Chapter 368

Huff! Huff!

The train arrived at Heishipo Station; over these two days, train schedules had been frequent, and station staff were busy.

After Cheng Mingke left, transportation in Heishipo returned to normal; factories large and small that had been waiting to ship goods frantically seized freight cars, and large quantities of grain quickly arrived in Heishipo City.

Order in Heishipo had been restored, but what about the child abduction incidents before?

This matter was carried out by the Jiangxiang Bang; the Public Defense Office's notice clearly stated they had no dealings whatsoever with the Jiangxiang Bang, and they would soon launch a major campaign to eradicate the Jiangxiang Bang in Heishipo.

Of course, these empty words were ignored by Heishipo's residents; they only remembered that a man called "En Gong" had helped them recover their children and even delivered rice to them.

Heishipo quickly resumed its peaceful, joyful life, a fact clearly reflected in newspaper sales; after the newspaper office reopened, "Ye Lai Xiang" maintained high circulation.

But hatred toward the Jiangxiang Bang would not be forgotten; major newspapers had only just begun their denunciations of the Jiangxiang Bang.

Many old cases were dug up; nearly every newspaper now had a dedicated column on the Jiangxiang Bang.

A stack of newspapers was placed before Xiao Zhenggong; Xiao Zhenggong flipped through them briefly and said to Director Shen Jingye of the Anxing Bureau: "Why show me this?"

Shen Jingye said: "I'm reminding you that the Jiangxiang Bang's situation is precarious; if this gang wishes to survive in Puluozhou, it must make some changes."

Xiao Zhenggong exclaimed in surprise: "How to change? Since its founding, the Jiangxiang Bang has survived on these very activities—"

"Without these activities, how would they contact the Holy Ones? How would they balance relations between Puluozhou and the outer provinces?"

"We have our methods; your traditional tactics must also change."

"Tell me, what kind of changes?"

Shen Jingye said: "The plan is still being refined; we'll notify you once it's finalized."

Xiao Zhenggong had already guessed part of it—they were continuing to nibble away at the Jiangxiang Bang.

Recalling the process of using the Balance Seal, to others, Xiao Zhenggong had become a joke.

He had handed over five halls to the Public Defense Office.

Three more halls had been wiped out; no one yet knew who had done it.

The Jiangxiang Bang, once operating in secrecy, was now pushed into the open, with everyone shouting for its destruction.

But what had Xiao Zhenggong gained?

He had gained only a lump of flesh, claimed to be He Jiaqing's; the truth remained unverifiable.

He family assets had been frozen for a time; under pressure to sever ties with the Jiangxiang Bang, the Public Defense Office later unfroze them.

Was that the end of it?

Not yet.

Shen Jingye said: "We've carefully considered the He family's attitude toward you; from the standpoint of your safety, some necessary action is indeed warranted."

Xiao Zhenggong didn't understand: "What do you mean?"

"We've decided to eliminate He Yuxiu under the Jiangxiang Bang's name. He Yuxiu is currently head of the He family; removing her will deliver a major shock to the He family and provide you with greater security."

"Provide me security?" Xiao Zhenggong laughed aloud.

How artfully put.

Since taking over as head of the family, He Yuxiu had been in constant conflict with the Public Defense Office; Xiao Zhenggong was well aware of this.

"You want to eliminate He Yuxiu and make the Jiangxiang Bang take the blame, don't you?"

Shen Jingye offered no explanation: "The time limit on the Balance Seal has expired; you are now free to act. I'll remind you once more: you may continue working in the Public Order Corps, but I advise you to choose another post."

Xiao Zhenggong said nothing, rose, and left the office.

Back home, Xiao Zhenggong sat on the sofa; two young women had prepared hot water, tested the temperature, and helped him bathe.

In the bedroom, Xiao Zhenggong dismissed the two women, lay on the bed, and stared silently at the ceiling.

The white garment hanging on the coat rack said: "Senior Brother, you didn't need to invest so heavily. Back at the hospital, you should've listened to me and killed He Jiaqing."

