Chapter 540: War

Li Banfeng began by asking, "Did many in your clan disagree with Luo Lijun's decision to exchange new territory for a guarantee from Puro Province?"

Luo Yan Jun replied, "Regardless of what my sister says, there are always those who agree and those who disagree. Some things even my mother finds unacceptable."

The current situation in Neizhou was very complex.

Luo Lijun had overridden many objections to reach a peace agreement with Li Banfeng. This went against the wishes of many, including her own family members.

This was why Luo Lijun had been replaced.

Li Banfeng then asked, "Did Neizhou send you to replace Luo Lijun because they intend to go to war with Waizhou?"

Luo Yan Jun said, "Going to war means fighting, right? There are many in the elder clan who love to fight. They're always talking about war, saying that revenge against Waizhou must be exacted, otherwise, we'd be letting our ancestors down. But there are also those who don't want to fight; my sister is one of them. She says it's not that revenge won't be taken, but that the time isn't right yet. There's nothing wrong with everyone living a few days in peace first. Both the warmongers and those who prefer peace believe they are in the right, and neither will yield to the other. My father didn't like fighting either, and he ended up dying in prison."

Neizhou was internally divided into two factions: the pro-war faction and the pro-peace faction. Currently, the pro-war faction held the advantage, and Luo Lijun was likely facing the same predicament as her father.

"When did Neizhou and Waizhou become enemies?"

"I wouldn't know about that; I wasn't born yet," Luo Yan Jun replied. "I've heard the elders say that Waizhou people are all ungrateful, especially the one who recently returned. He's a very old elder, and he said that if we kept tolerating Waizhou, they would eventually consume us until nothing was left but bones. But to be fair, Yu Songkai's bones did remain." Ma Wu explained, "Yu Songkai was the previous gatekeeper, the one who turned into carp bones." "Yes," Li Qi said, "the bones remained, but only the bones."

Li Qi asked, "Who is this very old elder?"

"I don't know that either," she replied. "That person has a very bad temper, and their name cannot be spoken."

Bad temper, unmentionable name.

Li Qi asked, "This elder, he isn't from your clan, is he?"

Luo Yan Jun considered seriously. "If you're talking about bloodline, he's certainly not from our clan; he looks different from us. But if you're talking about status, his position is very noble; our clan members still bow to him."

Li Qi now knew who that person was.

It was the Sage from Mount Sage.

The Sage indeed had a significant temper, and according to his rules, his name was taboo and could not be uttered by others.

After his old lair was destroyed by the Dao Lao Ghost, the Sage's whereabouts had been unknown; it turned out he had gone to Neizhou.

Chu Shaoqiang had once said that the Sage was the last emperor of the previous dynasty, who had lost his empire after losing a war.

His empire had been divided into two parts: one was controlled by the imperial family, becoming today's Neizhou, and the other was present-day Puro Province.

Unable to tolerate the oppression of the imperial family, the Sage had left Neizhou and temporarily resided on Mount Sage. Now that Mount Sage was gone, he had no choice but to return to Neizhou.

Although he was not the de facto ruler of Neizhou, it could be inferred from Luo Yan Jun's words that the Sage still carried considerable weight. It was precisely his return to Neizhou that had given the pro-war faction the upper hand.

Ma Wu asked, "Do you intend to start a war with Waizhou at the Soda Kiln?"

This was a critical matter. If war broke out at the Soda Kiln, it meant Feng Daiku's painstaking efforts could be reduced to ruins at any moment.

If the war expanded, the entire Puro Province could be devastated.

Luo Yan Jun swayed her large body, turning her face toward the pool at the end of the factory building. "My sister isn't here anymore, yet they insisted I come. What's so good about this place, anyway? The imperial court keeps telling me to 'stabilize' you all. I don't know what 'stabilize' means, or if you people are stable in your actions. I just feel like Ma Junyang isn't very stable; he can't stop for a moment."

