Chapter 573: Unique Pro Province

Lu Boss took Yu Yaoming to Lu's Bookstore, a newly opened shop in Yunxiu District of Yuezhou City. The sign still read "Lu's Bookstore," and its layout was very similar to those in Puro Province.

Yu Yaoming was settled in the second-floor storeroom, wolfing down a bowl of beef with rice.

"Don't rush, there's more after this," Lu Boss said, placing a box of meat pies in front of Yu Yaoming.

Yu Yaoming grabbed a pie and devoured it in two bites, gagging and rolling his eyes.

Lu Boss brought him a bowl of lamb soup and smiled, "This is lamb soup and meat pie from Qianyue Tower in Lǜshui City. Try it."

Yu Yaoming took a couple of sips of soup, washing down the pie. "This pie is good, and the soup too—it's really delicious. Where is Lǜshui City?"

Lu Boss chuckled, "Haven't you been to Puro Province?"

Yu Yaoming shook his head. Not only had he never been there, he hadn't even heard of it.

Lu Boss felt Yu Yaoming wasn't telling the truth. "If you haven't been to Puro Province, who taught you your skills?"

Yu Yaoming paused. "Are you talking about the power of wisdom? I acquired this myself through research!"

"You acquired it yourself?" Lu Boss smiled. "Have you been to a place similar to Puro Province? Like a foreign version of Puro Province, perhaps?"

Yu Yaoming shook his head. "I don't even know which country Puro Province is in."

"I'll take you to Puro Province to see for yourself." Lu Boss stood up, went to the storeroom door, took out a piece of white paper, picked up a brush, and wrote a document.

The main text of the document was written in small, neat script, with a slightly larger title. Yu Yaoming saw the words "Customs Clearance."

In an instant, the document was complete. A large seal suddenly appeared in Lu Boss's hand, and he stamped the document. The size and material of the seal were quite extraordinary.

The seal vanished as quickly as it appeared. Lu Boss took the document to the door, slipped it through the crack, and it was taken by someone unknown.

A short while later, Lu Boss opened the storeroom door and led Yu Yaoming out.

Outside the door, it was still the bookstore, with almost no change in its furnishings. But once they stepped outside the bookstore, Yu Yaoming was dumbfounded.

The wide street in front of the bookstore was gone, replaced by a dirt road. The constant traffic had disappeared, and only an occasional ox cart passed by. Across the road were vast farmlands. It was harvest season, and many farmers could be seen working in the fields.

Yu Yaoming asked, "How did you move your bookstore from the city to the countryside? Did you use a wormhole? A wormhole connecting two different spaces!"

Lu Boss chuckled, "Do you think we just moved from the city to the countryside?"

Yu Yaoming indeed thought so. He was a farmer's son, and his hometown was in the countryside, so these sights were not unfamiliar to him, though people's attire was slightly different.

Lu Boss said, "This is Taoyuan Town, a peaceful place where neither noble families nor gangs can interfere. It's the quietest and best place in all of Puro Province."

"So this is Puro Province?" Yu Yaoming still found it hard to believe.

Lu Boss closed the bookstore door. "I'll take you to another place."

He led Yu Yaoming around the third row of bookshelves, returned to the bookstore entrance, opened the door again, and the scene outside changed once more.

The vast farmland had been replaced by a large area of two- and three-story buildings. In the distance were some taller structures. Lu Boss pointed to a five-story building and said, "That's Bǎi Lè Mén, the landmark of Puro Province."

"A five-story building is a landmark?" Yu Yaoming felt his remark was rude and quickly explained, "I'm just curious, I didn't mean to offend."

Lu Boss shook his head and smiled, "There are taller buildings, like the Peace Tower. But people in Puro Province have their own preferences; we don't necessarily think taller is better."

Yu Yaoming wanted to take a look near Bǎi Lè Mén. As soon as he stepped onto the road, he heard a crisp ringing: "Ding, ding!"

A rickshaw puller passed by him. Yu Yaoming was stunned. "In this era, there's still this kind of transportation?"

Lu Boss didn't say much. Yu Yaoming observed for a moment and realized that there wasn't a single car on this road.

"In Huán Nation, how could there still be such—" He didn't know whether to use the word "backward."

Lu Boss finished his sentence for him. "This isn't Huán Nation, and you can't simply describe Puro Province as backward. Here, some technological means are restricted, so we have to develop our civilization through other channels."

