Chapter 787: They Are Innocent

Li Banfeng held the document for the demolition of the Workers' Cultural Palace and read it meticulously. Judging by the language of the report and the extensive data presented, this demolition was a highly significant undertaking. The stringent work procedures also indicated a certain level of risk associated with the task.

Although the report repeatedly emphasized that the Cultural Palace's structural integrity was compromised and that its demolition was for safety reasons, this stated purpose was clearly a pretext. If it were merely a demolition of a hazardous building, such a task would not have been assigned to the Dark Star Bureau. The Outer State had realized that the Cultural Palace was an extremely dangerous place, which is why this operation was launched. However, the operation clearly failed. While numerous photographs of the demolition site remained, the Cultural Palace itself still stood.

What further actions did the Dark Star Bureau take?

The next morning, Li Banfeng summoned Chen Changrui to his office and asked directly, "Were you involved in the demolition of the Cultural Palace?" This question stunned Chen Changrui; Li Banfeng left him no room for buffer or evasion.

"I, at the time, was actually—"

"Were you involved or not?"

"Yes, I was," Chen Changrui admitted.

Li Banfeng asked, "After you demolished the Cultural Palace, did it quickly restore itself?"

Chen Changrui lit a cigarette. "Not quickly; it was instantaneous. We evacuated the surrounding residents beforehand, sealed off nearby streets, and used specialized equipment to demolish the entire Cultural Palace in six hours. After we finished taking photos and left the site, before we even exited Yiping Road in Huahu District, the Cultural Palace had already restored itself."

Li Banfeng pulled out the top-secret document. "With such a situation, you dared to report it to your superiors?"

Chen Changrui had indeed seen this report. "We had no choice but to write it then. We couldn't explain it to our superiors otherwise; we had to prove we did the job."

Li Banfeng lowered his voice and asked, "Did you place this document in Xiao Shen's office?"

Chen Changrui shivered. "Director Li, please don't joke like that. This is a top-secret document. Why would I take it to Director Shen's office? Besides, Director Shen himself—"

It seemed Chen Changrui was not responsible. Li Banfeng continued, "What was the true purpose of demolishing the Cultural Palace? Was it to restrict the black market?"

Chen Changrui thought for a moment. "It wasn't just to restrict the black market. To be precise, it was to curb Lin Fo jiao at the time. He cooperated with us in some areas, but in others, he went too far."

Li Banfeng didn't ask for specifics. Just yesterday, Lin Fo jiao had agreed to sell Li Banfeng armor and chariots. This was already considered an outrageous act for the Outer State.

"After the Cultural Palace restored itself, what other actions did you take?"

"We demolished it twice more, using different methods. At that time, our bureau really wanted to give Lin Fo jiao a strong warning."

Li Banfeng had already guessed the outcome. "The Cultural Palace restored itself again, which means Lin Fo jiao effectively struck back at you."

Chen Changrui nodded. "Since then, we have adopted a tacit approval of all of Lin Fo jiao's actions."

This statement, revealing Lin Fo jiao's power, led Li Banfeng to speculate that while the Cultural Palace might not be entirely composed of dreams, the portion demolished by the Dark Star Bureau was likely a dream. So, how much of the current Cultural Palace is real, and how much is a dream?

During his time in the Cultural Palace, Li Banfeng was asleep for a period. Not only Li Banfeng, but also the small train and a group of magic artifacts around him, were all asleep. Yet everything in the black market truly happened. Li Banfeng had bought items in the black market, and they were real. Tang Changfa had sold items in the black market, and the money he received was real cash. In the past, Du Wenming and Chu Zikai had both done business in the black market, and no one had ever noticed anything unusual about the Cultural Palace.

Li Banfeng held Meng De in his palm. "Is it possible that this black market is made of dreams?"

Meng De shook his head repeatedly. "Who could have such immense power to create such a vast dream?"

Li Banfeng said, "This dream might not be that grand. The dream of the Dream-Linked Tower is much larger than this."

Wait, this matter shouldn't be judged prematurely. Li Banfeng had traveled to many places in the Dream-Linked Tower with the old train, which was why he felt the Dream-Linked Tower was vast. However, Li Banfeng was still unsure how large the Cultural Palace truly was. In his memory, the third floor previously only contained meeting rooms and offices, but now that Tang Changfa had moved, the third floor also had private rooms.

