Chapter 732: Her Tao Sect (Nuclear Energy Sustain)

Chen Changrui meticulously explained the document's contents to Li Banfeng. This advisory document offered a detailed analysis and exposition concerning Tu Fang Nation's upcoming dispatch of envoys.

Outer State highly valued this matter, which was inherently significant as it affected the future standing of Pro Province, Outer State, and Shang Nation. Yet, Li Banfeng found himself unable to concentrate.

Ah Yu's words echoed in his mind, and he was consumed by thoughts about the origin of the boundaries.

A single individual controlled the boundaries, and this person was located within the Dark Star Bureau. All the boundary-controlling devices lacked actual operational capabilities; they merely transmitted contact signals to Ah Yu, who then relayed the messages to that individual, allowing her to manipulate the boundaries.

Who could this person be?

How powerful must someone be to control all boundaries single-handedly? Could the Peddler even stand a chance against them?

The Peddler—

As far as Li Banfeng knew, only one person could rival the Peddler in strength: the legendary Celestial Being, also known as the Heavenly Maiden.

Could the Heavenly Maiden be imprisoned in the Dark Star Bureau, under Old Train's control?

Old Train's power was not insignificant either!

What was the person on the cloud thinking? What was her background, and why did she send him to the Dark Star Bureau every time he entered a door?

Did she want him to rescue the Heavenly Maiden?

A barrage of questions swirled in his mind, leaving Li Banfeng staring blankly at Chen Changrui's moving lips, unable to register a single word.

"Director Li?" Chen Changrui called out several times, and Li Banfeng gradually regained his composure.

"Director Li, do you think we should receive the envoys from Tu Fang Nation?"

Li Banfeng flipped through the documents. "We should receive them. Since they've sent an official letter, we ought to speak with them."

"I share that sentiment," Chen Changrui replied. "I'll relay your opinion to the higher-ups right away."

Indeed, receiving them was the correct course of action. Tu Fang Nation had initiated contact with Outer State, and refusing to even meet their envoys could easily escalate into a severe incident.

If Tu Fang Nation couldn't deploy overly powerful weaponry, Outer State still possessed the capacity to resist, with the Rui Rong Textile Factory serving as a commendable example of their combat effectiveness.

However, judging by the situation in Sui Huangyuan, the boundaries might not cover every single entrance.

If Tu Fang Nation managed to find an unguarded entrance in Outer State and brought out their formidable weaponry, the power imbalance between the two sides would become considerable.

More crucially, Tu Fang Nation's military capabilities had vastly improved. Du Wenming had sold them the formula for the guiding agent, and it was highly probable he had also sold the formula for the neutralizing agent, meaning Tu Fang Nation might now possess a cohort of powerful three-headed individuals.

Given this disparity in strength, the best course of action was to first receive the envoys, then engage in evasive diplomacy without making any substantial commitments, thereby conserving strength and buying time.

As for the art of evasive diplomacy, Li Banfeng didn't need to worry; Outer State specialized in such matters.

After Chen Changrui left, Li Banfeng tidied the documents and returned to his Portable Residence.

Jiu'er was holed up in Room Nine, refusing to emerge, with Hong Ying keeping her company.

Li Banfeng sighed. "If she doesn't want to see you, then so be it. Why are you feeling wronged? I'm not forcing you!"

The Gramophone asked Li Banfeng, "Husband, who else do you think is in Cell Number Six besides Ah Yu?"

"I suspect the Heavenly Maiden is there too," Li Banfeng replied.

"I think it's the Heavenly Maiden as well," said the Gramophone. "Hong Lian, the Heavenly Maiden is your mistress. Do you think it's her?"

"With the little train and the big iron door in the way, who can tell who's inside?" Hong Lian said. "Why don't you take me in to see? I could tell if it's the Heavenly Maiden with one look."

A puff of steam shot over, burning Hong Lian's base. Hong Lian flared her lotus leaves, clutching her base as she scurried about.

The Gramophone chuckled, "Sister Hong Lian, you're desperate, aren't you? You've been looking forward to this day, but you still can't get out!"

As she spoke, the Gramophone opened the documents Li Banfeng had brought back.

"Tu Fang Nation is sending envoys to Outer State?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Tu Fang Nation is going to war with Shang Nation. Their decision to send envoys to Outer State at this particular time is highly significant."

The Gramophone expressed some concern. "Tu Fang Nation is accustomed to acting imperiously. I'm afraid their envoys will be difficult to handle."