Her words were somewhat abstract and required some effort to understand.

Luo Lijun had been arrested for advocating peace, but Neizhou had sent her younger sister, Luo Yan Jun, with the aim of stabilizing the situation. This indicated that Neizhou did not want to openly sever ties with Puro Province, and therefore, it was highly probable that Neizhou would not initiate war in Puro Province.

Li Qi said, "Puro Province's stance is very important to Neizhou, which proves your sister's life isn't in immediate danger."

Luo Yan Jun sighed. "Whether there's danger, I don't know. It's true that I am her sister, but there are twenty-eight of us siblings. I really want her to live, but I don't have the ability to save her, nor do I know if anyone is willing or able to save her. Ma Junyang said her 'flavor' is different from mine, so it seems he still has affection for my sister. But regardless, her 'flavor' is hers, and mine is mine. No matter what my sister's 'flavor' is, I still have to live my life."

Luo Yan Jun was very shrewd, conducting her probing steps meticulously.

She was right: Luo Lijun was Luo Lijun, and she was herself. Though sisterly affection ran deep and she wanted to do her best to rescue Luo Lijun, the prerequisite for saving her sister was ensuring her own safety.

She first needed to ascertain if Li Qi could potentially rescue Luo Lijun. If Li Qi couldn't distinguish between the real and fake Luo Lijun, it would indicate that Li Qi didn't value Luo Lijun much, making it unwise to seek his help in such a situation, as the chances of him providing assistance would be low.

In truth, given time, Li Qi could also distinguish between Luo Yan Jun and Luo Lijun, but no one had anticipated that Ma Wu would discern it so efficiently.

Even after determining that Li Qi might be able to rescue Luo Lijun, Luo Yan Jun remained very cautious; she still needed to ascertain if Li Qi had the *will* to do so.

Due to certain taboos, Luo Yan Jun could not speak plainly. During negotiations, she could only express Luo Lijun's predicament in a relatively indirect manner. If Li Qi showed an inclination to help Luo Lijun, she would continue the negotiations. If Li Qi did not intend to rescue her, the negotiation would end there, leaving her with an avenue for a clean exit.

Li Qi understood Luo Yan Jun's intentions and stated directly, "I would very much like to help your sister, but my help is not without cost."

Luo Yan Jun replied, "I'm not particularly ambitious; I just enjoy acquiring land. I've recently acquired two new plots, but I haven't found suitable local deities for them yet, and I'm not sure when they can be delivered to Puro Province."

Both Li Qi and Ma Wu understood these words; this was Luo Yan Jun's asking price: two new plots of land. She emphasized her means of acquiring land to prove her ability to deliver the compensation.

Li Qi said, "You know my rules for accepting land, right?"

Luo Yan Jun replied, "Suitable local deities are truly hard to find. Rather than bothering with that, I might as well not look and just give them all away. However, the clan is watching closely now, and even my mother has gotten involved. Unless my sister helps, I won't be able to transfer these territories."

She knew Li Qi's rule: any territory received must come with complete title deeds.

She informed Li Qi that she held some authority over the new territories, but the timing was not right. Only if her sister was rescued could these two plots of land be transferred.

Ma Wu chuckled, "You're quite good at business negotiations. This is like 'payment after delivery.'"

Luo Yan Jun looked wronged. "Why are you talking about business with me? Isn't it all about affection between us?"

Ma Wu said, "If we're talking about affection, we need to consider your intentions. You probably don't want to fight, do you?"

Luo Yan Jun shook her head repeatedly. "Not necessarily. I can fight too."

Luo Yan Jun might change her stance if it ensured her survival.

Li Qi said, "If you want me to save your sister, you must tell me where you plan to start the war. If it's not in Puro Province, then the location must be very special."

