Chapter 628: Snow Dance

Li Banfeng boarded a special train the next day and arrived at the Darkstar Bureau on the fifth day of the lunar new year.

Upon entering his office, Li Banfeng called Director Shen: "Xiao Shen, come to my office for a moment." This time, Shen Jingye had no complaints, as Li Banfeng's rank had changed, making him a full level higher than Shen.

When they met, Shen Jingye first expressed his gratitude: "Director Li, I don't know how to repay your life-saving kindness. From now on, if you ever need my help with anything, just say the word."

The life-saving kindness he referred to was Li Qi's arrangements after he left Gourd Village. This series of arrangements provided a plausible explanation that allowed him to keep his position and avoid excessive investigation into the matter.

Li Banfeng smiled: "Who saved you? Director Shen, you bravely fought and escaped from the dark dimensional space yourself." Shen Jingye sighed: "Things have smoothed over, and I'm fine, but the Darkstar Bureau is almost gone."

"What happened to the Darkstar Bureau?" The Darkstar Bureau had recently been highly efficient in handling cases and had even received commendations a while ago. Shen Jingye explained: "The higher-ups have established the Outer Radiance Bureau, which is about to take over all of the Darkstar Bureau's work."

"What's the Outer Radiance Bureau?"

Shen Jingye stated its full name: "Bureau of External Civilization Investigation and Research."

Upon hearing the name, Li Banfeng found it familiar: "How is this different from the Dark Matter Research Lab and the Darkstar Special Action Team? Isn't this just pointless fuss?" Shen Jingye sighed deeply: "Essentially, there's no difference. This signifies the higher-ups' determination to replace the Darkstar Bureau with another agency."

"Why do they insist on replacing the Darkstar Bureau?"

"Mainly because of its longevity. The Darkstar Bureau has been established for too long, leading to too many overlaps with Pro Province and Inner Province, and too many connections with domestic and international dark energy organizations. Many forces have already infiltrated the Darkstar Bureau."

Li Banfeng thought this was normal: "The Darkstar Bureau studies dark energy and dark matter. How could matters related to dark energy not permeate the Darkstar Bureau? If there was no infiltration at all, wouldn't the Darkstar Bureau become completely amateur? How would amateurs carry out their work?

And if we're talking about longevity, the Customs and Defense Hall has been around even longer and is more severely infiltrated. Why haven't they established a related organization to replace the Customs and Defense Hall?"

Shen Jingye replied: "One of the main reasons for replacing the Darkstar Bureau is to prevent it from becoming like the Customs and Defense Hall. The Customs and Defense Hall is indeed too severely infiltrated, to the point where many tasks can only be carried out by them. They are not only irreplaceable but also outsiders cannot intervene.

The higher-ups have sent outsiders several times to try and replace Liao Zihui, but the results were never very good, as you know."

Li Banfeng indeed knew this; Xia Shumin, the most prominent outsider, was ultimately removed by Chu Er due to a series of inappropriate actions.

However, Li Banfeng didn't understand one thing: "Why must outsiders interfere in the affairs of insiders? Isn't it better to let professionals handle professional matters?"

Shen Jingye raised his eyebrows, indicating some things couldn't be discussed further: "In short, the Outer Radiance Bureau has been established. They have already taken over the work previously handled by the Security Team, and a large volume of work is yet to be transferred to them.

Furthermore, the higher-ups have assigned you a position within the Outer Radiance Bureau; they want you to be the Supervisory Director of the Outer Radiance Bureau, with a rank and benefits one level higher than a director." Li Qi had a new position again.

"How is this different from my current situation? Isn't this just messing with me? They're worried that if I stay in the Darkstar Bureau too long, I'll also cause infiltration, right? So they just move me to another place, ensuring I don't have my own people under me, right?"

Shen Jingye nodded awkwardly; Li Banfeng had pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Li Banfeng leaned back in his chair, swiveling around several times: "After the Outer Radiance Bureau is established, what will happen to the Darkstar Bureau's personnel?" Shen Jingye replied: "That depends on your decision."

"How does my decision relate to them?"