It was genuinely hard to say who was more powerful, Lin Fo jiao or Meng Qian. Perhaps he should just ask Lin Fo jiao?

Li Banfeng returned to his portable residence, took out an oil canvas, and painted a portrait of Meng Qian using Western painting techniques. After finishing the painting, Li Banfeng asked his wife, "How is this person drawn?"

His wife looked at it for a moment, nodding frequently. "This must be Zuo Wugang, right? My husband told me he was courageous and fierce when he was a branch leader. My husband has indeed captured his essence—"

Li Banfeng took a cloth and covered the oil painting. Painting wasn't working; he would write instead. Li Banfeng opened the "Beauties Painting" and prepared to find a suitable woman as a template to write a description for Meng Qian. After flipping through a few pages, he indeed found a suitable one. The original text described her as:

There was a woman named A Qian, whose beauty was like a fairy descending to the mortal world. As cold as an ice crystal submerged in a frigid pool, as subtle as a solitary swan vanishing into the vast sky. Her eyebrows were like distant spring mountains, shrouded in mist and smoke; her eyes held the depth of autumn waters, where stars hid and clouds sank. Her crimson lips, unparted, sealed a thousand words behind pearly teeth; her plain sleeves, lightly waving, gathered all emotions into the vast moon palace. Her movements were like a swirling wind returning snow; her stillness like thin mist condensing into frost. Leaning against a rock to watch clouds, by a pond to gaze at her reflection, her languid grace fully revealed the bearing of Gushe. Holding a flower in silence, drinking alone beneath the moon, her aloofness concealed the charm of the Luoshen. Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, unadorned by jade, yet heavenly light formed her hairpins. Her silken robe trailed the ground, unstained by dust; why would she need gilded embroidery or rainbow gowns?

This passage was good; he would rewrite it based on this. Li Banfeng picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, recalled Meng Qian's image, and pondered for a long time. How should he modify it? This—did it even need modification? Li Banfeng felt every word was perfectly apt.

There was a woman named A Qian... This seemed to describe Meng Qian precisely. Was Meng Qian also in the Beauties Painting? Could she truly be compared to his wife?

Li Banfeng was skeptical. He copied the description of Meng Qian, took it to the courtyard, and sprinkled a drop of blood on it. A woman rose from the paper, with well-defined features, a languid expression, dressed in white. She sat beside Li Banfeng, staring blankly. It truly was Meng Qian who appeared.

Mere identical appearance didn't prove much; when Li Banfeng used the Golden House technique, the image he envisioned in his mind was Meng Qian. Could this "Meng Qian" use dream-cultivation techniques? Li Banfeng carefully read the textual description but found no content related to dream cultivation. Should he add something?

As Li Banfeng was formulating words, his entire household stared at Meng Qian, watching her intently and engrossed. The Glove quietly rubbed its fingers. "This woman is certainly no less impressive than the mistress of the house!"

The Projector lit up its lens. "She's still different from our Lady, after all, our Lady has already grown tiresome to look at." The Pendulum tapped the Projector, but the Projector paid no attention, its lens fixated on Meng Qian.

Zhao Xiaowan tapped the Projector. "What did you just say you were tired of?"

The Projector turned, aiming its lens at Zhao Xiaowan. "A woman created by technique has no soul; I grow tired of her at a glance. But our esteemed Lady, I could never tire of looking at her."

Zhao Xiaowan walked over to the woman, looked her up and down, and smiled, "My dear husband, is this Meng Qian?"

Li Banfeng replied, "This is someone I created using the Golden House technique; she looks virtually identical to Meng Qian. Do you know her, my dear?"

Zhao Xiaowan shook her head. "I don't know her, but I've heard of her. Among the younger generation of dream cultivators, Meng Qian achieved remarkable success. However, she defected to the Inner State at a young age, so her reputation in Puoluo State isn't very good."

"What was the reason for her defection to the Inner State?"

His wife pondered. "There are many theories about it. Some say she went to the Inner State seeking wealth and status, but that claim doesn't hold up. The Inner State did give her an official post, but not even a noble title, and with her cultivation level, she wouldn't lack wealth in Puoluo State. Some say she went to the Inner State to escape enemies. Honestly, who, after becoming a prominent figure in Puoluo State, doesn't have a few enemies? It's not worth hiding that far away. There are many conflicting stories, but her defection to the Inner State is confirmed, which is why she found it difficult to gain a foothold in Puoluo State. Information about her recent activities is also scarce."

