingye picked up the phone. "Director Du, our materials still need further revisions. Please give us a little more time."

After hanging up, Shen Jingye softened his tone and said to Zhong Er, "See? The higher-ups are very concerned about Director Li's safety. We even have to prepare a special report on this."

Zhong Er's ears twitched. He lowered his head and said, "That call actually had nothing to do with Director Li. My hearing is excellent. I heard the voices from the receiver."

Shen Jingye took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger. This young man's words were always so incisive. He couldn't argue with him any longer. Whether he could persuade him wasn't important; the key was that arguing with an agent was simply undignified.

"Xiao Qin," he said, "each of us has a different position, different responsibilities, and faces different pressures and difficulties. In the face of pressure, it becomes especially important whether we can correctly fulfill our duties. As a young member of the public order team, your duty is—"

Just as Shen Jingye regained his lecturing rhythm, the phone rang again.

"You see, these are my duties, these are the pressures I face. In the face of difficulties and pressures, what kind of choices must I make? That's what you need to think about!"

Shen Jingye picked up the phone. "Director Du, we're just making a few minor adjustments, and we'll be ready right away—"

"It's me." The voice on the phone was not Director Du's. Shen Jingye shivered. "Xiao Shen, come to my office." The other side hung up.

Shen Jingye looked at Zhong Er, his face pale. Zhong Er's ears were sharp; he recognized the voice in the receiver. "Director Li is back?"

Shen Jingye nodded. "Yes, he's back. He wants me to go to his office. Do you want to come with me?"

Zhong Er pondered for a moment. "Director, each of us has a different position, different responsibilities, and faces different pressures and difficulties. This is your duty and your pressure. I need to know my place, so I won't go."

With that, Zhong Er stood up, bowed to Shen Jingye, and left the office.

Shen Jingye wiped away sweat. His mind was still relatively clear. This matter had to be reported immediately. Li Qi might be very dangerous now and could threaten the safety of the entire Dark Star Bureau. He opened his phone book and was about to pick up the desk phone when the phone rang again.

It was Li Qi again. Shen Jingye answered the call. "Xiao Shen, hurry up. If you don't come, I'll go over there myself."

Shen Jingye shivered again and stood up from his desk.

Entering Li Qi's office, Shen Jingye looked at Li Qi, confirming his identity carefully twice. Li Qi chuckled as he looked at Shen Jingye. "Xiao Shen, sit."

"Mm." Shen Jingye sat down, his legs together, body leaning forward. It was him, no doubt. It was Li Qi. He was still alive. He encountered Greenwater Bow, and he was still alive.

Li Qi smiled. "Are you feeling quite surprised?"

"Surprised? No, how could this be a surprise?" Shen Jingye tried to act natural.

Li Qi seemed surprised. "Isn't there even a little bit of joy?"

"What's there to be joyful about—"

"Think about it carefully?"

"Joy!" Shen Jingye quickly corrected himself. "I'm extremely joyful, Director Li! You don't know how many days we've been looking for you. I truly thought—"

"Truly thought I was eaten by Lady Bagworm?" Li Qi chuckled. "Director Shen, have you ever seen Lady Bagworm?"

"I haven't," Shen Jingye shook his head repeatedly.

"I have," Li Banfeng leaned back in his chair, recalling Lady Bagworm's appearance. "Lady Bagworm is an insect with a human face, round and quite pretty. But the Lady Bagworm I saw on Suichen Road this time, her face wasn't round at all, nor was it pretty. It was long, covered in boils, and she was dressed in rags. She didn't look like an insect at all, more like a beggar."

Shen Jingye said, "Perhaps different environments caused the creature to mutate."

Li Qi was surprised. "It mutated so severely? Shall I take you to see him again? You can take a closer look and see if it's really Lady Bagworm?"

Shen Jingye couldn't bear the pressure anymore and stopped playing coy with Li Banfeng. "Director Li, I haven't been to the scene, and I'm not too familiar with the situation there. When I received orders from my superiors, they mentioned Lady Bagworm. I truly don't know what the actual situation at the scene was..."

Li Qi looked at Shen Jingye. "Then how about we find someone who knows what's going on and have a good chat? How about that Director Du you just mentioned?"

"It might not be appropriate to go to Director Du right now. We should have a thorough discussion among ourselves first." Shen Jingye had already contacted Director Du, whose order was to keep Li Qi stable for now.

Li Qi smiled. "Yes, we should communicate first, and communicate well."

Shen Jingye was sweating profusely. "Let's talk about Lady Bagworm first. That night—"

"Stop talking about Lady Bagworm!" Li Banfeng's face darkened. "That was Greenwater Bow. If you don't know who Greenwater Bow is, I'll take you to meet him right now!"

