Chapter 239: Reunion

On the train from Lushui City to Wuqin Township, the famous male star Zhou Chang sat in his private compartment, reading a newspaper and sipping tea.

The second day after returning to Lushui City, he went out again.

After boarding, Zhou Chang took a short nap, sleeping for half the day; at dusk, he rose from his berth, brewed a pot of tea, and drank while reading.

A knock came at the door: "Sir, ticket inspection. Please open the door immediately and present your ticket."

The voice sounded odd—slightly familiar.

Zhou Chang sat inside the compartment, tea in hand, motionless.

"Sir, please open the door immediately and present your ticket." The attendant knocked a second time.

Zhou Chang remained still, like a statue seated in the compartment, making not a single sound.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The attendant knocked a third time.

Sir, you must cooperate with the ticket inspection. If you don't open the door, I'll take compulsory measures!

Finally, movement came from inside.

Zhou Chang moved.

He flipped the newspaper over and continued drinking tea.

Strange.

Outside the door, Li Banfeng, impersonating the attendant, heard the compartment's sounds through his thread-earring.

He's still drinking tea?

Zhou Chang's behavior baffled Li Banfeng.

Six or seven hours after boarding, attendants inspect tickets once; when Li Banfeng first rode a train, he'd experienced this, and Ma Wu had said it was standard procedure.

Why won't he open the door for me?

Does he suspect I'm not an attendant?

Did I slip up somewhere?

Attendants knock first, and I didn't say anything wrong.

When he first heard me knock, Zhou Chang stayed silent, pretending no one was inside.

After I warned him twice, he stopped being afraid—yet still refuses to open the door?

Why is he doing this?

Is he hiding something he doesn't want the attendant to see?

But if he stubbornly refuses to open the door, he can't hide it anyway—according to train rules, after warnings fail, attendants enter the compartment forcibly.

Should I just barge in and take a look?

Li Banfeng was about to use his Passage-Through-All-Obstacles technique to slip into the compartment when the real attendant approached with an iron rod: "Sir, is this your compartment?"

Li Banfeng glanced at the compartment number and replied: "I must have gone to the wrong one."

The attendant, iron rod in hand, pointed it at Li Banfeng's forehead: "Present your ticket!"

Li Banfeng pulled out his ticket.

The attendant sized him up and asked: "What's the situation with your clothing?"

Li Banfeng, dressed in an attendant's uniform, paused and said: "Does the train have dress code rules for passengers?"

"No," the attendant returned the ticket, "return to your own compartment!"

Li Banfeng went back to his own compartment.

He knew where the mistake lay.

Zhou Chang's initial silence in the compartment may have been genuine—he didn't want the attendant to enter.

But when he heard Li Banfeng's second warning, he realized the attendant was fake.

Because real attendants warn only once.

Li Banfeng's compartment was next door; he pressed his thread-earring against the wall and listened silently to the sounds next door.

Zhou Chang blinked, then smiled.

He leisurely finished the entire pot of tea, waited over half an hour, and murmured: "Miaoying, I feel like I'm being watched on this train—why hasn't Wuqin Township prepared yet? How exactly are you handling this?"

His earlier assumption was correct: Zhou Chang had identified the fake attendant.

But Li Banfeng hadn't expected this man's status to surpass Ling Miaoying's.

According to Ling Miaosheng, Ling Miaoying indeed served a powerful figure from another province, but Li Banfeng thought Zhou Chang wasn't that figure—he was merely a messenger.

Zhou Chang spent most of his time in Pulu Province; in recent years, his film contracts had never stopped.

Yet from his earlier words, Zhou Chang was that powerful figure—his earlier assumption was wrong.

What exactly did Wuqin Township need to prepare?

After a pause, Zhou Chang spoke again from next door: "The crew is short-handed. Though the people from Wuqin Township are reliable, few understand the craft. Send another batch from Lushui City."

Is he going to Wuqin Township to shoot a film?

