Chapter 211

Three days later, at dawn.

After the ward doctor left, He Jiaqing opened his eyes.

He needed to confirm some matters with Ling Miaoying.

"My friend is a Traveling Cultivator, skilled in avoiding misfortune and seeking fortune—have you taken any precautions against this?"

"Don't worry—I have a method to conceal malice. Before I act, your friend won't sense any danger."

He Jiaqing still couldn't relax; Li Banfeng had given him too many surprises lately: "Traveling Cultivators excel in speed. You must be extra cautious."

"You don't need to worry about your friend—no matter how fast he is, once he's on my train, even with wings he won't escape."

"But Ma Wu is a problem—he's currently a big name in Green Water City and has ties with the Border Inspector. Killing him at the station might anger the Border Inspector."

"I've made preparations outside the station. The moment he steps out, we strike—he and every one of his underlings will die."

"I don't care about others—don't harm my friend's life. Our target is the item."

"Rest assured—I'll bring you back a live one."

"This must be kept secret. No unrelated person must know."

"Since Ma Wu isn't coming, I'll act alone. Besides giving a heads-up at the station, no one else knows."

With everything ready, He Jiaqing severed the connection and waited for Ling Miaoying's report.

…

Li Banfeng packed his belongings and was about to leave when Ma Wu also dressed fully and prepared to depart.

"Where are you going?" Li Banfeng asked, puzzled.

Ma Wu lifted his backpack: "I'm taking you to the station. I even prepared some food for you."

"I brought my own food," Li Banfeng pointed to his suitcase. "No need to see me off—I know the way."

Ma Wu fell silent for a moment, then looked up: "Old Seven, I've thought it through—we've got plenty of business now. Blue Willow Village and Zhengjing Village are already too much to handle, and now we've added Xiaoyao Wu."

"Black Stone Slope can wait—we can't manage it all. You shouldn't go."

Li Banfeng frowned slightly, then smiled: "What's gotten into you? What are you really worried about?"

"I just feel it's unsafe for you to go to Black Stone Slope alone." Ma Wu felt uneasy, just as he had when fighting Shuimengquan and Qiuluoye.

He had a feeling something was going to happen.

Back then, he'd felt something was going to happen—that's why he went to Bai Man Valley. Now he felt Li Banfeng might be in danger again.

Li Banfeng shook his head: "If you go to the station to see me off, that's when I'm truly in danger. Do you know how many people in Green Water City are watching you?"

Ma Wu thought long and hard, then decided: "I'll disguise myself. Only when I see you board the train will I feel at ease."

Just then, Xiao Chuan reported: "Fifth Master, Fourth Master is here again—with men. He says he won't leave unless he takes you home today."

Ma Wu looked at Li Banfeng: "Old Seven, my family's causing trouble again. You can't leave—we must deal with this first."

Li Banfeng paused, then said: "Old Five, when we first opened new land, you told me you were my brother—a brother who stands on his own."

"I believed you then, and I believe you now. You can handle this—no need for me to interfere."

Li Banfeng lowered his hat brim, picked up his suitcase, and walked out of Xiaoyao Wu.

Watching Li Banfeng's back, Ma Wu felt he might never see him again.

Chuanzi urged beside him: "Fifth Master, Fourth Master is getting impatient."

"Let him get lost! If he wants to see me, let him wait!" Ma Wu snapped, lifting his cup and draining a large gulp.

…

Outside Xiaoyao Wu, a laborer pushed a cart to the corner, pretending to sweep trash.

In truth, he was using his broom to transmit a message—so subtly that no one noticed.

Ling Miaoying received the message and immediately informed He Jiaqing: "Ma Wu didn't go—Ma Junjiang came instead, likely delaying him."

"Only one person left Xiaoyao Wu this morning—heading straight for the station. It must be your friend."

"What does he look like?"

"Wears a hat with a low brim—can't see his face. Has a big beard."

He Jiaqing thought for a moment: "Good that Ma Wu didn't come. Focus on him. Remember—keep him alive."

…

At Green Water City Station, Li Banfeng presented his ticket and travel permit and entered the waiting hall, exhaling deeply.

His last train ride had been from Yuezhou to Puluozhou—half a year had passed since then.

Green Water City Station was the largest in Puluozhou, but the waiting hall held few people.

In Puluozhou, boarding a train required a travel permit—very few possessed one. Only dozens waited: some read, some read newspapers, some sat in silent daze.