"You don't need to worry about that," Li Banfeng said. "Outer State has its own methods for dealing with such affairs." He sat on the edge of the bed, absorbing spiritual energy from the small idol.

"My dear husband, don't be too hasty," she advised. "You haven't yet mastered the Four Cloud Travel Cultivation Techniques. Without those skills to support you, your cultivation isn't stable enough."

Li Banfeng was pondering the same thing. If neither Jiu'er nor Hong Ying knew the Four Cloud Travel Cultivation Techniques, then who could he possibly ask?

Contacting Old Train was the best option, and Li Banfeng was actively devising a plan to rescue him from Shang Nation.

Having absorbed some spiritual energy, Li Banfeng dozed off for a short while. Between wakefulness and sleep, his thoughts continued to race.

Only by releasing the person in Cell Number Six could the boundaries be truly controlled; any other approach would be futile.

Only with full control over the boundaries could Pro Province be saved; otherwise, once war erupted, it would be reduced to scorched earth.

Scorched earth.

What kind of scorched earth?

Li Banfeng saw Xiaoyaowu transformed into ruins.

Amidst the rubble, he searched and found Ma Wu's wool coat, and then Jiang Mengting's satin cheongsam.

He saw the dilapidated grand ballroom, and a ground littered with corpses, more shattered than the dance floor itself.

If Xiaoyaowu had suffered such a fate, what about Green Water City?

If Green Water City became scorched earth, what of other places?

He saw Iron Gate Fort, even more devastated than Green Water City, and Yaowanggou, which had been almost completely razed to the ground.

Li Banfeng bolted upright in bed, gasping for breath.

The Gramophone, holding a handkerchief, gently wiped his sweat. "Husband, did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes, a nightmare!" Li Banfeng exclaimed, hurrying out of his Portable Residence. He needed to go to the Dark Star Bureau to continue investigating the clues related to Cell Number Six.

As soon as he reached his office, the projector's film compartment opened, and a call came in.

It was Teacher Song's number.

Li Banfeng's sole focus was investigating Cell Number Six, so he initially didn't want to answer the call. However, he then worried that Teacher Song might be ill.

When he answered, Teacher Song anxiously said, "Banfeng, I've finally reached you. Please come to Flower Lake Park; I have something urgent to discuss with you."

The fact that Teacher Song could contact Li Banfeng so soon after his return to Outer State struck him as odd.

Had she tracked his whereabouts via his phone, or had she learned of his return through the Dark Star Bureau?

Despite his suspicions, Li Banfeng went.

After all, Teacher Song had never intentionally harmed him.

Upon arriving at Flower Lake Park, Teacher Song was waiting at the entrance to the new land.

Song Qianhun, the local deity of Iron Gate Fort, was also waiting with her.

"What's going on?"

"It's difficult to explain quickly," Teacher Song replied. "You'll understand if you come and see for yourself."

Passing through Flower Lake, the three of them arrived at the new land together.

Standing on the new land and glancing around, Li Banfeng was stunned.

He was intimately familiar with this new land, having taken it countless times as a shortcut from Pro Province to Outer State.

But this new land had changed. Although it featured the same trees and mountains, Li Banfeng knew it wasn't the original new land, for a traveling cultivator never forgot the paths they'd traversed.

"Why has this land changed like this?"

Song Qianhun shook his head. "Brother, that's not quite right. This land hasn't changed; it's an addition."

"The new land we were originally familiar with is over eighty li to the east."

"Another piece of new land has appeared?" Li Banfeng stood silently by the lake, a torrent of thoughts swirling in his mind.

He once had a question that remained unanswered: Why did Outer State possess new land?

He hadn't understood the mechanism behind the new land's formation before, so he had overlooked the question.

Now, however, he knew that Shang Nation had created fertile soil through the altar in Haocheng and deployed it via the passages leading to Pro Province, thereby forming these new lands.

Had Shang Nation's deployment range now extended to Outer State?

"Brother, when did this new land appear?"

"I discovered it three days ago," Song Qianhun replied. "I frequently travel between Pro Province and Outer State. Three days ago, when I arrived in Outer State, this land hadn't yet appeared. The following day, when I returned to Pro Province, this new land was there."

Three days ago?

That was even more impossible!

Shang Nation had no capability to create new land three days ago; they lacked the fertile soil.

Creating fertile soil required the altar in Haocheng, and that altar had been destroyed — by Li Banfeng himself!

Had they repaired the altar?

Li Banfeng had just left Xiaodu, and during his stay there, he had specifically inquired about Haocheng. The altar had not been repaired!