As she spoke, his wife hooked "Meng Qian's" chin. "Meng Qian" sat woodenly, showing resistance, annoyance, and evasion, but none of these expressions were strong.

The Wine Gourd looked at Meng Qian's state and subtly swayed its body. "Little brother, you're missing something here."

His wife smiled. "Husband, you merely copied the description from the 'Beauties Painting'. You didn't put in enough effort, so naturally, you can't create a perfect beauty."

Li Banfeng picked up the "Beauties Painting" and read it again. "I don't know much about Meng Qian. I can't just make things up, can I?"

His wife said, "Making things up isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's like forging a weapon: although you've selected the material, whether you forge a saber or a sword still depends on your intention, husband."

Li Banfeng understood his wife's meaning. As long as it didn't severely contradict his own understanding, he could incorporate a lot of fictional elements into Meng Qian's description. He picked up the brush, then put it down again. He stared at Meng Qian for a few more moments. "Being a bit wooden is actually quite good. Just a little embellishment should be enough."

In the afternoon, Li Banfeng called Tang Changfa. "Tonight, the three of you stay home and rest. I'll run the stall at the cinema."

Tang Changfa was startled. "Boss, you can't do that! How can we let you handle that work?"

"Just for tonight. It's settled."

After hanging up, Li Banfeng summoned Meng Qian and refined her appearance again. "Just let him see her once. Seeing too much might reveal the trick. One glance is enough!"

At eleven deep in the night, Lin Fo jiao got out of bed, washed up, changed clothes, and then sat behind his desk, dozing off. At midnight, the black market opened punctually. At twelve-fifteen, Lin Fo jiao suddenly opened his eyes, sweat instantly glistening on his cheeks. He had a nightmare, dreaming of an incomparably beautiful woman in white appearing inside the Cultural Palace. He clearly knew this woman.

Lin Fo jiao walked out of his office, first standing in the hallway and looking both ways. He then approached the door of a luxurious private room. Just as he was wondering whether to enter, the door opened, and Li Banfeng gestured for him to come in.

Lin Fo jiao entered the room and sat on the sofa, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Seventh Master, are you running the stall yourself tonight?"

The tea had just finished brewing, and Li Banfeng poured a cup for Lin Fo jiao. "A friend is visiting tonight, and I came to host them."

"Seventh Master, your friend doesn't seem like someone who should be in the Outer State, do they?" Lin Fo jiao fixed his gaze on Li Qi, who felt waves of coldness. While not afraid of the danger, it was still much better than Lin Fo jiao's groggy state.

"Boss Lin, could you explain the reason? Why can't Meng Qian come to the Outer State?" Li Banfeng went straight to the point.

Lin Fo jiao held the teacup lid, gently stirring the tea. "It's not that I forbid her; it's that she doesn't have the courage to come. But if Seventh Master lends her some courage, then that's a different story."

Li Banfeng chuckled. "Where would I get so much courage to lend her? Boss Lin makes me sleep when he wants me to sleep, and wake when he wants me to wake. Even I have to speak cautiously in front of Boss Lin."

Lin Fo jiao tapped the water droplets off his teacup lid. "Seventh Master, you're being particular. Everyone who does business here, buyers and sellers alike, is half-asleep and half-awake. That's my rule."

Li Banfeng raised his teacup and took a sip. "Words spoken in a dream don't count. That's my rule."

Lin Fo jiao nodded slightly. "Then I'll make an exception this once. From now on, in my domain, I certainly won't let Seventh Master fall asleep."

Li Banfeng said, "Then please tell me, Boss Lin, how exactly did I fall asleep?"

Lin Fo jiao stood up, pulled open the curtains, revealing a glass curtain wall. From the outside, this wall was invisible, but from the inside, through the wall, one could clearly see the cinema screen. "Anyone who comes here to do business, as long as they watch a movie here, will enter a dream."

Watching a movie before doing business was the rule of the Cultural Palace's black market. Li Banfeng also made some connections. "I didn't watch a movie last night; I went directly to your office."

Lin Fo jiao asked, "What movie was playing last night?"

Li Banfeng recalled. "It was a comedy."