Luo Yan Jun squirmed, moving back and forth within the factory building. "I heard my great-grandfather say that Waizhou people are the worst. Their machines are clumsy and useless. We gave them good machines, and they called us benefactors, but once they gained some skill, they forgot all past kindness and turned their backs on us. Thinking about these things makes our clan seethe with hatred. Puro Province is the same; none of you are any good. Look at the machines in this factory—they were all sent by us originally, but now that you have new ones, you've forgotten the old!"

These machines were sent by Neizhou? Puro Province's first steam engines appeared at the Soda Kiln. This implied that Puro Province's first machines came from Neizhou.

Ma Wu was now confused. "Miss Luo, I know you have your difficulties, but your speech is too erratic. You're jumping all over the place. We asked about the war, and you're talking about machines again."

"I don't understand war," Luo Yan Jun said, climbing onto a lathe. "But I know a bit about machines, especially the first batch we brought; they were all good!"

Li Qi said, "Are you talking about the place where the first machines originated?"

Luo Yan Jun replied, "Puro Province's first machines were right here. Waizhou's first machines were their own creation, but the first *good* machines were sent by us. I don't remember where they were sent."

She claimed not to remember, but Li Qi did.

There was a textile factory that had once been a landmark in the industrial history of the Huan Kingdom!

Inside that textile factory existed a special space, which was very likely an entrance to Neizhou!

No wonder Li Qi had always felt the layout of the surrounding factory buildings was familiar; the equipment here was exactly like that in Ruirong Textile Factory.

Ruirong Textile Factory originated from Neizhou.

Neizhou might launch its troops from there.

Once Li Qi understood the war's location, he knew what to do next.

If Neizhou caught Waizhou by surprise in this battle and won, the pro-war faction would undoubtedly gain absolute dominance, and Luo Lijun would most likely lose her life.

If Neizhou lost this battle, the pro-war faction would certainly lose influence, giving Luo Lijun a chance to recover.

Li Qi said, "I will do my best with this matter. After it's done, Miss Luo, please do not go back on your word."

Luo Yan Jun asked Ma Wu, "My 'flavor' isn't inferior to my sister's, is it?"

Ma Wu translated, "Miss Luo is talking about credibility."

Back at the Dark Star Bureau, Li Banfeng made a call and summoned Shen Jingye.

These past few days, whenever Shen Jingye heard news about Li Qi, he couldn't help but get excited. "Director Li, has the pugilist's ghost been captured?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "He's been captured, and I've dealt with him. You don't need to worry about that."

Shen Jingye was overjoyed. "I'll go write the report right away!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Don't rush to file that report. It's not the urgent matter."

Shen Jingye looked puzzled. "This isn't urgent? A ghost of that caliber could bring disaster to Yuezhou."

"Compared to a true disaster, this ghost is nothing," Li Banfeng said, his expression grave. "Neizhou is about to go to war, with Waizhou."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingye frowned.

"I told you this wouldn't be easy to resolve," Shen Jingye said, pulling out a cigarette and taking a puff. "Director Li, you've put me in a difficult position. I said from the start that this matter should be handled by Liao Zihui. What do we do now?"

Li Banfeng replied, "This has nothing to do with Liao Zihui. The matter at the Soda Kiln has been resolved. Neizhou won't start a war there, nor in Puro Province. Their war will begin at Ruirong Textile Factory."

Shen Jingye was stunned. "How is that possible? How could people from Neizhou bypass Puro Province to reach the textile factory?"

Li Banfeng chuckled. "Xiao Shen, are you still playing ignorant with me? The Ruirong Textile Factory has had so many incidents, yet it hasn't been demolished. You should know some of the reasons for that, shouldn't you? It's a passage between Neizhou and Waizhou. Do you think I genuinely don't know?"

Shen Jingye pursed his lips. "I only know a little about that situation, but we can't act solely on conjecture. There should be some basis, shouldn't there?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Don't ask for a basis. What you need to do now is inform those in authority and quickly prepare. Don't let Neizhou catch us off guard."