"No need," Shen Jingye shook his head repeatedly. "I've seen Greenwater Bow's files and heard quite a bit about him. Is he still in Yuezhou now?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "He returned to Puluo State. I sent him back." This was indeed the truth.

Shen Jingye was stunned. "You went to Puluo State?"

"Yes," Li Banfeng nodded. "And while I was there, I made a trip to Soda Kiln to check on the situation."

Hearing "Soda Kiln," Shen Jingye became even more nervous. "How's the situation there?"

"Not too good," Li Banfeng's expression was grim. "You sent people to turn the Inner State entrance's gatekeeper into a pile of bones. Faced with such a serious provocative act, the Inner State will probably not let it go."

Shen Jingye's eyes widened. "That wasn't our doing!"

"How do you know it wasn't your doing?" Li Qi frowned. "When I asked you before, didn't you claim to know nothing?"

Shen Jingye quickly explained, "These past few days, I've looked into the situation again. There truly was a misunderstanding in this matter."

"Over fifty of Special Envoy Xu Shouming's subordinates were turned into skeletons by the Inner State people. Is that also a misunderstanding?"

"This—" Shen Jingye thought about his words. "This should be a grave consequence caused by a misunderstanding."

Li Qi shook his head. "The Inner State doesn't see it that way. They're preparing for war."

Shen Jingye was silent for a moment, then looked at Li Qi. "We don't want to see war. What we need is peace. Our original intention in setting up the balance agents was to resolve misunderstandings between both sides."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I went to resolve it. I also don't want to see war. These days, I've spent a lot of time and effort trying to resolve the misunderstandings between you. The Inner State has agreed not to escalate the situation, but they have also put forward their conditions."

"What conditions?" Shen Jingye couldn't believe that the Soda Kiln incident had made such significant progress.

Li Qi said, "The Inner State values the entrance at Soda Kiln greatly. To ensure the safety of this entrance, the Inner State demands the removal of the Soda Kiln's border defense office, and transportation to Soda Kiln must not be interrupted."

"Remove it?" Shen Jingye shook his head. "That's impossible!"

"Impossible? You said that?" Li Qi stood up. "Alright, then it's settled. I'll go to Soda Kiln right now and explain things clearly to them. Director Shen has stated his position: if there's a war, we'll fight. Removing the border defense office is absolutely impossible."

"Wait a minute!" Shen Jingye immediately stopped Li Qi. "Director Li, what I meant was, I can't make decisions on this matter."

Li Qi smiled. "That's right, you certainly can't decide on this. So we need to consult Director Du. Not only this matter, but Greenwater Bow's matter also needs discussion."

"What else is there about Greenwater Bow?" Shen Jingye became even more nervous. "Didn't he already return to Puluo State?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "He did go back, but he didn't say he wouldn't come again."

"Why would he come back again?" Shen Jingye looked at Li Qi, perplexed.

Li Qi looked at Shen Jingye very seriously. "Did you think that by selling me out, this whole thing would be over?"

Shen Jingye lowered his head. "I was unaware of that matter—"

Li Qi said, "Then I'll inform you now. Greenwater Bow gave us five days to help him gather a group of people. If we can't gather these people, he'll come back to Yuezhou again."

"What kind of people?"

"People from Three-Headed Fork," Li Banfeng said. "Some of the people from Three-Headed Fork have very high combat capabilities. Greenwater Bow wants to recruit a portion of them for his own use."

Shen Jingye said, "Are you talking about the Three-Headed people?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

Shen Jingye asked, "How many do they want?"

"Five thousand."

"Five thousand people?" Shen Jingye shook his head repeatedly. "That's absolutely impossible."

"You said it! You said it's impossible! Well, that makes things easy!" Li Banfeng moved to stand up again, but Shen Jingye quickly stepped forward to stop him.

"Director Li, I can't make decisions on this matter either!"

"Which is why we need to find someone who can make decisions."

Shen Jingye nodded. "Director Li, how about this: let's first draft a written report detailing the situation, submit it, and then—"

*Click-clack-click*

Both their phones rang; they received the same message: There's an incident at Zhengqiao Plaza, and the Dark Star Bureau must take immediate action.

Shen Jingye put away his phone. "I can just arrange for the public order team to go. Let's finish our urgent matters first."

"No way! What could be more urgent than a case? I have to go!" Li Qi put on his jacket.

Shen Jingye said, "Director Li, please don't go for this. We have more urgent matters to discuss right now."

"Just come with me! We can discuss it on the way!" Li Banfeng pulled Shen Jingye out of the office.

Shen Jingye exclaimed, "What are we doing? The house is on fire, and we're going to solve a case?"

Li Qi frowned. "What are you talking about? We stated our position back then: when there's a case, we go to the scene. Anyone who doesn't go is a coward!"

Shen Jingye truly didn't want to go, but given Li Banfeng's cultivation level, once he was pulled, he couldn't refuse.