"It's very significant. If you directly take up your new post at the Outer Radiance Bureau and relinquish your position at the Darkstar Bureau, the Darkstar Bureau will be disbanded within one to two years. I'll be transferred elsewhere to retire, and all Darkstar Bureau personnel will be reassigned to minor positions in other agencies."

"Minor positions?" Li Banfeng frowned. "Tangyuan, Dengpao, Zhong'er, Mijian, Haitang—these young people have just started showing promise, and they'll be given minor roles? What hope do they have for their future?"

Shen Jingye sighed: "After all, they are reassigned personnel; it's good enough if they have somewhere to go. They certainly can't expect to be highly regarded by others." "What about the Outer Radiance Bureau? Don't they need personnel?"

"The higher-ups have explicitly stated that the Outer Radiance Bureau does not need infiltrated personnel. You know about Ming Xing; he's young, but also a classic case of infiltration.

Investigations revealed that Ming Xing's parents were dark energy users and members of a dark energy organization in Lavsa. Before he joined, his parents did some groundwork, which led to our background checks being insufficient.

He infiltrated the Darkstar Bureau and carried out many harmful and destructive actions. This incident has provided justification, and nearly everyone in the Darkstar Bureau, including me, has been labeled as infiltrated. We won't be given important roles in any agency, let alone enter core institutions like the Outer Radiance Bureau."

Li Banfeng said: "What if I don't give up my position as Deputy Director of the Darkstar Bureau?"

Shen Jingye saw a glimmer of hope: "If you retain your position at the Darkstar Bureau, serving concurrently as Deputy Director while also taking up the role of Supervisory Director of the Outer Radiance Bureau, then with your current influence, the Darkstar Bureau as an institution would be preserved.

Although it might only perform auxiliary work for the Outer Radiance Bureau in the future, at least the people in the bureau would be able to stay, and within the Darkstar Bureau's scope, they could still see hope for promotion and a future."

This was what Shen Jingye wanted Li Banfeng's help with; even if it was just a nominal existence, he hoped to preserve the Darkstar Bureau. Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then asked: "What if I only retain my position at the Darkstar Bureau and decline the Outer Radiance Bureau's offer?"

Shen Jingye was stunned: "Then, the situation would be unique, and your future would..."

"My future?" Li Banfeng laughed. "Is my future dependent on this? Do you think I care?"

Shen Jingye momentarily forgot Li Qi's stance, but on second thought, he still felt it wouldn't work: "Director Li, doing this would put the higher-ups in a difficult position..."

Li Banfeng chuckled: "They are used to making things difficult for others; this time, I'll make things difficult for them. Tell them that I will only serve at the Darkstar Bureau, and in the future, all balancing work involving Pro Province and Inner Province will also remain with the Darkstar Bureau.

If the Outer Radiance Bureau insists on interfering, then for any matters concerning balanced individuals, they must address them on a case-by-case basis: first send a letter, then send a representative, and then discuss the related work." That afternoon, Shen Jingye conveyed Li Qi's stance to the higher-ups.

The higher-ups immediately organized a meeting and specifically invited Li Qi to attend. Li Qi didn't go; he had important official business to handle.

He called Tang Changfa, Yan Hong'er, and Yan Cui'er to his home for a hotpot meal.

Although it was still the New Year holiday, the black market had reopened. Tang Changfa had started a new business, making a good amount of money, but he wasn't particularly keen on it.

"Boss, those Western items have been selling like crazy lately. Before the New Year, I stocked a few sets of books on Western black magic. Each set cost me 10,000, and I resold them for 300,000!"

Li Banfeng chuckled: "You're just creating trouble. Aren't you afraid of ruining your own reputation by cheating people like this?"

Tang Changfa poured Li Banfeng a glass of wine: "Boss, I didn't cheat anyone. These books are the real deal. Yan Hong'er knows them well; she's mastered quite a few spells using them!" Li Banfeng was surprised: "Hong'er, what have you mastered?"

Yan Hong'er prepared dipping sauce for Li Banfeng. The sauce dish vanished from Yan Hong'er's hand and reappeared in front of Li Banfeng. Teleportation of objects!