The situation was so sudden that Shen Jingye was already caught off guard. "If I just say this without any proof, how am I supposed to report it to my superiors?"

Li Banfeng smiled. "Then don't report it. Just wait for the war to begin, and we can watch the show together."

Shen Jingye dared not watch any show. Back in his office, he immediately contacted Director Du.

This time, the efficiency was truly high; Director Du replied that same afternoon.

Shen Jingye ran to Li Banfeng's office. "Director Du said he hopes to resolve the issue through negotiation as much as possible."

In short, they still hoped Li Banfeng could find a solution for them.

Li Banfeng refused immediately. "I've negotiated everything that could be negotiated. This is no longer an issue that can be solved through negotiation. The Sage has returned to Neizhou and is strongly advocating for war. To effectively prevent this war, the primary task now is to prepare our defenses."

Shen Jingye quickly relayed the message back to Director Du. Less than two hours later, Director Du's response came: the matter was of great importance, and the Dark Star Bureau was still expected to find concrete evidence.

Where was Shen Jingye supposed to find concrete evidence?

He had no choice but to find Li Qi again.

But Li Qi wasn't easy to find; he had already left work and gone to have barbecue with Tang Changfa, Yan Cui'er, and Yan Hong'er.

The next morning, Li Qi's phone was flooded with calls; the entire Dark Star Bureau was looking for him. Li Qi instructed Shen Jingye to reply directly that this was intelligence received through special channels and no concrete evidence could be found.

Shen Jingye shuttled back and forth, but Li Qi ignored all instructions from his superiors. Even when Du Wenming personally came calling, he was simply dismissed with a single sentence.

After three full days of back-and-forth, the situation within the Dark Star Bureau grew increasingly tense, and some information slowly began to leak out.

Li Qi remained unhurried. In the evening, he invited Tangyuan, Dengpao, and Zhong Er to his home for hotpot. Midway through the meal, Zhong Er produced a spiritual artifact that blocked out sounds between Li Qi's residence and the outside world.

This wasn't Puro Province, and spiritual artifacts shouldn't be casually displayed here. Tangyuan was startled. "Where did you get that? Did you follow proper procedures?"

Zhong Er straightened his expression. "The procedures were followed, but Captain Chen didn't sign!"

Tangyuan paused for a moment. "And you think that's acceptable? If Captain Chen didn't sign, what kind of procedure is that? You've got some nerve, kid. Why did Shan Xinger give you that thing?"

Shan Xinger was the administrator responsible for the security team's commonly used dark energy conduits.

Dengpao interjected, "Zhong Er promised to go shopping with her on the weekend. Shan Xinger is an honest girl and has been tricked by Zhong Er several times already."

"Never mind that for now," Zhong Er said, looking at Li Qi. "Director Li, I heard there's going to be a war?"

Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

Zhong Er didn't answer, instead asking, "Is the war going to start at Ruirong Textile Factory?"

Li Banfeng looked surprised. "You even know that?"

Tangyuan and Dengpao were also surprised. They had heard about the impending war, but they truly knew nothing about Ruirong Textile Factory.

"This isn't something I heard; it's my deduction," Zhong Er explained. "If Neizhou makes a move, I think the Ruirong Textile Factory is the most likely location. I've always suspected it's the entrance to Neizhou."

"Tell me how you deduced that."

Li Banfeng listened carefully to Zhong Er's reasoning.

Ever since Li Banfeng assigned Zhong Er to investigate the Ruirong Textile Factory, Zhong Er had been working on the task continuously until that day, never stopping.

Li Banfeng believed that within the entire Dark Star Bureau, and even extending to its upper echelons, probably no one understood Ruirong Textile Factory better than Zhong Er.

He pieced together all official documents and popular rumors, arriving at a conclusion: "The Ruirong Textile Factory was established with assistance from Neizhou. From a technical standpoint, this factory maintained a leading position from its construction for several decades. In the early last century, such technology was clearly ahead of its time."