"The channels you're talking about are—" Before he could finish, Yu Yaoming saw a woman emerge from a nearby teahouse.

The woman wore a short-sleeved aquamarine cheongsam with peony and cloud patterns. Its silhouette was light and form-fitting, with exquisite and delicate frog buttons, piping, and embroidery, showcasing her graceful figure while maintaining a dignified presence. Her hairstyle was the most popular finger wave in Puro Province, with waves flowing from left to right, perfectly suiting her refined features, as if she were a talented socialite straight out of a movie.

"A talented socialite—that description truly fits her," Yu Yaoming couldn't help but say aloud, for he had never seen such an ethereal woman.

Lu Boss asked from beside him, "Why do you think this person is talented?"

Yes, why? Yu Yaoming didn't know this woman at all, so why did he conclude she was talented?

It was the book. She was holding a book, a hardcover book.

Yu Yaoming couldn't make out the title, but he felt the book looked perfectly suited in her hands.

"Wisdom aligns so perfectly with her aura; such a woman is destined to be full of talent." Yu Yaoming was a physics professor, but he was also a man, and he couldn't help but steal a few more glances at this beautiful woman.

The beautiful woman seemed to notice Yu Yaoming's gaze and smiled at him.

Yu Yaoming shyly lowered his head.

Was she greeting me? How could that be? She doesn't know me, and my appearance is so ordinary. How could she be interested in me?

Perhaps it's because of scholarship. Could she also see the aura of wisdom about me? Maybe it really is like that…

Yu Yaoming raised his head again, a hint of confidence and expectation in his eyes. He still believed in the power of wisdom.

He saw the talented socialite approach a steamed bun stall. She ate six entire baskets of steamed buns in less than two minutes. They weren't small buns; they were from large steamers.

Yu Yaoming's mouth dropped open. From that moment until the next ten-odd minutes, his mouth remained open. During that time, a dragonfly flew into Yu Yaoming's mouth, but his mouth still didn't close.

After eating her fill, the socialite wiped the grease from her mouth and, with dignified steps, entered a nearby jewelry store.

Looking through the jewelry store window, the socialite snatched up the book in her hand and smashed the display window glass.

A burly man came to apprehend her, but the socialite snatched up her book and beat the man from inside the store to outside. The man's cheekbones were caved in, his face disfigured, and he lay flat on the ground, whether dead or alive, was unclear.

The socialite pulled out a burlap sack from her cheongsam, gathered the jewelry from the counter into the bag, hoisted it onto her shoulder, and walked out of the store.

Six burly men chased her out of the jewelry store. The young woman grabbed her book and fought the six men.

Lu Boss exclaimed, "A book can be used as a shield, deflecting most weapon attacks. Especially a hardcover book: use one corner to strike a head, and it can directly pierce the skull. Look, that man's brains are spilling out. A book can also be disassembled; each page can be pulled out and used as a sharp blade. The sharpness of the paper is astonishing. Look, that man's throat has been slit. And hidden poisons can be placed between the pages, used to ambush enemies as the book opens and closes. Look at that man again, his eyes are bleeding; he's been poisoned. Do you see now? This is the power of books! This is the power of wisdom!"

As he spoke, the socialite had already defeated the six burly men and continued to sprint down the street. From Yu Yaoming's observation, at least three of the six men were dead.

A scrawny old man caught up with the socialite, took a deep drag from his pipe, and blew a puff of smoke towards her. The socialite caught fire. She had techniques to protect herself, but not her clothes; her cheongsam was completely burned away.

She didn't care much about her cheongsam being burned, but when the bag ripped, she felt heartbroken. Naked, she picked up a few pieces of jewelry from the ground and continued to run. The old man, pipe in hand, continued the chase.

Qin Xiaopang (Little Fatty Qin) ran over from the street corner, learned the situation, and rallied a few people to surround the woman. Professor Yu Yaoming, a ruthless man who had even killed people at academic conferences, still found his mouth agape. He pointed at the robbed jewelry store and asked Lu Boss, "Mm-mm, ah-ah, ah!"

Lu Boss nodded. "This is how it is in Puro Province."

"Oh dear, oh dear, ah-ah?"

"Don't worry," Lu Boss replied. "Even if she's caught, she might not be killed. She could be sent to a brothel to pay off debts, or perhaps, thanks to her skills, she might be taken in as a bodyguard or enforcer."

"Ah, ha, ha, ah?"