It was precisely because the altar remained unrepaired that Qiao Yi couldn't create new land, which was why he had killed a number of local deities to gather ten pairs of contracts for Li Banfeng.

Where exactly did this new land come from?

"Based on my deductions," Song Qianhun stated, "this new land was created by Tu Fang Nation. I'm not just speaking without thought; I have substantial evidence."

"Tu Fang Nation can create new land?"

"They couldn't before," Song Qianhun explained. "The new lands in the Land of Slumber, Fólkvangr, the Golden Holy Land, Fang Sheng Province, and the Warm Sun Homeland were originally created by Shang Nation. However, ever since Tu Fang Nation gained complete control of those entrances, no new lands have appeared in those areas."

"Now the situation has changed, and Tu Fang Nation has very likely mastered this technology. They might even have opened new exits in Outer State."

Song Qianhun was certainly not speculating wildly; as a unique individual traversing between Pro Province and Outer State, he possessed a wealth of information.

Li Banfeng immediately thought of the exit in Sui Huangyuan, which even the mighty Peddler had been severely wounded trying to seal.

Based on Song Qianhun's assessment, it was highly probable that Tu Fang Nation had created that exit.

The location of this new exit was still unknown, but it was highly probable that, like the Sui Huangyuan exit, it was not restricted by the boundaries.

Song Shu said to Li Banfeng, "Our situation is extremely precarious. Both Pro Province and Outer State need to unite to overcome this crisis."

"Banfeng, are you familiar with the Brotherhood Alliance?"

Li Banfeng looked at Teacher Song. "I've heard of it."

"Banfeng, I know you have deep-seated conflicts with He Jiaqing. However, the Brotherhood Alliance I'm referring to is not the organization he founded; it's a much older one. Many people you know are members, including me, and even the Lucky Star who saved you at the train station. Everything we do is aimed at creating a new Pro Province."

"Our ideals and your actions are not contradictory; in fact, one might say we're pursuing the same goal by different means. Banfeng, would you be willing to join us?"

Li Banfeng paused, then looked at Song Qianhun. "Brother, are you also a member of the Brotherhood Alliance?"

Song Qianhun shook his head. "I am not. And it wouldn't be appropriate for me to listen to your conversation any further."

As Song Qianhun left the new land, Li Banfeng asked Song Shu, "Who is the leader of the Brotherhood Alliance? I mean the true leader."

"Our true leader is the Heavenly Maiden," Song Shu replied. "You must have heard her name. She is one of the founders of Pro Province, the one who genuinely wishes for its prosperity, and currently the only person capable of saving it."

"Do you know where the Heavenly Maiden is?" Li Banfeng asked.

"No," Song Shu sighed. "We've been unable to locate the Heavenly Maiden. With Tu Fang Nation's imminent invasion, what we need is time."

"We must unite, try our best to postpone the war, and wait for the Heavenly Maiden to repel the invaders. I believe we will achieve ultimate victory."

"I have some urgent matters to attend to," Li Banfeng said. "Teacher, please tell Brother Song that if there's any anomaly with this new land, he must inform me."

"Banfeng, are you willing to join the Brotherhood Alliance?" Song Shu asked once more.

Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat and shook his head.

Song Shu persisted in her persuasion. "Banfeng, the Peddler's methods are flawed, and Pro Province itself has significant issues. Nowhere else in the world operates with such disorder as Pro Province."

"The Peddler cannot defend Pro Province; he cannot withstand the enemy. He can't even assemble a fighting army."

"The fragmented state of Pro Province absolutely must change. Banfeng, please reconsider."

Li Banfeng shook his head once more, turned, and disappeared into the night.

Back at the Star Bureau, Li Banfeng ran up and down the stairwell, but no strange phenomena were triggered.

Was she refusing to see him?

Li Banfeng returned to his office, gazed at the gold bar Ah Yu had given him, and repeatedly recited a phrase in his mind.

"Ah Yu is the most beautiful woman in the world!"

After repeating the phrase more than a dozen times, Li Banfeng heard Ah Yu's chilling voice.

"You scoundrel, do you dare try to trick me with flattery?"

"I'm not tricking you; every word I say is sincere!"

Ah Yu asked, "Is Zhao Xiaowan truly your mother?"

"No!" Li Banfeng replied.

Ah Yu pressed, "Then who is your mother?"

"I don't know," Li Banfeng answered.

"You won't even reveal who your mother is, yet you claim to be sincere!"

The connection was severed.

Despite Li Banfeng's words being entirely truthful, he was accused of insincerity.