Lin Fo jiao said, "Seventh Master, that proves you still watched it."

Li Banfeng had the Glove pull the curtains closed. "Boss Lin, since you've told me the truth, I won't hide anything from you either. Meng Qian didn't come to your domain; I merely created a puppet just now."

They exchanged glances for a moment, each revealing a faint smile. The chill in the private room gradually dissipated.

"Since our sincerity is established, let's talk business." Li Banfeng planned to order three hundred sets of armor and ten Wu Chong Fu Xu chariots from Lin Fo jiao.

"Seventh Master, such boldness! For such a large quantity, I'll need some time to prepare the stock."

"That's fine. Let's discuss the price first."

They agreed on the price, and Lin Fo jiao took out a contract, placing it before Li Banfeng. At the sight of the paper, Li Banfeng felt a sense of familiarity. "Is this a deed?"

Lin Fo jiao nodded. "We both understand the rules of Puoluo State."

They pricked their fingers and pressed their fingerprints. Li Banfeng asked, "Boss Lin, are you from Puoluo State?"

Lin Fo jiao replied, "I used to be, but it's hard to say now."

"Could you tell me why?"

"I think life in dreams is quite good, but the Hawker can't tolerate me." Lin Fo jiao's eyelids drooped; he looked tired again. "Seventh Master, trains don't run between the Outer State and Puoluo State right now, so I'm afraid delivery might be a bit troublesome."

"The trains will be running soon. You don't need to worry about that."

Lin Fo jiao, holding the contract, left the private room and returned to his office. Li Banfeng put away the contract, packed up his stall, and traveled to Three-Headed Fork overnight.

Qiu Zhiheng had been waiting for news from Li Banfeng. The underground city housed many Outer State enterprises whose products were sold exclusively to the Outer State. Due to the railway disruption, these companies were all waiting to ship their goods. Ma Wu had already tested the railway; trains could smoothly cross the border between the Outer State and Puoluo State to transport these goods out. On the return journey, the train could bring back the armor and chariots. However, all of this depended on the Frontier Defense Bureau not causing trouble.

The Frontier Defense Bureau, which once held considerable control over Puoluo State, now only had the Three-Headed Fork territory left. But within this territory, the Bureau possessed the Innocent Army and also controlled Sinner City, where Liao Zihui currently had his office. To avoid the heavenly light, Liao Zihui's office was located underground, without windows, oblivious to day or night.

By 3 AM, Liao Zihui was still awake, sitting by his desk, playing old songs one after another on his record player. After one song, "Roses Blooming Everywhere," finished, Li Banfeng changed the record and started playing "Many Waters, Thousand Mountains, Always Love." Both Li Banfeng and Liao Zihui liked this old song.

Seeing Li Qi seated opposite him, Liao Zihui was neither surprised nor nervous. He handed over the rosters of Sinner City and the Innocent Army to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng accepted the rosters and asked, "Have you received the superior's document?"

Liao Zihui shook his head. "Superiors don't easily issue documents, but they are well aware of the situation."

"Brother Liao, I don't want you to take the blame for this."

Liao Zihui gave a wry smile. "I'm certainly taking the blame for this. But for your sake, they won't make things too difficult for me, at most forcing me into early retirement. Retirement isn't bad at all; I'm looking forward to living a good life in Xiaoyao Haven."

"Alright! I'll come support you in Xiaoyao Haven then."

Liao Zihui put on his protective suit. "Then today, I'll first offer my support to you here in Sinner City. Let's complete the handover on site."

The two of them went to the surface. Liao Zihui said, "I came to Three-Headed Fork by train. Currently, there's no way to cross the boundary except by train." A Yu had become Li Banfeng's domestic spirit, and all equipment for crossing the boundary in the Outer State had become ineffective.

Liao Zihui led Li Banfeng to the central plaza of Sinner City and then told Li Banfeng, "Now I can't even control the trains. Where you take them is up to you. My suggestion is to let them remain in Sinner City."

Li Banfeng looked at the dormitories in Sinner City. All the buildings were identical, with tiny windows and iron doors secured by heavy locks, constantly reminding everyone that this was a place for sinners. Behind the iron doors, pairs of eyes quietly watched outside. They didn't know who had arrived, but seeing the Frontier Defense Bureau personnel, they dared not sleep. Some of them were likely to be punished, and the higher the status of the visitor, the heavier the punishment would be.