Wuqin Township lay in the farthest third of Pulu Province; few knew much about it, only that its residents mostly had no family ties.

Why would he shoot a film in such a remote place—to avoid harassment?

Was this powerful figure really going to Wuqin Township just to make a movie?

After a pause, Zhou Chang added: "I've brought the item. This shoot cannot afford any mishaps—it must wrap within ten days!"

After saying this, Zhou Chang fell silent.

Li Banfeng removed his thread-earring, sat in his compartment, and fell into deep thought.

From the conversation, several key details emerged.

Zhou Chang was going to Wuqin Township to shoot a film, leaving only a decoy in Lushui City to prevent interference.

He carried a special item with him; with it, the film could wrap within ten days, preventing Ma Wu from acting first.

What kind of treasure could make ten films wrap within ten days?

A magic treasure that alters the flow of time?

What level is this Zhou Chang?

Why is this film so important to him?

Forget the film for now—this famous male star is remarkably clever.

Of course—he who ranks above Ling Miaoying must be clever.

Directly probing his compartment seems unwise.

If Zhou Chang's cultivation base is extremely high, I might never return.

Even if I could handle Zhou Chang, I couldn't pass the attendant's inspection.

What should I do now?

Follow him off the train, capture him after leaving the station, and force him to reveal his intentions.

Provided I can capture him.

Get off midway, return to inform Ma Wu, contact the Lu family, and have them act in Wuqin Township to stop Zhou Chang's filming.

Why am I fixating on the film?

Li Banfeng tapped his head—he boarded this train, tracked Zhou Chang, to uncover the powerful figure behind Ling Miaoying and discover that figure's intentions.

Now the powerful figure has appeared.

The best choice remains reaching Wuqin Township and continuing the pursuit.

But is that safe?

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A knock sounded; the attendant's voice came from outside: "Sir, please open the door."

Li Banfeng paused, saying nothing.

He wasn't sure if the attendant outside was real.

Whoosh! Crash!

The attendant burst open the door: "Sir, your attire has interfered with my duties. Please change your clothes."

Li Banfeng nodded slightly; the attendant closed the door.

Judging by his demeanor, this attendant was genuine.

Li Banfeng entered his Portable Dwelling, took off his clothes, and put on a black suit.

Xiang Hongying shuddered, her voice low: "Did he just take off his clothes again?"

Chit-chit~

The phonograph sang slowly: "Yes, he did. He's my husband—I watch him daily. You can lust all you want, it won't help."

Xiang Hongying snorted: "With your current form, what good is having a husband? Looks good, but useless!"

"Who says useless?" the phonograph snapped. "Husband, show him your oil!"

"What good is showing oil? Is that even legitimate work?"

"Why isn't it legitimate? My husband has countless tricks!"

They argued fiercely—likely about to fight again. Li Banfeng rubbed his temples, his head throbbing.

These two couldn't stay quiet for two days; they'd been quarreling for so long, yet never reached a resolution.

The more Li Banfeng listened, the more irritated and furious he became—he couldn't bear to stay in the Portable Dwelling another moment.

Seeing Li Banfeng hurry away, the Judgement Pen rolled over and fell asleep again.

Back in the compartment, Li Banfeng continued wrestling with the Zhou Chang problem.

Should he follow him off the train, or return for help?

Getting off with him might get you killed by his hand.

But if I go back now to call for help, this lead might be lost.

While wrestling with the decision, Li Banfeng began muttering to himself.

Zhou Chang heard the noise from the next car, smiling and shaking his head.

After hours of hesitation, Li Banfeng made up his mind.

He got off at Wuqinxiang.

After disembarking, he trailed Zhou Changhong—no rush to act, first observe his movements.

Having decided, Li Banfeng glanced at his pocket watch—it was already two in the morning.

The train arrives at seven tomorrow morning; with time to spare, rest well, since you'll be dealing with a master.