"There are no laws in Puro Province."

"Uh-huh, mm-ah-ah."

Lu Boss sighed. "Because the Lord of Puro likes Puro Province this way."

"What is your Puro Province called?" Li Banfeng asked, holding a notepad. He was interrogating Goncharova. From a legal standpoint, the Birch Hermitage had become the most significant breakthrough in the investigation of Du Wenming, as the Dark Star Bureau had already apprehended a high-ranking member.

Goncharova was very cooperative. "In our country, there's a place called the Sleeping Land that's somewhat similar to Puro Province. I grew up in the Sleeping Land."

"Did you also gain your power in the Sleeping Land?"

Goncharova shook her head. "I don't know the source of my power. According to Belobog's people, the descendants of Chernobog carry an ignoble bloodline. This is a curse upon our destiny."

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "What do you mean by Belobog and Chernobog?"

Goncharova's Huánese was poor, and she struggled to express herself. Shen Jingye suggested Li Banfeng call for an interpreter, but Li Banfeng refused. Ever since the incident involving the Nine Chambers, Li Banfeng no longer easily trusted interpreters. He preferred to hear Goncharova's description directly.

"In the Sleeping Land, two groups of people live. One group is the people of the light god Belobog; their bloodline symbolizes happiness and goodness. The other group is the descendants of the dark god Chernobog—that's us. Our bloodline symbolizes disaster and illness."

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "So, the people of the light god are the Lavsha people, and the people of the dark god are the indigenous inhabitants of the Sleeping Land. Is that right?"

Goncharova nodded. "That's how you can understand it. All people of Chernobog, from the day they learn to speak, must learn to repent for their bloodline. After the age of ten, we must not only repent with words but also with actions. We have to follow our parents to the coldest, most severe places and perform the hardest labor until the day we die, only then can our sins be atoned for."

The projector in Li Banfeng's pocket diligently recorded every word. He felt that this passage alone was enough to make a movie.

Li Banfeng asked, "Have you never thought of resisting?"

"Some have thought about it, but most don't dare. The people of the light god Belobog have very powerful weapons, and they are very strong. They often fight naked in the snow during cold winters, even battling white bears. We are all very afraid of them. A few among us have resisted, but no one has succeeded. All resistors are executed in the most brutal ways."

"Your resistance failed because of their strength?"

"No, actually, they weren't strong at all; we just imagined them to be too strong," Goncharova said, gritting her teeth. "Until one day, war broke out in the Sleeping Land. The true bloodline of the dark god Chernobog attacked, and only then did we realize how vulnerable they were."

"What is the true bloodline of Chernobog?"

Goncharova shook her head. "I don't know how to describe them. I was very young when that war happened. I remember them spewing black smoke and fire, some like giant dragons, others like unknown monsters. In less than a month, the people of the light god Belobog were defeated, and more than half of the Sleeping Land was occupied by those monsters."

Giant creatures spewing fire and black smoke sounded somewhat like the Centipede Workshop Li Banfeng had encountered. In Li Banfeng's understanding, these monsters should be Innerlanders, but he didn't know if their Innerland, and the Innerland Puro Province faced, were the same group of people.

"What happened next? How did the war end?"

"Belobog's people conscripted our people and formed a suicide squad. My father joined the fight. The war lasted for two full years. Most of my people died, but those monsters retreated. They took half of the Sleeping Land and left the other half behind."

Li Banfeng said, "So you got your own homeland?"

"No, the remaining half of the Sleeping Land still belonged to the people of the light god Belobog."

"Didn't you have your own army then?"

"That wasn't our army. They selected a few individuals from the military who had earned merits and were willing to obey them. They had their sins absolved and became people of the light god. They became accomplices of those people, and these individuals treated us even more cruelly than the original group."

Li Banfeng could certainly imagine that.

"Didn't your father also participate in the war?"

"He died on the battlefield. My mother and I ultimately gained nothing. The only thing my father left me was his power. He gave the method of acquiring this power to my mother, and my mother taught it to me."

"What method?"

Goncharova was reluctant to speak, but seeing Li Banfeng's impassive face and feeling waves of chill, she abandoned the idea of concealing anything. "Deep within the Sleeping Land, there's a wind chime-like flower that blooms only once a year, for just one night. On the night it blooms, prepare fish from the White-Eyed Fish and blood from a Unicorn Deer. First, sing a song to bless the God of Melody, then eat ten Wind Chime Flowers, and you will gain the power of the God of Melody."