He stared at the gold bar and muttered, "I just don't want to deal with lunatics!"

After a moment to compose himself, Li Banfeng let out a bitter laugh.

Previously, he had painstakingly researched how to dissolve the boundaries.

Now, inexplicably, having found someone capable of dissolving boundaries, he continuously found himself wanting her to create them.

The gold bar suddenly grew warm, and Li Banfeng heard Ah Yu's voice again. "I was just teasing you. I told her about the entrance at Sui Huangyuan, and she's willing to add boundaries there. It should be finished in a few days."

"I have another location that needs a boundary," Li Banfeng said.

Ah Yu sounded displeased. "You speak so casually, as if I'm a street noodle vendor and you can just order one whenever you like?"

"This place is also an exit opened by Tu Fang Nation. If it's not blocked, Tu Fang Nation could attack at any moment."

"Where is this exit?"

"There's a new land in Heng Lake Park; it's on that piece of land."

"Heng Lake Park? That's in Outer State, too far away."

"Too far from where? Isn't it right near you?"

"Being close to me is useless," Ah Yu said. "It needs to be close to home!"

"Close to home? What does that mean?"

"I'll go discuss it with her. You just wait patiently."

The connection was cut off again.

Li Banfeng tried to reach Ah Yu again, but there was no response.

He sat in his office, pondering a specific detail.

Ah Yu had said, "It needs to be close to home to work." What exactly did that mean?

Boundaries.

Li Banfeng recalled the boundaries he had created.

Close Doors and Shut Windows!

The Heavenly Maiden was a Home Cultivator!

She *was* a Home Cultivator!

Were Pro Province's boundaries created using the Close Doors and Shut Windows technique?

Had she created all the boundaries using her techniques?

The thought flashed through his mind, leaving Li Banfeng still in shock.

Chen Changrui pushed the door open and entered. "Director Li, everything is ready!"

"What's ready?"

"The higher-ups have decided to receive the Tu Fang Nation envoys. The meeting is set for tomorrow afternoon."

"So soon?"

Chen Changrui nodded. "The time was set by Tu Fang Nation; they left no room for negotiation."

His wife was right; Tu Fang Nation was indeed imperious in its dealings.

It was also typical of Tu Fang Nation to send envoys at such a time; they clearly came prepared.

Fortunately, their earlier decision was correct; now was the time to engage in evasive diplomacy with Tu Fang Nation.

Regardless, a meeting was inevitable. With Outer State's capabilities, a day was ample time to make the necessary preparations.

Li Banfeng instructed, "Remind the higher-ups to avoid making any substantial commitments, if possible."

Chen Changrui glanced from the desk to Li Banfeng, his eyes darting, his voice uncertain.

"There's no rush to remind them about this particular matter."

Li Banfeng frowned. "They're meeting tomorrow; why aren't you worried now?"

Chen Changrui hesitated. "Director Shi has arrived. She'll explain it to you shortly."

"What do I have to say to her? I don't have time to see her right now!"

Li Banfeng didn't want to meet, but Shi Yina arrived nonetheless. "Director Li, the meeting location and the list of relevant personnel have both been confirmed. Please review them."

She handed Li Banfeng a folder.

Li Banfeng felt profoundly perplexed. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You'll be receiving the envoys tomorrow, so you'll certainly need to make the necessary preparations."

"Me? Receiving them?" Li Banfeng asked, bewildered. "Why me?"

Shi Yina explained, "The situation is as follows: The primary goal of establishing our Comprehensive Institute for Leveling Work was to enhance the precision and proactive nature of leveling efforts, thereby creating a more advantageous..."

Li Banfeng interrupted Shi Yina. "Get to the point!"

Shi Yina tried to be as direct as possible. "Our main objective this time is to fulfill the task of receiving the envoys in accordance with proper etiquette, while also, in alignment with both parties' interests, avoiding stating our position too directly."

Li Banfeng still didn't understand, so Chen Changrui added, "Because your position is rather unique."

This time, Li Banfeng understood.

As a resident of Pro Province, Li Qi's stance couldn't represent that of Huan Nation. Yet, given his standing, he possessed the authority to receive envoys.

"Both this and that." They truly understood how to play the game!

Li Banfeng wanted to refuse the meeting.

But if he truly refused, there was no telling what consequences might unfold.

Ultimately, it was about engaging in evasive tactics with Tu Fang Nation. Having spent so long in the Star Bureau, Li Banfeng had gained some experience in such matters. So, he decided to go ahead with the meeting.