Yan Hong'er said: "Boss, this isn't a trick or an illusion. This is genuine magic I learned from the black magic books." Li Banfeng asked Yan Hong'er: "Which cultivation path does this magic belong to?"

Yan Hong'er was stumped by the question: "Boss, these Western practices don't talk about cultivation paths. Besides our own Foolish Cultivation, I haven't practiced any others." Tang Changfa said: "Boss, see? This is the real deal, and anyone can learn it."

"Not everyone can learn it, right?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "Without any spiritual affinity, it's impossible to learn this."

"Just to learn this one spell, you don't need much spiritual affinity!" Tang Changfa waved his hand. "There are many medicine sellers in the black market. Spend a little money, buy some decent good medicine, accumulate a month's worth of spiritual affinity, and that's enough to learn this technique."

Compared to the cultivation paths of Pro Province, the threshold for Western magic was much lower. But why were such genuine and substantial books flowing into the black market at such low prices? "10,000 per book, where did you source them from?"

Yan Cui'er said: "They came from the Hundred Demons Workshop. You might not have heard of it, but the people there research everything. They might write a talisman today, draw a curse tomorrow, or stick pins in a voodoo doll the day after. They know a bit about all sorts of ancient and modern, Eastern and Western methods.

But the entry requirements for the Hundred Demons Workshop are quite high. They have rules that magic cannot be used indiscriminately. Before joining, one's character must be strictly scrutinized. Some people are said to have been vetted for over a decade and still haven't become official members."

Li Banfeng looked at the Western magic books Tang Changfa had brought: "Why would such a rule-abiding organization sell genuine magic textbooks?" Tang Changfa said: "I heard that some external bureau is investigating the Hundred Demons Workshop, and they've already arrested quite a few people there.

These books have now become incriminating evidence against them. They're unsafe to keep, but they're reluctant to destroy them, so they've just sold them cheaply to the black market. I think we shouldn't sell these books anymore; selling them might cause harm."

Yan Hong'er shook her head: "I don't think so. A kitchen knife can be used to harm people, but does that mean we shouldn't sell kitchen knives?" Yan Cui'er nodded: "Exactly. Besides, if we don't sell them, won't other places? Isn't that how business works?"

Li Banfeng looked at the magic books: "Don't rush to sell these books yet. You two learn them slowly, and we'll talk after you've mastered them.

Whatever the Hundred Demons Workshop wants to sell you, take it. Invest a bit more capital; don't let others snatch the business. Losing money isn't a problem; if you need more, just tell me." Tang Changfa thought for a moment: "It seems no one is competing with us for this business..."

"What do you mean, no one?" Yan Hong'er said. "Lu Family Bookstore also buys these books, and their offers are always higher than ours." Lu Family Bookstore.

Proprietor Lu also studied Western cultivation. Why was he researching this?

Proprietor Lu wrote all night, stretched, and blew out the oil lamp.

He no longer wrote sequels to *Embroidery Frost Collection*, not wanting to be bound by his previous writing style. He started a new book called *Spring Garden Night Talks*. While the prose still needed refining, he was very satisfied with the story's structure.

He had planned to sleep for a bit, but when he looked out the window, the east was already brightening, and dawn was near. Proprietor Lu simply opened the main door and prepared for business.

Early in the morning, few people visited the bookstore, and the proprietor didn't expect many customers. He picked up a copy of *Tale of Jade Fragrance* and began writing comments while reading. A woman in her early thirties, wearing a blue down jacket, sunglasses, and a mask, with long curly hair, entered the bookstore.

Proprietor Lu recognized the woman. She introduced herself as Liu, named Liu Cuishan, a member of the Hundred Demons Workshop. She had sold many genuine and valuable books here before.

Proprietor Lu poured the woman a cup of tea: "Are you here to buy or sell books today?"

Liu Cuishan's cheeks were slightly flushed, seemingly with some shame: "Today I'm here to sell something, but it's not a book. Would that be alright?" Proprietor Lu thought for a moment and said: "First, tell me, what kind of item is it?"

The woman took out a magic box, a common prop for magicians. The box had various hidden compartments and many mirrors at different angles, creating a visual trap.