"Now you've used the Balance Seal, your vital energy is severely damaged, and the outer provinces have seized a large portion of the Jiangxiang Bang—you've lost big on this deal."

Xiao Zhenggong replied: "That's all the ability I have. Report to Master. He Jiaqing is dead, anyway."

The white garment sighed: "I'll report truthfully, but whether Master rewards or punishes you is beyond my control."

The next night, the white garment quietly left the mansion; Xiao Zhenggong drove to the Anxing Bureau.

He never arrived on time, but today was special—it was his shift.

His shift partner today was still Zhong Er; Xiao Zhenggong knew he couldn't get rid of him, so he ignored him and sat in his office.

Near midnight, Xiao Zhenggong lit a cigar; the strong smoke drifted through the air. Zhong Er rubbed his nose but didn't complain.

Amid the swirling smoke, Xiao Zhenggong's figure had already drifted to the stairwell.

Zhong Er didn't see this; in his view, Xiao Zhenggong remained seated in the office.

Xiao Zhenggong descended the stairs again to the archives room, searched several shelves, and finally found the file on the Boundary.

The Jiangxiang Bang was fast slipping from Xiao Zhenggong's control.

Jiang Xiang's faction is about to no longer belong to Xiao Zheng.

Was the Jiangxiang Bang that important?

He Jiaqing had come at his face, the Holy Ones had pressed against the back of his skull, and the white garment had come personally to oversee the operation—this matter had to be resolved.

But Xiao Zhenggong didn't want to resolve it himself; he didn't want to lose his position in the Public Order Corps.

Using the Balance Seal was meant to put on a show for the Holy Ones.

Controlling the Boundary meant controlling everything in Puluozhou.

Master the boundary, and you control all of Pulu Province.

Li Banfeng ordered a bowl of lamb noodles at a noodle shop; this place was economical, with generous portions of noodles and meat. Many workers came here after their shifts—a bowl of noodles, a lamb bone, a cup of wine—was a small reward for a hard day's labor.

It might not have been lavish, but the meal tasted delicious; in Heishipo, one could never tire of staying.

After eating and drinking his fill, Li Banfeng strolled through the city, passing a jewelry stall. He crouched down and selected several pieces.

The jade bangles were made of stone; the gold necklaces were copper. He bought over a dozen items for less than a hundred yuan.

Li Banfeng knew the quality of these items well, but his wife loved them.

Back in Lüshuicheng, Li Banfeng had spent two hundred silver dollars to make two gold hairpins for his wife; she'd picked them up with a sewing needle and tossed them straight into the storage cabinet, complaining they weren't bright enough.

The roadside stall's goods were bright and flashy; if broken, no one minded. His wife would hold each piece for a long time, playing with it.

Hongying often teased his wife for being vulgar.

So what if she was vulgar? Bright red and green—Li Banfeng found them pleasing to the eye.

After selecting the items, Li Banfeng reached for money, but the girl refused to take it.

Why wouldn't she take it?

The girl stared at Li Banfeng for a long time, then whispered: "Are you En Gong? My family ate your rice."

Li Banfeng dropped two Hengguo banknotes on the counter, grabbed the items, and walked away.

Heishipo couldn't be stayed in—if anyone discovered En Gong was Night Boss, trouble would follow.

Back at the newspaper office, Li Banfeng asked Bai Qiusheng to help him obtain a travel permit; that night, he went to the train station.

At the ticket gate, Li Banfeng stepped back out.

Today's permit checks were extremely strict; everyone had to repeatedly state their name.

Why the repeated name checks?

Could it be that De Xiu magic treasure was involved?

Li Banfeng never used his real name to obtain travel permits; if he truly encountered a De Xiu magic treasure, trouble would be immense.

It seemed the previous events hadn't fully passed. Soon after leaving the station, Li Banfeng felt he was being watched.

It seemed the past events weren't fully behind him; soon after leaving the train station, Li Banfeng felt he was being watched.

Was it because he suddenly left just before the ticket check?