Li Banfeng lay on the bunk, afraid he'd oversleep.

His pocket watch had no alarm; his body held Mengde, which could wake him—but he didn't want to hear his wife and Hongying argue.

Should I bring Mengde out?

Mengde isn't a portable magic treasure; leaving it exposed might draw suspicion.

As he pondered, Li Banfeng felt another headache coming on.

Strange—why am I so conflicted today?

Conflicted…

Why am I even conflicted?

Li Banfeng stared at the carriage wall, his heart tightening in waves.

Some tactics, used so often on others, suddenly turn on yourself—and you just can't react.

Sun Tiecheng said two people once passed the Fool's City trial—could the other one be him?

Li Banfeng sat up on his bunk, opened his body-bound dwelling, and hid the key under the mattress.

His wife was still torturing Hongying; Li Banfeng suppressed his inner agitation and found the Judge's Pen.

He took the Judge's Pen and drew a circle on the floor beside him, saying: "Fly."

The Judge's Pen snorted: "Where to?"

"To the second room."

The Judge's Pen was furious.

To go to the second room, you need me to carry you? Just walk two steps yourself.

Forget it.

Too lazy to argue.

After half an hour of stalemate—Li Banfeng insisting on flying—the Judge's Pen carried him to the second room.

Inside the second room, the Judge's Pen was about to sleep when Li Banfeng said: "I'll give you the capital."

The Judge's Pen snorted: "Not urgent."

"I am."

"Why the hurry?"

Li Banfeng said: "I'm just in a hurry. If you don't reclaim your capital, I'll make you fly me again—once to every room."

"You—"

This man has no sense of reason.

"I—"

Forget it.

The Judge's Pen refused to reason with him.

If he wants to give me the money, I'll take it. It's a hassle to collect, but better than enduring this endless harassment.

After the Judge's Pen accepted the capital, Li Banfeng suddenly felt overwhelming fatigue.

He lay on the bed, his eyelids unnaturally heavy.

He fell asleep, not knowing how long he'd sleep—Mengde should set an alarm to wake me, or I'll miss my stop.

Forget it. If I miss it, I miss it.

Should I really follow Zhou Changhong?

Wuqinxiang is clearly his territory.

Is it possible that if I get off at Wuqinxiang, I walk straight into his trap?

Is it possible that his whole movie story is nonsense—that he just wants me to get off at Wuqinxiang?

Sleep. Sleep soundly.

Li Banfeng didn't bother thinking about what he couldn't figure out.

…

At half past six, half an hour before arrival, Zhou Changhong began packing his luggage.

He made deliberate noise so Li Banfeng in the next car would hear.

I'm getting off—you should follow me now.

The next car was silent.

Zhou Changhong pressed his ear to the wall and listened.

After a moment, he switched ears.

This ear was sharper, but still heard nothing.

What's going on? How can he sleep so deeply?

After waiting over twenty minutes, Zhou Changhong frowned and knocked on the wall—no response.

The train was not delayed; it had begun slowing for the station.

Anxious, Zhou Changhong used a technique.

He placed his hand on the carriage wall—a faint vibration traveled to the next car.

He had to control the force, or he'd alert the attendants.

One attendant might be manageable—if all of them came, things would get messy.

Wake up, stop sleeping—you need to get off.

CLANG!

The carriage door opened.

The attendant stormed in, face dark.

"For some reason, you and the passenger in the next car have been unusually restless."

Zhou Changhong smiled: "I was just reminding him the train's arriving—we're getting off at the same stop. I was only…"

The train stopped. The attendant opened the main door.

"Sir, you need to disembark."

Zhou Changhong gave a bitter smile and stepped off the train.

He waited on the platform for a long time—until the train pulled away—still no sign of Li Banfeng.

I planned everything so carefully—and you just slept through it?

PS: Thank goodness Li Banfeng didn't get off at Wuqinxiang.

(End of Chapter)