Chapter 789: They are innocent

Li Li Banfeng held the document regarding the demolition of the Workers' Cultural Palace and read it through carefully.

Judging by the terminology and the vast amount of data in the report, this demolition was a very important mission; judging by the rigorous workflow, the mission carried a certain degree of risk.

Although the report repeatedly emphasized that the Cultural Palace's structural integrity was compromised and that the demolition was for safety reasons, this purpose was clearly a pretext.

If it were merely a simple demolition of a dangerous building, such work would not have been handed to the Dark Star Bureau. The Outer Provinces had already realized at the time that the Cultural Palace was an extremely dangerous place, which was why they took this action.

But judging by the results, the operation was a clear failure. Although a large number of photos were left at the demolition site, the Cultural Palace itself still existed.

What subsequent actions did the Dark Star Bureau take?

The next morning, Li Li Banfeng called Chen Chen Zhangrui into his office and asked directly, "Did you participate in the demolition of the Cultural Palace?"

This question stunned Chen Chen Zhangrui; Li Li Banfeng had left him absolutely no room for buffering or maneuvering.

"I, at the time, actually..."

"Did you participate or not?"

"I participated," Chen Chen Zhangrui admitted.

Li Li Banfeng asked, "You demolished the Cultural Palace, so did it recover shortly after?"

Chen Chen Zhangrui lit a cigarette: "Not shortly after—it was immediate."

"We evacuated the surrounding crowds beforehand, sealed off the surrounding streets, utilized special equipment, and spent six hours demolishing the entire Cultural Palace."

"By the time we finished taking photos and left the scene, before we had even walked out of Yiping Road in Huahu District, the Cultural Palace had already recovered."

Li Li Banfeng took out the top-secret document: "With such a situation occurring, you actually dared to submit a report to your superiors?"

Chen Chen Zhangrui had indeed seen this report: "We had no choice but to write it at the time. We couldn't explain it to our superiors otherwise; we had to prove we had done the job."

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

Chen Chen Zhangrui shuddered: "Director Li, don't make such jokes. This is a top-secret document; why would I send it to Director Shen? Besides, Director Shen, he also—"

It seemed this wasn't Chen Chen Zhangrui's doing. Li Li Banfeng continued to ask, "What was the real purpose of demolishing the Cultural Palace? Was it to restrict the black market?"

Chen Chen Zhangrui thought for a moment: "It wasn't just to restrict the black market. To be precise, at the time, it was to restrict Lin Fojiao. He maintained cooperation with us in some areas, but in other matters, he acted somewhat out of bounds."

Li Li Banfeng did not ask for specific details. Just yesterday, Lin Fojiao had agreed to sell Li Li Banfeng armor and chariots.

To the Outer Provinces, this was already an act considered out of bounds.

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

"We demolished it two more times, using different methods. At the time, our bureau really wanted to give Lin Fojiao a warning."

Li Li Banfeng had already guessed the result: "The Cultural Palace recovered again. This meant Lin Fojiao had turned around and warned you instead."

Chen Chen Zhangrui nodded: "From then on, we adopted an attitude of tacit approval toward Lin Fojiao's various behaviors."

This statement gave Li Li Banfeng some inferences about Lin Fojiao's strength. The Cultural Palace might not be entirely composed of dreams, but the part demolished by the Dark Star Bureau most likely belonged to the dream realm.

So how much of the current Cultural Palace is physical and how much is dream?

During the time Li Li Banfeng entered the Cultural Palace, there was a period when he was asleep.

It wasn't just Li Li Banfeng who fell asleep; the little train and the group of magic treasures beside him all fell asleep.

Yet everything in the black market still happened truly and concretely.

Li Li Banfeng had bought things in the black market, and the items were real.

Tang Tang Changfa sold things in the black market, and the money he received was also real gold and silver.

Back then, Du Du Wenming and Chu Chu Zikai had both done business in the black market, and no one had ever discovered any abnormalities in the Cultural Palace.

Li Li Banfeng held Meng De in the palm of his hand: "Is it possible that this black market is composed of a dream?"

Meng De shook his head incessantly: "Who could have such great ability to create such a massive dream?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "This dream might not be considered massive. The dream in the Dream-Pulling Pavilion is much larger than this."

Wait, this matter cannot be judged so rashly.

Li Li Banfeng had walked through many places in the Dream-Pulling Pavilion with the old train, which is why he felt the Dream-Pulling Pavilion was very large.

But Li Li Banfeng still didn't know how large the Cultural Palace was. In his impression, the third floor previously only had conference rooms and offices, but now that Tang Tang Changfa had moved, the third floor also had private booths.