"Why didn't your father tell you this method earlier?"

"Because the method is very dangerous. My mother told me that many who ate the Wind Chime Flowers died, and only a few survived. But my teacher told me that if I wanted to break free from the chains on my body, I needed enough power, so I decided to take the risk."

"Who is your teacher?"

"Migalov, the president of the Birch Hermitage. He risked his life to lead us, a group of people blessed by the gods, out of the Sleeping Land. He brought us hope; he wants to give us a true home of our own."

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand her meaning. "If you want to build a home of your own, why did you leave your homeland?"

Goncharova explained, "The Sleeping Land doesn't belong to us. We're looking for a better homeland."

"Have you found it?"

"Yes, we found it! It's in Puro Province! The environment there is similar to the Sleeping Land, but it's not enslaved by outsiders. One day, it will become our land!"

As she spoke, Goncharova became very agitated. After speaking, she felt some regret. She recalled something: according to the information she possessed, Li Banfeng seemed to be from Puro Province. Li Banfeng, with a smile on his face, said, "It's fine, madam, please continue. Besides Puro Province, couldn't you find any other places?"

Seeing Li Banfeng's sincere smile, Goncharova truly believed he had left Puro Province and didn't have strong feelings for it. Little did she know, Li Banfeng's last shred of sympathy for her had vanished.

Goncharova said, "There's no better place than Puro Province. Other countries, like Amikan Nation, Ingley Nation, and Otrily Nation, also have places similar to the Sleeping Land. Their living conditions are slightly better than ours, but the fundamental nature hasn't changed. Only Puro Province is an exception. However, the president also reminded us that Puro Province is so special because its people are tougher than those elsewhere. They also experienced a war against the dark gods and emerged victorious. Conquering the formidable Puro Province is a very arduous task."

Puro Province had fought a war against the dark gods? It seemed that the "dark gods" Goncharova spoke of referred to the Innerlanders. Puro Province had defeated the Innerlanders?

"When was this war between Puro Province and the dark gods?"

Goncharova said, "I don't know. Puro Province has no history. What the president heard was just a rumor. But the time shouldn't be too long ago, perhaps twenty or thirty years, or a bit further back."

Shen Jingye reminded Li Banfeng from the side, "Don't forget the main task: ask about Du Wenming."

The matter of Du Wenming had to be investigated starting from their high-ranking members. According to Goncharova's confession, Li Banfeng obtained the list of the six elders of the Birch Hermitage and learned the identities of Snow Blossom Wharf's three leaders.

It was commonly known that the First Master was the Peddler. The Second Master was Mr. Kongfang, a direct disciple of the Peddler. Goncharova knew nothing of his sect, cultivation, or abilities. The Third Master was Du Wenming, nicknamed "Silver Coin Wanderer" at Snow Blossom Wharf, and also a direct disciple of the Peddler.

Du Wenming was a dancer-cultivator. Was the Peddler also a dancer-cultivator? He carries a rattle drum, shaking it while dancing—that wouldn't be impossible.

Li Banfeng asked Goncharova, "Have you ever met the Peddler?"

"Never," Goncharova shook her head. "I've been to Puro Province several times, and each time I tried to find the Peddler, but I never encountered him."

"Have you met Mr. Kongfang?"

"No, the highest-ranking person I know at Snow Blossom Wharf is Du Wenming."

"Did you cooperate with Snow Blossom Wharf just because you needed money?"

"Yes, our research requires significant funding. Snow Blossom Wharf is willing to provide us with funds, but on the condition that we share the technology with them."

"What kind of technology?"

Goncharova shook her head. "I don't know. Within the Hermitage, no one except the president knows what this secret technology truly is. We only know it's the key to conquering Puro Province."

The key to conquering Puro Province! Migalov had a set of photos detailing the derivation process for researching the nature of boundaries. Based on this, it seemed the Hermitage's research aimed to find a way to control boundaries, intending to use it to control Puro Province. Of course, this wasn't limited to theoretical research. Li Banfeng also saw a rough design sketch in the photos, depicting a device or structure meant to breach boundaries.

This series of research required vast amounts of capital, to the point where both Snow Blossom Wharf and the Birch Hermitage were financially exhausted. Du Wenming also seemed to have lost patience with the Hermitage. His abduction of Yu Yaoming was likely because he coveted Yu Yaoming's research results. Naturally, Yu Yaoming's expenses were also considerable, requiring costly Heart Stones and the purchase of much expensive equipment. Fortunately, neither the Heart Stones nor the equipment went to waste; Li Banfeng had kept them safe for them.