He returned and discussed it with his wife, who took the matter very seriously. "Husband," she cautioned, "evasive diplomacy is not an easy task, especially when dealing with people from Tu Fang Nation. You must prepare well in advance."

His wife wasn't referring to psychological preparation, but rather concrete textual preparation.

Li Banfeng took the Judge's Brush from the shelf. "Ah Bi, I'm entrusting this matter to you."

"Hmph!" The Judge's Brush rolled over and retorted, "No."

"Why not?"

"Too convoluted!" The Judge's Brush promptly went back to sleep.

Back when he was a local deity in the Ink Fragrance Shop, scholars would only speak a third of their meaning directly, leaving the other two-thirds in convoluted riddles, forcing others to guess. The Judge's Brush absolutely detested this.

That was the Judge's Brush's nature; if he refused to help, he couldn't be coerced. So, he had to find someone else.

Hong Ying went to Room Twelve with a stick, knocked on the table, and said, "Come out."

A woman's voice emerged from inside: "Madam, how may I assist you?"

"Work!" Hong Ying commanded, and a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone automatically appeared on the table.

The occupant of Room Twelve was a literary cultivator. While her talent might not match the Judge's Brush, composing such documents was well within her capabilities.

That day, she drafted a ten-thousand-word speech for Li Banfeng, complete with various response plans for different types of questions.

Li Banfeng went over the draft several times to familiarize himself. He had intended to sleep and recuperate, but he once again had a restless night.

He had another nightmare. This time, he dreamt of Yue Province reduced to ruins.

Parks became rubble, shopping malls crumbled, and even his university lay in ruins.

Among the ruins, he discovered many bodies, many of which had familiar faces.

He had to rescue the Heavenly Maiden, and he had to do it as soon as possible.

Startled awake from the nightmare, Li Banfeng emerged from his Portable Residence, his face slick with cold sweat.

The Gramophone noticed Li Banfeng's distraught state and was trying to discern the cause.

Pineapple from Room Seven spoke up. "Madam, I'd like to go out in a couple of days to check the hooks."

"Alright," she replied. "I'll discuss it with my husband when he returns."

Pineapple had detected something amiss but couldn't state it outright.

The Gramophone understood his implication and was deducing the source of the anomaly.

As she pondered, she suddenly heard a cold laugh.

"Hmph!"

This cold laugh did not come from the Judge's Brush.

The following afternoon, Li Banfeng received the Tu Fang envoys.

The meeting protocols were stringent, the accompanying officials were high-ranking, and the Tu Fang Nation envoy himself was imposing, standing over three meters tall.

This envoy, a member of the royal family and also a three-headed individual, was far more formidable in appearance than Qiao Yi. His well-developed muscles, though covered by a red robe, still showed distinct, powerful lines.

Their appearance and attire were similar to the Ravshans, making it difficult to say who had assimilated whose culture and bloodline.

As the host took his seat, the envoy's three heads spoke one after another, from left to right.

"We are of royal lineage."

"You should show us proper deference."

"Employ more formal protocols."

More formal protocols?

Bowing or kneeling?

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't have such customs."

The atmosphere of the meeting grew tense. The attendants seated behind Li Banfeng exchanged uneasy glances.

The Tu Fang envoy continued to speak, one head after another:

"We've heard of you. You are from Pro Province, that ignorant and barbaric land."

"Your identity is unique; you hold status in both Pro Province and Outer State. Therefore, we will directly convey our king's commands to you."

"We require two armies to participate in the war, one from Outer State and one from Pro Province. We also require two cities for administrative purposes, one from Outer State and one from Pro Province."

"Understand this: these are commands, with no room for negotiation. This also serves as the foundation for our alliance and mutual goodwill."

Li Banfeng lowered his head, flipping through the draft prepared for him by Room Twelve.

After turning a few pages, he set the draft aside. In this situation, the document seemed to offer little practical value.

He looked up, smiling at the three-headed envoy. "What did you just say? I didn't quite catch that."

"Such a simple matter, do we truly need to repeat it—" The left head stopped mid-sentence.

A chilling intent in Li Banfeng's smile made the envoy's breath catch.

The middle head quickly interjected, "We are merely conveying the king's wishes."

The right head added, "In your Huan Nation, there's a saying: 'When two nations are at war, envoys are not harmed.' That is the most basic etiquette."

"'When two nations are at war, envoys are not harmed'," Li Banfeng repeated, his smile vanishing. "Are our two nations at war right now?"

The envoy didn't know how to respond.

Li Banfeng then asked, "So, am I allowed to slay you now?"