There were no electronic screens. Li Banfeng kept glancing at his pocket watch, fearing he'd miss his train.

But he soon realized his worry was unnecessary.

Ma Wu had bought him a first-class sleeper ticket—this premium fare came with dedicated service.

"Sir, your train has arrived. Please follow me to Platform Three."

The station attendant led Li Banfeng to the platform, where a steam locomotive stood parked.

Li Banfeng glanced around. A dozen others were boarding—three or four appeared to be seeing someone off. One girl sobbed uncontrollably in a man's arms, tears streaming down her face.

Wait—was that line too straight?

Li Banfeng saw a thin black line flash across the girl's face.

Is that tears?

No—it's not tears.

Li Banfeng had seen similar black lines before.

He Jiaqing loved film reels and old movies shot on film.

Once, while watching a film with him, Li Banfeng had asked: "Why do these old movies always have black lines and white dots?"

He Jiaqing had explained: "It's film wear and oxidation. Film runs at twenty-four frames per second. These imperfections appear as spots and lines on screen—common in early film."

Film reel!

Li Banfeng's mind trembled—a cascade of thoughts surged through him.

Lu Xiaolan had caused trouble in Zhengjing Village.

Zhengjing Village had a traitor.

The traitor was the phonograph.

The phonograph had hooks.

The Ling family.

Ling Miaoying of the Ling family—specialized in film!

Li Banfeng controlled his body, showing no overt reaction.

He'd walked into a trap.

This platform was fake!

The train was fake!

Even the station attendant was fake!

The attendant said to Li Banfeng: "Sir, your carriage is Car Three. Please board quickly."

Li Banfeng looked down at his shoes and handed his suitcase to the attendant: "Could you hold this for me? My shoelace is loose."

The attendant took the suitcase. Li Banfeng crouched down and suddenly drew his sickle, slashing at the attendant's ankle.

This was one of Li Banfeng's killing techniques—ordinary people had no chance to dodge.

But the attendant simply lifted his foot—easily avoiding the strike.

So fast?

So quick?

This wasn't speed or reaction.

This was prediction.

The moment Li Banfeng drew his blade, he made a faint sound—the attendant heard it.

This attendant was Ling Miaoying—a Seventh-Level Seer.

If he'd wanted to kill Li Banfeng, Li Banfeng would already be dead.

But He Jiaqing's order was to capture him alive. For safety, Ling Miaoying planned to get Li Banfeng onto the train first.

His method mirrored how he'd tricked Lu Dongjun: luring Li Banfeng to an abandoned platform and deceiving him into boarding a specially crafted train.

This fake train was Ling Miaoying's film prop—a high-level magic treasure, filled with traps and sealed tightly. Once aboard, Li Banfeng, at his cultivation level, would never escape.

But he hadn't expected Li Banfeng to notice.

If he refused to board, a new plan was needed.

Ling Miaoying had prepared thoroughly—even if Li Banfeng didn't board, he had other magic treasures on the platform.

But before Ling Miaoying could act, the suitcase shattered—Tang Dao burst out and slashed downward at Ling Miaoying's face.

Li Banfeng didn't need a suitcase—he had his Personal Dwelling. He never carried luggage.

The suitcase was purely for disguise: to make Li Banfeng look like an ordinary traveler, and to serve as a surprise weapon at the critical moment.

Ling Miaoying barely dodged, but Tang Dao slashed a cut across his face.

Only his high cultivation allowed him to hear the sound inside the suitcase in time—had he been a fraction slower, half his face would have been severed.

Tang Dao swept horizontally, aiming for Ling Miaoying's throat.

The blade struck—but Ling Miaoying's form shattered and vanished.

What's going on?

A step?

What does it mean when the body shatters?

Li Banfeng had no time to think further; he sheathed Tang Dao and sprinted toward the platform exit.

After just two steps, Ling Miaoying suddenly appeared before him.

So fast?

Is he really a Travel Cultivator?

The platform exit was blocked; Li Banfeng turned and ran toward the tracks.

He reached the front of the steam locomotive, jumped off the platform, and landed on the sleepers.

Ling Miaoying appeared before Li Banfeng again.

Li Banfeng stomped hard—a stone beneath the sleeper shattered under his foot.

Travel Cultivator Level Three technique: Shatter Ten Thousand Rivers.

The shattered stones flew like bullets, striking Ling Miaoying—but he remained unharmed.

Even if his body is tough, can his clothes be that tough too?

Hit by a spray of shards—and not even a tear?