Between Yu Yaoming and the Birch Hermitage, which one had found the correct answer? Regardless, Li Banfeng felt he was getting closer to the correct answer. If only he could conduct an experiment.

Lu Boss brought Yu Yaoming to the edge of Lǜshui Bay. "Not far ahead is Mazhu Village, which belongs to Yaowang Ravine."

Yu Yaoming thought he would see new things in Mazhu Village and, without a second thought, walked straight ahead.

Lu Boss quickly stopped him, pointing ahead. "There's a boundary there. Walking across like that is suicide."

Yu Yaoming looked closely. Indeed, there was a barren line on the desolate mountain.

Lu Boss picked up a pebble and threw it across. The moment the pebble crossed the boundary, it turned into a puff of dust.

"This is the boundary," Lu Boss said, dusting off his hands. "Do you see its power?"

Yu Yaoming wasn't too surprised. "I've had that feeling before—the feeling of turning to ash."

Lu Boss shook his head. "I don't want you to turn to ash. I want you to find a way to cross the boundary."

Yu Yaoming thought for a moment. "You already have a method. Your bookstore already possesses the ability to cross boundaries."

"Not relying on my bookstore, but a true passage—what you called a wormhole," Lu Boss said, pulling out a blueprint. "This is the laboratory I've chosen for you. See if you're satisfied. Tell me all the experimental equipment you need, and I can deliver it to you quickly. I will give you ample assistance. I am definitely more reliable than Du Wenming."

Yu Yaoming pondered for a while. "I've known Du Wenming for quite some time, and he gave me a lot of help, which allowed me to achieve my current research results."

Lu Boss smiled. "We haven't known each other long, but Du Wenming is finished. As they say in the Outerlands, 'he's cold as ice.' Now, only I can help you."

Du Wenming caught two fish from a pond and roasted them over a fire. He was now penniless, with nowhere to go. Besides these fish, he had nothing. Given his cultivation, it shouldn't be hard to get some money, but many people were looking for him. If he showed his face, he would have to be ready to be caught. If one day, even the fish in the pond were gone, where would he go? All the fish were eaten—

Du Wenming smiled. He suddenly felt his thoughts were absurd, and everything before him was absurd. In just a few days, he had fallen to such a state.

Who was responsible for this? Where had he gone wrong? Du Wenming rubbed his temples, sorting through his recent misfortunes, when he heard a crisp, pleasant clinking sound.

*Clink-clink-clink*

It was copper coins!

Du Wenming immediately stood up and bowed deeply. "Senior Brother!"

A handful of copper coins dropped into Du Wenming's hand. From the darkness, a man's voice came, "Silver Coin Wanderer, not a single silver coin on you, truly a sorry sight."

Du Wenming lowered his head. "This junior is incompetent and has disgraced the Wharf."

The voice belonged to Snow Blossom Wharf's Second Master, Mr. Kongfang.

"Let's not talk about the Wharf's affairs while we're outside," Mr. Kongfang said. "I'm here because of our brotherhood. Feng Chongli will be coming to Yuezhou for business in a couple of days, bringing a few attendants with him. Blend in with them and return to Puro Province with him. We'll accomplish great things together."

Du Wenming gave a bitter laugh. "With things in Yuezhou having turned out like this, what else can be done after returning? Is there anything more important than the boundary?"

Mr. Kongfang replied, "The Wharf has found the whereabouts of the Mysterious Vermillion Lotus. This matter is as important as the boundary."

"Isn't the Mysterious Vermillion Lotus already in Li Banfeng's hands? Is there still a need to investigate this?"

"We might have gotten some things wrong before. The Lotus might not be in Li Banfeng's hands. Do you know a person named Sun Tiecheng?"

Du Wenming thought for a moment. "I've seen him in some records."

"Sun Tiecheng was the Lord of Fool's City, who once struck terror throughout Puro Province. It's said he not only took the Lotus but also the Iron Tendon Bamboo, which is the main ingredient for refining beginner-level medicinal powders."

Du Wenming looked up. "Is this about taking the First Master's position?"

"Indeed!" Mr. Kongfang sneered. "No matter how ruthless Sun Tiecheng is, for the sake of our First Master, we certainly cannot spare him!"