For an ordinary person, holding this item wouldn't warrant a second glance; it was a professional tool with little inherent value.

But Proprietor Lu was an expert; he knew this item was a rare spiritual artifact.

"It's a good item. If you're not in a hurry to sell, you could leave it with me on consignment for a few days." The woman shook her head: "We can't wait; we need the money now."

Proprietor Lu frowned slightly: "If you're in a hurry to sell, I can't offer a very high price."

Liu Cuishan nodded: "I trust you. I'll take whatever price you offer."

Proprietor Lu examined the magic box carefully again: "My offer is..." His voice dragged out significantly, making Liu Cuishan's heart pound.

Proprietor Lu's heart was also stirring; he sensed a signal he was about to forget. "500,000." Proprietor Lu named his price.

Liu Cuishan nodded repeatedly: "Okay, I can accept that price. Shall we close the deal?" Proprietor Lu nodded and had his assistant prepare the cash for Liu Cuishan.

Liu Cuishan appreciated this the most: doing business with Proprietor Lu always meant cash payments. With 500,000 in cash in a bag, Liu Cuishan repeatedly thanked him, and Proprietor Lu offered her tea as she departed.

Although he was inwardly anxious, his politeness was impeccable. After seeing Liu Cuishan off, Proprietor Lu went to the second floor and told Yu Yaoming: "Du Wenming is out." Yu Yaoming was startled: "When did he get out?"

"Just now, I sensed it."

Yu Yaoming's face lit up with joy: "See? I wasn't boasting, was I? As long as he can find an exit, he'll definitely get out. Let's go ask him now how he found the exit..."

Proprietor Lu's face was expressionless, and Yu Yaoming suddenly felt a chill, prompting him to stop speaking.

"Your situation is very dangerous now. Du Wenming is likely to seek revenge on you. Do not leave the bookstore during this period." Proprietor Lu closed the door on the second floor, went downstairs to the main hall, walked twice around the second and first rows of bookshelves, then stamped a document with a jade seal and slipped it into the bookstore's door crack.

Walking out of the bookstore, Proprietor Lu arrived at Soda Kiln Passionfruit Road.

He walked swiftly, passing through the town, all the way to Sugar Orange Village. After walking more than twenty *li* east of the village, Proprietor Lu reached Sugar Orange Mountain.

Crossing Sugar Orange Mountain led to the border between Soda Kiln and Black Stone Slope. Du Wenming was sent into the wormhole at Black Stone Slope, so if he found an exit, he should have emerged from the Soda Kiln side.

According to Proprietor Lu's sensing, Du Wenming was still near the boundary.

Below Sugar Orange Mountain lay a dense forest, through which ran a boundary line over half a meter wide, barren of all vegetation. Proprietor Lu walked around the boundary for a moment. A slight accumulation of snow rustled down from the trees, and Proprietor Lu stopped. He took out a scroll of *Spring Garden Night Talks* from his clothes and gently tore off a page.

The page flew into the air with the cold wind, slowly tearing into pieces as it scraped against tree branches.

The shredded paper fragments fluttered in the cold wind for a moment, wrapping themselves in the snow on the ground and trees, transforming into beautiful women dressed in white gauze.

Hundreds of beauties, swords in hand, stood on high alert in the heavy snow. One beauty suddenly drew her sword, and Proprietor Lu thought she was engaging an enemy, but then saw the woman spin in place and begin to dance.

"The technique has improved!" Proprietor Lu praised.

This beauty was formed from a book page—or rather, not even a complete page, just a fragment, with very limited spiritual essence. Yet, even with this minimal spiritual essence, she was affected by Du Wenming's Dance Cultivation technique, indicating a significant change in Du Wenming's methods.

The beauty slid forward a step, bumped into another beauty, and that beauty began to dance too. In less than a minute, the beauties moved back and forth, surrounding Proprietor Lu, all dancing. Could the technique spread on its own?

Like an epidemic, capable of infecting others? This could truly be considered a heaven-sent technique.

Proprietor Lu wiggled his toes; even he felt an urge to dance.