Liao Zihui first had his subordinates open the various dormitories. The iron doors opened, and silence reigned in every dormitory. Not a single person dared to step out.

Liao Zihui held a megaphone and shouted loudly, "From today onwards, the Frontier Defense Bureau officially transfers all management authority related to Sinner City and all sinners within it to the Comprehensive Research Institute for Balance Work. The determination of guilt and the sentencing of prisoners within the city will all be re-examined and reviewed by the Comprehensive Research Institute for Balance Work. Now, I invite Director Li to speak to everyone."

Liao Zihui handled the situation very appropriately; he merely transferred management authority from one institution to another. When it came time to take the blame later, the pressure he would face would be significantly less.

The staff also prepared a loudspeaker for Li Banfeng. He held the megaphone, waited for a long time, and then spoke one sentence: "You are not guilty." The sound echoed over Sinner City. It was unclear if they heard clearly, as all the dormitories remained silent.

After another moment, Li Banfeng spoke a second sentence: "Follow me." He put down the megaphone and walked towards the main gate of Sinner City. He walked ahead alone. After half a street, a few brave Three-Headed people finally followed him out, walking towards the gate behind Li Banfeng. After walking one street, over a hundred people followed behind Li Banfeng. After walking a second street, a long queue formed behind Li Banfeng.

Upon reaching the gate, the staff were still awaiting Liao Zihui's order to open it. Li Banfeng directly cut through the mechanical gate with his Tang saber and manually opened the steam-powered city gate.

Thump! Thump!

Outside the city gate, a group of Three-Headed people were beating drums, the unique large drums of Sinner City. The people inside the city recognized them; they had once followed Li Qi out of Sinner City. The large drums of Sinner City were beaten only in two circumstances. One was during the New Year, representing Sinner City's hope for life. The other was when they couldn't survive, representing Sinner City's struggle for life. It wasn't New Year now, yet they vigorously beat the drums, waiting for their loved ones to leave with them.

However, the Three-Headed people inside the city dared not come out. Sinner City was surrounded by a boundary line; crossing it would burn one to ashes. This was common knowledge in Sinner City, ingrained in everyone's mind from birth to death.

Li Banfeng lowered his hat brim and took a step towards the boundary line. Some Three-Headed people wanted to follow, but after stepping out, they pulled their feet back.

Juanzi shouted from the crowd, "Follow Seventh Master!"

Xiaoshan shouted, "Come out! If we come out, we won't be guilty anymore."

Mengzi said nothing. He snatched a drumstick and frantically beat the drum.

Li Banfeng stepped across the boundary line, standing outside the city completely unharmed. He turned back, waiting for the Three-Headed people from the city, watching them emerge one by one. Initially, they tried their best to step over the boundary line on the ground, but as more people gathered, they no longer hesitated and simply walked across the line.

The Three-Headed people who had left the city gathered together, searching, asking, and inquiring among themselves who had released them. Juanzi dared not step forward to explain; she didn't dare get too close. She only had one head left now.

Tu Heng shouted to the crowd, "It's Seventh Master! Seventh Master came to save us!"

"Which one is Seventh Master?" They still didn't recognize Li Banfeng.

Once all the Three-Headed people from Sinner City were outside, Li Banfeng silently vanished into the crowd.

A Yu's voice echoed from the gold nugget in his pocket. "You can really let go! Such a great kindness, and you just leave?"

Li Banfeng said, "This is no great kindness. I promised to save them, and I should fulfill that promise. They are human, and they should live like humans."

A Yu scoffed, "Don't you forget my credit! If I hadn't retracted the boundary line in advance, how could they have gotten out? This time you've gained so much popularity. If it's enough, hurry back and get promoted. I'll teach you the Mysterious Light Evil-Slaying technique."

Li Banfeng looked at the sky above Sinner City, feeling as if heavenly light could fall at any moment. "Is the heavenly light at Three-Headed Fork also created by the Heavenly Maiden?"

A Yu snorted. "If the Heavenly Maiden had that ability, could she have been beaten so badly by the Hawker? The heavenly light at Three-Headed Fork is called True Heavenly Light; it has nothing to do with the Heavenly Maiden. The Heavenly Maiden originally created the Mysterious Light Evil-Slaying technique because she was inspired by True Heavenly Light."