Zhong Er's conclusion was largely consistent with Luo Yan Jun's description.

Tangyuan listened intently. "Is it possible that Neizhou sent people to Yuezhou, providing technical concepts and designs, which then led to the construction of this factory?"

Zhong Er shook his head. "I once came to that conclusion as well. However, I later saw many reports indicating that Ruirong Textile Factory's exceptionally high production efficiency attracted the attention of numerous experts. During the equipment's service life, Yuezhou even formed expert groups to specifically study its operational mechanisms. After the equipment was decommissioned, experts still tried to replicate the mechanical parts, but they all failed because most of the metal materials in the steam equipment exceeded the technological capabilities of the time. This factory was not built in Yuezhou, as Yuezhou at that time couldn't even procure the materials to construct it. The factory was directly moved out of Neizhou. Through what channel could an entire factory be moved? Based on my deduction, there's only one possibility: Ruirong Textile Factory is an exit from Neizhou to Yuezhou, a direct connection to Yuezhou that bypasses Puro Province."

Dengpao ate a slice of lamb and shook his head. "I don't understand. Yuezhou and Neizhou are separated by Puro Province; there's no geographical point of contact between them. How could Neizhou bypass Puro Province and create an exit in Yuezhou?"

Zhong Er chose not to answer that question for the moment. "Neizhou's structure cannot be measured by our familiar concepts of direction and distance. Director Li, if my deduction is correct, what we should do now is deploy defenses at Ruirong Textile Factory."

Li Banfeng nodded. "You're right. Neizhou's war initiation point is indeed the Ruirong Textile Factory. The Bureau has already received this information and relayed it to the higher-ups, who are currently still looking for concrete evidence."

Zhong Er didn't understand. "Things have progressed this far, and they're still looking for evidence? By the time the enemy truly attacks, there will be evidence, but will it be too late to prepare then?"

Dengpao put tripe into the pot. "We don't need to worry about this."

"How can we not worry!" Zhong Er was very anxious. "In our current state, can we really fight a war? At least in the Dark Star Bureau, I don't see any state of readiness for battle."

Dengpao fished out the tripe. "If there's no state of readiness, how did you get news about a war? This is intentionally leaking information to us so we can prepare for battle. So, we should eat our fill and drink well tonight. Once the fighting actually starts, will you still expect to eat this? You'll be lucky to have compressed biscuits!"

Tangyuan prepared a separate dipping sauce for Li Banfeng. "Even if war really breaks out, we might not necessarily have to participate, right?"

Zhong Er couldn't eat anymore. "Are we really preparing for war? I'm genuinely worried that we'll be caught completely unprepared and utterly defenseless."

Dengpao shook his head. "To say we're completely unprepared would be an exaggeration."

Zhong Er said, "I'm not exaggerating. Every day after work, I go to check on the Ruirong Textile Factory. Besides the few cordon lines that were set up, there isn't even a single sentry around the factory grounds. Who could believe this looks like preparation for war? I genuinely fear that Neizhou will attack while we're still searching for evidence!"

Zhong Er's words made Tangyuan a bit nervous as well; even the freshly cooked tripe no longer tasted good in her mouth.

Dengpao remained calm, speaking as he ate. "Some matters definitely need to be verified constantly, because no one wants to take responsibility. But for other matters, preparations will certainly be made, because some responsibilities are too great for anyone to bear. You should go to Puro Province sometime and see how many variables there are every day, and how General Envoy Liao deals with them all. We've had too many peaceful days here. Puro Province doesn't have a single day of peace. Go and observe for a few days, and you'll understand some things."

Li Qi smiled at his words.

He wasn't mocking Dengpao, but because what Dengpao said was indeed true.

Having gone to Puro Province, he had changed greatly. He could see some matters very clearly now.

"Don't go back to the textile factory during this time; it's really dangerous there," Dengpao reminded Zhong Er.