A group of women raised their longswords and collectively thrust them towards Proprietor Lu.

These women were summoned by Proprietor Lu from the words in his book. Now, under the control of the Dance Cultivation technique, they were actually attacking Proprietor Lu.

Proprietor Lu stood his ground, reopening *Spring Garden Night Talks*. All the women, mid-approach, transformed back into paper fragments, piecing themselves together to become a page in the book. Deep in the forest, Du Wenming frowned slightly, a hint of resentment in his expression, yet still offered a compliment: "Scholar Badou, what a skill!"

Proprietor Lu patted the snow off a tree, smiling faintly: "Mr. Lu, I truly admire you. After all this time, you actually managed to walk out from the boundary. Let's forget all previous misunderstandings and come with me to the bookstore; we can discuss important matters."

Du Wenming sneered: "Didn't you throw me into a wormhole just to use me as a test subject? And now you talk about discussing important matters; you're far too hypocritical." Proprietor Lu nodded and smiled: "You have a point. Let's be more straightforward then. Come back to the bookstore with me, and I'll spare your life. How does that sound?" Du Wenming frowned: "If I don't go to the bookstore, you'll kill me?"

Proprietor Lu didn't deny it: "I certainly don't want the secrets of the boundary revealed." Du Wenming sighed: "You are truly ruthless!"

Proprietor Lu shook his head: "You can't blame me for being ruthless; you struck first. This enmity began the day you trespassed into my bookstore." Du Wenming looked at Proprietor Lu, then slid his feet, moving beside him, and began to dance, pulling Proprietor Lu along.

Proprietor Lu offered almost no resistance, twisting his waist and kicking his legs, dancing quite skillfully alongside Du Wenming.

Du Wenming performed his most familiar puppet dance. Proprietor Lu's body also became stiff like a puppet, with tight joints and difficult movement. Du Wenming's body trembled, his joints seeming to dislocate.

Proprietor Lu trembled in response; his joints actually dislocated, and he collapsed to the ground.

Du Wenming smiled, picked up Proprietor Lu, and moved to the edge of the boundary: "You used me as a test subject back then; today, I'll let you taste the boundary too." Just as he was about to throw Proprietor Lu onto the boundary line, he suddenly felt Proprietor Lu in his hands become lighter.

He glanced down and saw Proprietor Lu had transformed into a large scattering of paper fragments flying in all directions. This was not Proprietor Lu.

Where was the real Proprietor Lu?

Du Wenming was startled. He heard Proprietor Lu's voice: "Coming here was good; you have nowhere left to escape." The flying paper fragments transformed into three walls, surrounding Du Wenming from three sides.

Each wall was covered with densely packed characters. Every character held a weapon.

The character "情" (qíng, 'emotion') had its radical "竖心旁" (shùxīnpáng, vertical heart radical) transform into a long halberd, and the character "信" (xìn, 'trust') had its radical "单人旁" (dānrénpáng, single-person radical) become an iron dagger-axe. Innumerable characters were ready to strike at any moment. Proprietor Lu gave a final warning: "Come back to the bookstore with me, and I'll spare your life."

Du Wenming looked back behind him.

One side remained unwalled behind him: the boundary line.

Proprietor Lu smiled: "If you truly have that kind of backbone, then crash yourself to death on the boundary line, and I'll respect you as a man!" Du Wenming gritted his teeth, turned around, and leaped, indeed colliding with the boundary line.

The paper fragments dispersed, and Proprietor Lu reappeared, seeing that Du Wenming had vanished completely, leaving only a cloud of dust. Was he dead?

No. He was still alive.

Proprietor Lu carefully sensed the mark on Du Wenming. The signal from the mark had initially disappeared, but soon reappeared. Proprietor Lu looked to the other side of the boundary, where a figure, moving with stiff steps, quietly vanished into the dense forest.

Du Wenming crossed the boundary?

Proprietor Lu was very surprised. He hadn't expected Du Wenming to be able to actively enter the boundary and quickly leave it. Without the aid of equipment, he had actually mastered a way to cross the boundary.

Where was he going? What was he planning to do? Proprietor Lu felt some regret.