Whose strength is greater, Lin Fojiao's or Meng Xiao Qian's? That really couldn't be said for sure.

Why not just ask Lin Fojiao?

Li Li Banfeng returned to the Leaving Suishenju, took out a canvas, and used Western painting techniques to paint a portrait of Meng Xiao Qian.

After finishing, Li Li Banfeng asked his wife: "How is this portrait?"

His wife looked for a moment and nodded repeatedly: "This person is Zuo Zuo Wugang, right? I've heard my husband mention that when he was a scout, he had courage and was fierce enough. My husband truly captured the spirit—"

Li Li Banfeng took a cloth and covered the oil painting.

Painting wasn't working, so he decided to write instead. Li Li Banfeng opened the Beauty Scroll, prepared to find a suitable woman as a template, and write a description for Meng Xiao Qian.

After flipping through a few pages, he truly found a suitable one. The original text described it as follows:

There is a woman, A-Xiao Qian, her appearance like a fairy entering the mortal world.

Cold as ice soul soaking in a cold pool, indifferent as a lone swan vanishing into the vast void.

Her brows like the black of spring mountains, mist-shrouded and fog-locked; her eyes containing the depth of autumn waters, stars hidden and clouds sunken.

Her crimson lips not yet parted, already sealing a thousand words behind white teeth; her plain sleeves slightly brushing, gathering all seven emotions into the vast cold.

Her movement like flowing wind returning to snow, her stillness like thin mist congealing into frost.

Leaning against stones to watch clouds, facing pools to reflect shadows, her laziness fully revealing the grace of Gu She.

Picking flowers without speaking, drinking alone facing the moon, her detachment hiding the charm of the Luo Goddess.

Her dark hair hanging like a waterfall without jade pins, naturally having the light of heaven as hair ornaments.

Her silk robes trailing on the ground without staining with dust, why would she need gold-threaded embroidered neon garments?

This passage is not bad; he would rewrite it based on this. Li Li Banfeng picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, recalled Meng Xiao Qian's image, and pondered for a long time.

How should he change this?

This—does it even need changing?

Li Li Banfeng felt every word and every sentence was very fitting.

There is a woman, A-Xiao Qian...

This writing seems to be exactly Meng Xiao Qian.

Is Meng Xiao Qian also in the Beauty Scroll?

Can she be mentioned in the same breath as his wife?

Li Li Banfeng didn't quite believe it. He copied the description of Meng Xiao Qian, brought it to the courtyard, and sprinkled a drop of blood.

A woman stood up from the paper, her features regular, her expression lazy, wearing white clothes, sitting beside Li Li Banfeng, silently daydreaming.

The one who came out was truly Meng Xiao Qian.

Just looking the same didn't prove anything; when Li Li Banfeng used the Golden House Hiding Beauty technique, the image he constructed in his mind was Meng Xiao Qian.

Does this "Meng Xiao Qian" know dream cultivation techniques?

Li Li Banfeng carefully read the text description and found no content related to dream cultivation.

Should he add a little?

Li Li Banfeng was brewing the words, and the whole family stared at Meng Xiao Qian, watching with focus and dedication.

The Glove quietly rubbed its fingers: "This woman, she doesn't lose to the mistress!"

The Projector lit up its lens: "She's still different from our mistress, after all, our mistress is already—" The Pendulum knocked on the Projector, and the Projector ignored it, its lens focused and locked onto Meng Xiao Qian.

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan knocked on the Projector: "What did you just say you were tired of?"

The Projector turned around and aimed its lens at Zhao Zhao Xiaowan: "A woman created with techniques has no soul. I was tired of looking at her at a glance, but our noble mistress, no matter how much I look, I will never be tired."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan came to the woman's side, looked her up and down, and laughed: "Precious husband, is this person Meng Xiao Qian?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "I made this using the Golden House Hiding Beauty technique. She looks basically the same as Meng Xiao Qian. Does my wife know her?"

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan shook her head and said: "I don't know her, but I've heard of her. Among the younger generation of dream cultivators, Meng Xiao Qian has extremely high achievements, but this person defected to the Inner Provinces at a young age, and her reputation in Puluo Province isn't very good."

"What was her reason for defecting to the Inner Provinces?"

His wife thought for a moment: "There are many theories about this. Some say she went to the Inner Provinces to seek wealth. This theory doesn't hold water; the Inner Provinces did give her an official position, but they didn't even give her a title. With her cultivation, she wouldn't lack wealth in Puluo Province."

"Some say she went to the Inner Provinces to hide from enemies. To be honest, becoming a generation's hero in Puluo Province, who doesn't have a few enemies? It's not worth hiding that far away."