The two went directly to the public order team. The moment they saw Li Qi, Bulb's mouth fell open, and Tangyuan's eyes reddened. Zhong Er tried to hold back his laughter, but he couldn't, and a giggle escaped. Candied Fruit murmured, "Director Li is back."

Someone whispered nearby, "Is that Director Li?"

"Yes, that's him. He's always at the forefront in tough battles."

"A few days ago, he challenged Lady Bagworm solo. Everyone thought Director Li was doomed, but he's back!"

Seeing the excited gazes of everyone, Li Banfeng said to Shen Jingye, "Xiao Shen, look how happy everyone is that you're here."

Shen Jingye gave two dry laughs. He really didn't want to go, but he couldn't speak up now.

Once on the minibus, Li Banfeng said, "First, brief Director Shen on the situation at the scene."

Tangyuan was prepared. This time, it wasn't an anomaly that appeared, but an escaped suspect. This suspect was found in a restaurant at Zhengqiao Plaza. After the restaurant owner reported it, law enforcement immediately rushed to the scene. The suspect had taken customers and staff hostage using a homemade bomb. Law enforcement's repeated negotiations were unsuccessful, and the situation was extremely dangerous.

Shen Jingye frowned. "Should we be responsible for this?"

Tangyuan quickly reported, "Field investigation confirmed that the suspect is a combatant, mid-tier. Mid-tier is the Dark Star Bureau's rough categorization of dark energy users' levels: Tiers 1 to 3 are low-tier, Tiers 4 and 5 are mid-tier, and Tiers 6 and 7 are high-tier dark energy users. In the Dark Star Bureau's database, the highest level for a dark energy user is Tier 7, which is also the common consensus among the Outer State regarding dark energy users. The suspect is a combatant of Tier 3 or higher, which means ordinary law enforcement officers would have difficulty subduing them. At this point, the Dark Star Bureau must be deployed."

After understanding the case, Shen Jingye made deployments. "This incident occurred in a central area, so everyone must pay extra attention to safety and confidentiality..."

The detailed tactical planning was handed over to Chen Changrui. Director Shen's mind was now entirely focused on the Inner State people and Greenwater Bow. Chen Changrui devised a meticulous plan, designating veteran team members like Candied Fruit, Begonia Fruit, Awl, Brick, and Clams as the main force to forcefully apprehend the suspect.

However, upon arriving at the scene, Chen Changrui's tactics proved useless. Firstly, they had underestimated the suspect's capabilities. According to the latest investigation results, the suspect's homemade bomb had both an automatic detonation device and a remote control detonator. This meant that even if the suspect was controlled, the bomb could still explode at any moment. Secondly, the suspect had decided to fight to the death. He only gave everyone ten seconds. After ten seconds, he would detonate the bomb.

"Everyone back off! If you don't want to die, stay far away!" The suspect hid behind the bar, avoiding all sniper points, and shouted through the restaurant's large megaphone, "Ten seconds, just ten seconds! I'm starting the countdown now!"

Did this suspect not want to live? That wasn't the case. He clearly knew the bomb's explosive power and range. He wanted to create an opportunity to escape amidst the chaos before and after the bomb detonated.

"Ten! Nine!" The suspect began his countdown.

Shen Jingye's expression was grave, but he gave no orders. Upon arrival, the situation had already reached this point. At this juncture, taking no action and not expanding the scope of casualties was the best choice to avoid expanding his own responsibility.

"Eight!"

"Xiao Shen, let's go!"

"Go where?" Shen Jingye turned his head. Before he could understand Li Qi's meaning, Li Qi pulled him directly into the restaurant. In front of Li Qi was the suspect; in front of Shen Jingye was the bomb.

The suspect counted down to: "Seven!"

Li Qi nodded. "It's me. Hello!"

The suspect froze, about to press the remote control in his hand. Li Banfeng took the remote control away. The suspect froze again, then pulled out a handgun. Li Banfeng also took the handgun. The suspect picked up a pen from the bar. In the hands of a martial practitioner, anything can become a weapon. Li Banfeng fired a shot, and the suspect fell backward onto the ground.

The timer was still counting down, with less than three seconds remaining. Li Qi silently watched Shen Jingye. Li Qi wasn't anxious; he had many ways to deal with the bomb. Shen Jingye was extremely anxious. At the scene, he was closest to the bomb. With incredible speed, he found the crucial connection point and disconnected the timer from the detonation device. The timer reached zero, but the bomb did not explode.

"Giving up the act? Are you an engineering practitioner or a calculation practitioner?" Li Banfeng smiled, looking at Shen Jingye.

Shen Jingye gritted his teeth, looked at Li Qi, and tried hard to remain calm. "I never tried to hide it."

Someone was still waiting for Li Qi, and Li Qi had never forgotten them.