Zhong Er sighed. "Even if I don't go, others will. The roads around the textile factory reopened to traffic a long time ago. Yesterday, I even saw some dark energy enthusiasts going to the factory to 'check in.'"

Dengpao frowned. "They're seeking death, let them go. I'm advising you kindly, you must listen!"

After dinner, Zhong Er didn't go home. Lacking a car, he took the subway back to Ruirong Textile Factory.

Perhaps Dengpao was right, but since Director Li had confirmed the war's location, Zhong Er decided to take leave from the Bureau starting that day and stake out the area near Ruirong Textile Factory by himself.

If war truly broke out, even if he died instantly at the start, as long as he could send out a signal and gain a moment's preparation time before he perished, his life would be worth it.

Zhong Er's resolve to protect this world and everything important within it had never wavered.

At three in the morning, six young men and women, dressed in Western robes and carrying magic staffs and crystal balls, arrived together in front of the textile factory.

They planned to cross the cordon and perform a mysterious ritual inside the factory. The purpose of the ritual might be for spiritual communication, for prayer, or to receive guidance from a certain entity.

Ever since the textile factory's restrictions were loosened, this site, prone to supernatural occurrences, had once again become a popular spot for dark energy enthusiasts to "check in."

Crouching behind a pile of stones, Zhong Er frowned. He was ready to immediately persuade these dark energy enthusiasts to leave. If they didn't listen, he would simply subdue them!

Just as he was about to step out of the bushes, Zhong Er suddenly felt the ground tremble beneath his feet.

Was he poisoned? Or had he been hit by some kind of control technique? Had the enemy attacked?

Zhong Er pulled out the flare gun from his pocket. He continuously adjusted his center of gravity, trying to steady himself before firing.

The six dark energy enthusiasts, lacking such good physical conditioning, all fell to the ground. They tried to stand up several times but failed.

Had they also been hit by a technique? No.

As Zhong Er adjusted his center of gravity, he realized his body was fine. The reason he felt the ground trembling was because the ground truly was shaking violently.

A rumble! A muffled sound echoed.

A band of blue-white light enveloped the ground, making it impossible for Zhong Er to open his eyes.

This was earthquake light!

Zhong Er, rich in common sense, realized this was an earthquake. He wanted to save the young people at the factory gate, but the earth's trembling became more violent, making every step incredibly difficult.

Sand and dust rose, obscuring Zhong Er's vision.

Screams erupted ceaselessly, rising and falling around him.

Zhong Er fell to the ground and heard the sound of stones colliding.

The pile of stones had collapsed!

Zhong Er was less than two meters from the stone pile. As a second-tier pugilist, he was confident that self-rescue wouldn't be difficult.

Through the dust, he saw the outlines of falling stones; the outlines first approached, then receded.

Someone had saved him, leading him away from the stone pile.

The earthquake lasted for three full minutes. To Zhong Er, these three minutes felt like three years. During the most violent phase of the tremor, Zhong Er couldn't even control his own breathing.

As the earthquake gradually subsided, Zhong Er struggled to look up and saw the person who had rescued him.

"Director..." Zhong Er saw Li Qi, and also the dark energy enthusiasts who had been courting death.

The enthusiasts lay on the ground, wailing hysterically, not from pain, but from sheer terror.

Li Qi led them away from the factory area, left them on an empty lot across the road, and paid them no further mind. He pulled Zhong Er up and quickly moved away from Ruirong Textile Factory.

Zhong Er asked, "Was that an earthquake just now?"

Li Qi said, "It was an earthquake, but not a natural disaster."

"So Neizhou attacked? Has the war started?" Zhong Er picked up his flare gun again.

Li Banfeng looked back at the rising plumes of smoke and dust, shaking his head. "The war is already over."

The dust gradually cleared, revealing cracks in the textile factory walls, but they had not collapsed, a result of some controlled force.

Within the factory grounds, hundreds of drones soared into the sky, searching for any surviving remnants of the enemy.