That act was suspicious, but as a seventh-level Zhai Xiu, he normally wouldn't attract attention unless someone happened to see him.

Could there be another possibility—that his attire had raised suspicion?

Black suit, black top hat, brim pulled low—the Public Defense Office might be watching for people dressed similarly.

He needed to change clothes.

Li Banfeng found a secluded spot, returned to his portable dwelling.

Inside the room, Li Banfeng considered which outfit to wear.

White suit? Gray suit?

In Heishipo, he should avoid wearing suits altogether.

In Lüshuicheng, he had once ordered a blue-green long robe, but found it inconvenient and had tossed it into the third room, where it had sat untouched.

In the third room, Li Banfeng changed into the robe, donned a gray-white top hat, threw the suit on the floor, and pondered his next move.

Hide at the newspaper office for a while?

No.

The newspaper office had previously clashed with the Public Defense Office; it was likely under surveillance too.

Go back via Xin Di?

Too difficult.

Yao Lao's map didn't mark Heishipo's location; Li Banfeng wouldn't know how to proceed if he reached Xin Di.

Moreover, Xin Di in Heishipo had left Li Banfeng with deep trauma; last time, he'd accidentally entered Meng Qian Lou while searching for Xin Di.

Moreover, the new land at Black Stone Hill left Li Banfeng with deep trauma—he had once, while searching for new land, accidentally entered Dream-Linked Tower.

Make a parcel and have someone from the newspaper office send it out.

This method seemed safe, but it was inappropriate now.

This approach seems safe, but it's inappropriate now.

I had already considered it—the newspaper office was likely under surveillance; if the people from the office reached the station but didn't board the train, and the package was seized, Li Banfeng's situation would become dangerous.

As he pondered, he suddenly heard a rustling sound inside the suit.

Li Banfeng thought it was a glove, but when he opened the suit, a small iron box slid out from the inner pocket.

The iron box contained the screw given to him by Brother Tang; Li Banfeng didn't lack hidden weapons, and this thing had been on his person all along, unused.

Unexpectedly, the moment the box touched the ground, it vanished into the earth.

Li Banfeng exclaimed in shock: "Old thing, what are you doing with my screw?"

"A fine item!" the Suishenju emitted an admiring exclamation.

"What's so good about it? What use is this thing?"

Suishenju did not answer.

The item given by the Earth God of Heishipoe should count as a treasure, yet it was swallowed whole by the train.

Even if swallowed, it didn't matter—I didn't need it anyway, and no one else benefited.

Placing a fine item in the residence should boost its fortune.

While pondering, Li Banfeng noticed another object had slipped from the suit.

The mechanism he had taken from one of Jiang Xiang's underlings during their fight.

Is this thing useful?

Li Banfeng thought of an idea!

Deep at night, Li Banfeng held a map of Heishipoe, wearing a blue-green long robe and a gray-white top hat, sprinting northward toward Heishipoe.

Passing through the city, crossing the suburbs, after more than three hours, Li Banfeng reached the border of Heishipoe.

Like the familiar border line, a single line stretched endlessly in both directions, with not a blade of grass in sight.

Li Banfeng pulled out the mechanism, gripped the lever, and yanked it—no reaction appeared along the border line.

He threw a branch over it; the moment the branch crossed the border line, it turned to ash.

It seemed he had overthought it.

The boundary and the border line are apparently not the same thing—at least this remote controller isn't universal.

Back in Suishenju, Li Banfeng continued pondering solutions when suddenly a hoarse voice whispered beside his ear: "Come to the Third Wing—I'll help you modify it."

It was Suishenju's voice.

Modify what?

The remote controller?

Can it even modify this?

Li Banfeng entered the Third Wing and placed the remote controller on the ground.

Just like the screw, the remote controller was swiftly swallowed by the ground.

After waiting over an hour, the remote controller reemerged from the ground.

Li Banfeng picked it up—it showed no change whatsoever from before.

"Can this thing be used on the border line?"

Suishenju's voice sounded again: "That depends on whether you have the nerve."

PS: If you've got the nerve, let's try it!

(End of Chapter)