I shouldn't have been lenient just now. I wanted to keep him alive too much.

But on second thought, it wasn't wrong to do so. Du Wenming was a person worth keeping alive.

In Chu Yaoxian's territory, He Jiaqing secretly observed the three-headed people who were clearing land. "Li Qi only gave you a thousand people?"

Chu Yaoxian nodded: "He gave Dou Jiyan two thousand, but only gave me one thousand. He probably still holds a grudge about He Yuxiu's past actions."

He Jiaqing strongly agreed: "He really is someone who holds grudges. You might not know this, but these three-headed people are not only excellent at clearing land, they are also very good warriors."

Chu Yaoxian said: "I've heard that when Qiqiu City was first built, the three-headed people helped Li Qi defeat Chu Shaoqiang. They are physically very strong, but they have no cultivation whatsoever. Even if they're just 'white lambs,' they can still fight very well."

He Jiaqing shook his head: "Far from it. I obtained a top-secret document in the Outer State about an introductory powder there, something called a 'Guiding Agent,' which allows three-headed people to gain access to cultivation paths and cultivation levels.

With this Guiding Agent, they can be trained into formidable warriors. These thousand three-headed people can defeat dozens of Cloud Cultivators, or even more." "Dozens?" Chu Yaoxian was very surprised.

He Jiaqing explained further: "The prerequisite is thorough training and proper tactical planning. It's a very complex process."

Chu Yaoxian didn't fully understand these processes, but she knew the ownership of these three-headed people: "Li Qi and I signed a contract; these three-headed people are still his personnel, merely lent to me." He Jiaqing smiled: "Loyalty isn't determined by a piece of paper. These three-headed people have suffered a lot; as long as we treat them sincerely, they will absolutely not let us down."

A group of three-headed people finished preparing for land clearing, and the assessment was about to begin.

He Jiaqing reminded Chu Yaoxian: "Control the pace of land clearing appropriately, and try not to provoke Inner Province."

Chu Yaoxian was also worried about this: "Half of my contracts are still in Inner Province; they will come looking for me about this sooner or later."

"I've already thought about this. Inner Province is currently facing a plague, making some matters inconvenient to handle. After some time, I will find a way to retrieve your contracts from Inner Province."

A tiger with antlers arrived at the edge of the plot, ready to begin the assessment.

Its steps were very strange, stopping at each step, as if its joints were problematic. Its body expanded and contracted, as if it were conforming to a special rhythm. Seeing this, Chu Yaoxian said: "What strange trick is this tiger trying? He's a master at assessments, probably trying to use an illusion to deceive people."

He Jiaqing observed for a moment and said: "Make the tiger leave here."

Chu Yaoxian said: "This is an assessment, and he's an exotic creature. If I stop him, it will go against the rules." "He's under a technique!"

As he spoke, the tiger walked over to a rabbit.

The rabbit didn't flee. Instead, it also moved with strange steps, approaching the plot just like the tiger.

"This is the Dance Cultivation technique!" Chu Yaoxian exclaimed in shock. She herself was a dance cultivator and could see faint traces of the technique on the tiger and rabbit, but she had never seen such dance steps.

She could also use the Dance of Peace and Prosperity to make those around her dance.

But a tiger affected by the Dance of Peace and Prosperity could make a rabbit dance with it; this was the first time she had seen such a technique.

"I'll try to resolve it..." Before Chu Yaoxian could finish speaking, He Jiaqing suddenly appeared behind the tiger, throwing two nails from more than ten meters away.

One of the nails struck the tiger's body, and the other struck the rabbit's body.

Both the tiger and the rabbit were exotic creatures from the new land, with exceptionally robust bodies, so two nails weren't enough to kill them. He Jiaqing's index and middle fingers twitched, forming a pincer-like gesture.

The two nails transformed into two thick branches, over a meter long. The tiger and rabbit were impaled by the branches and both died. The three-headed people were stunned by this scene. They didn't know He Jiaqing, nor did they understand what method had been used on the tiger and rabbit.

He Jiaqing walked deep into the forest and met Du Wenming under a willow tree.