The only reasonable explanation: his speed was too great—he dodged every shard, and moved beyond Li Banfeng's visual range.

A Level Seven Observer, also cultivating Travel Cultivation, and his base is higher than mine?

Li Banfeng felt despair—if this man was a high-level Travel Cultivator, he had no chance to escape.

Ling Miaoying smiled faintly; he showed no urgency to strike, waiting for Li Banfeng to surrender on his own.

The Thread Earrings suddenly whispered: "Master, he makes no footstep sound."

No footstep sound?

No matter how fast a Travel Cultivator moves, footstep noise is unavoidable.

Though the Thread Earrings' level is low, she ate the flesh of a Chong Kui—she should have gained some ability; she wouldn't miss footstep sounds.

He's not a Travel Cultivator.

This is still a movie!

What he saw was likely Ling Miaoying's projection.

Now Li Banfeng was calm; he charged straight at Ling Miaoying.

Ling Miaoying's body rapidly stretched outward, forming three walls—one ahead, one to the left, one to the right—blocking Li Banfeng's path.

Li Banfeng didn't care what form he took; he swung Tang Dao and slashed upward.

If this was truly Ling Miaoying, he'd kill him.

If it was just a projection, he'd break through.

Clang!

Tang Dao struck the wall, sending up a spray of sparks.

Li Banfeng froze.

This wall is real!

After three strikes, Tang Dao retracted into Li Banfeng's pocket.

Ling Miaoying smiled.

You think a movie must be fake?

In the corner of the platform stood a projector—Ling Miaoying's magic treasure. Part of its projected imagery could transform into common physical objects.

Li Banfeng was trapped.

Ahead, left, and right: walls. Behind him: the locomotive.

According to Ling Miaoying's estimate, Li Banfeng's only escape was to climb onto the train.

The train was filled with traps; the moment he climbed aboard, he'd be instantly immobilized.

But Li Banfeng charged straight into the wall.

Travel Cultivator Level Four technique: Unimpeded Passage—Li Banfeng passed through the wall and sprinted forward along the tracks.

Level Four technique?

Ling Miaoying frowned. He had been told by He Jiaqing that his friend's cultivation base didn't exceed Level Three—but now his assumption was wrong.

Doesn't matter. Ling Miaoying had other preparations; he chased after him from behind.

Li Banfeng heard footsteps closing in—this was truly Ling Miaoying's real body.

Our speeds are matched—why can he catch up?

Because Ling Miaoying's shoes were special—another of his tools, a spirit item of extreme speed.

In the blink of an eye, they raced over a hundred meters along the tracks, beyond the projector's control range.

The once-bright tracks lost their illusion, now rusted and decayed—a disused railway.

Beside the abandoned track appeared a new one—this was the active railway.

A coal train roared toward them—this was a real, moving train.

Ling Miaoying frowned; he feared Li Banfeng would leap onto the train.

No hesitation—must strike to kill.

As long as he left him alive to reveal Red Lotus's whereabouts, even turning Li Banfeng into a cripple was acceptable.

Ling Miaoying pulled a pistol from his pocket—another spirit item. Once fired, the bullet would always hit, with immense power.

One shot would render Li Banfeng useless for life.

The pistol's only flaw: its report was deafening. On the railway, Ling Miaoying had wanted to avoid such noise—the tracks were under Waizhou Society control; he didn't want to offend the Border Warden over this.

He'd hoped to capture Li Banfeng silently—but now he had no choice.

Click!

The first shot didn't fire.

The train roared past, passing right beside them.

As Ling Miaoying prepared to fire again, he saw Li Banfeng's form vanish.

Where did he go?

Jumped onto the train?

Ling Miaoying stopped instantly, watching the roaring train disappear—he saw no sign of Li Banfeng, heard no sound from him.

But he had just heard a metallic clink.

Li Qi must have thrown something onto the train.

Ling Miaoying prepared to leap aboard for inspection—when he saw a uniformed man standing at the edge of a carriage, staring coldly at him.

Conductor.

Ling Miaoying frowned, stepping back several paces away from the tracks.

Under any circumstance, never provoke the conductor—that was the iron law of survival in Pulu Province.

The conductor patrolled every carriage, found nothing unusual, then returned to his rest room, brewed tea, and resumed reading his newspaper.

He didn't notice that inside one coal car, a key had appeared.

Sixteen hours later, Li Banfeng appeared in the carriage and picked up the key.

PS: Coal cars are open-topped.

(End of Chapter)