"Opinions vary, but the fact that she defected to the Inner Provinces is confirmed, so it's hard for her to have a foothold in Puluo Province."

"News about her recent situation is also rare."

While speaking, his wife hooked "Meng Xiao Qian's" chin.

"Meng Xiao Qian" sat woodenly, showing resistance, annoyance, and evasion, but none of her expressions were strong.

The Wine Gourd looked at Meng Xiao Qian's condition and shook its body slightly: "Little brother, you're lacking a bit of meaning here."

His wife laughed: "Husband, you just copied the description from the Beauty Scroll. You didn't put in the effort, so naturally, you couldn't make a good beauty."

Li Li Banfeng picked up the Beauty Scroll and read it again: "I don't know much about Meng Xiao Qian either. I can't just make things up, right?"

His wife said: "Making things up is not necessarily a bad thing. This is just like forging a weapon. Although the material is selected,"

"whether you forge a sword or a saber still depends on the husband's intent."

Li Li Banfeng understood his wife's meaning. As long as it didn't seriously contradict his own cognition, he could add many fabrications to the description of Meng Xiao Qian.

After picking up the brush, Li Li Banfeng put it down again.

He stared at Meng Xiao Qian and looked a few more times: "Being a bit wooden is actually quite good. Adding a little embellishment is enough."

In the afternoon, Li Li Banfeng called Tang Tang Changfa: "The three of you rest at home tonight. I'm going to set up a stall at the cinema."

Tang Tang Changfa was terrified: "Shopkeeper, this won't do. How can I let you do this work?"

"Just for tonight. The matter is settled."

After hanging up the phone, Li Li Banfeng summoned Meng Xiao Qian and refined her again.

"Just let him take one look. I'm afraid of exposing the truth if he looks too much. One look is enough!"

At eleven o'clock in the middle of the night, Lin Fojiao got out of bed, finished washing, changed his clothes, and sat behind his office desk dozing off.

At twelve o'clock in the middle of the night, the black market opened on time.

At twelve-fifteen, Lin Fojiao suddenly opened his eyes, sweat covering his face in the blink of an eye.

He had a nightmare, dreaming of an incomparably beautiful woman in white appearing in the Cultural Palace.

He clearly recognized this woman.

Lin Fojiao walked out of the office and first stood in the corridor looking left and right.

Immediately, he walked toward the door of a luxury private booth. Just as he was thinking about whether to enter, the booth door opened,

and Li Li Banfeng made a gesture inviting him inside.

Lin Fojiao entered the booth and sat on the sofa, his eyes scanning the booth: "Brother Brother Qiye, you set up the stall yourself tonight?"

The tea had just been brewed, and Li Li Banfeng poured a cup for Lin Fojiao: "I have a friend visiting tonight, and I just happened to come over to entertain them."

"Brother Brother Qiye, this friend of yours doesn't seem like they should come to the Outer Provinces, right?" Lin Fojiao stared at Li Qi, and Li Qi felt waves of chill.

He wasn't afraid of danger, but it was much better than Lin Fojiao's drowsy state.

"Boss Lin, can you tell me the reason for this? Why can't Meng Xiao Qian come to the Outer Provinces?" Li Li Banfeng brought the matter into the open.

Lin Fojiao held the tea cup lid and gently stirred the tea: "It's not that I won't let her come; it's that she doesn't have the guts to come. But if Brother Brother Qiye lends her some guts, that's another matter."

Li Li Banfeng laughed: "Where would I get so many guts to lend her? Boss Lin lets me sleep when he wants me to sleep, and wake when he wants me to wake. I have to be trembling with fear even when talking to Boss Lin."

Lin Fojiao tapped the water droplets on the cup lid: "Brother Brother Qiye is being overly polite. People who come here to do business, whether buyers or sellers, are all half-asleep. This is Lin's rule."

Li Li Banfeng picked up the tea cup and took a sip: "Words spoken in a dream don't count. This is Li's rule."

R

Lin Fojiao nodded slightly: "Then I'll break the rule once. From now on, in my territory, I definitely won't let Brother Brother Qiye fall asleep."

Li Li Banfeng said: "Then please give me a hint, Boss Lin. How exactly did I fall asleep?"

Lin Fojiao stood up and pulled open the curtains, revealing a glass curtain wall. One couldn't see this curtain wall from the outside, but from the inside, looking through it, one could clearly see the cinema screen.

"Anyone who comes to do business, as long as they have watched the movie here, will enter a dream."

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

Lin Fojiao asked: "What movie was playing last night?"

Li Li Banfeng recalled: "It was a comedy."

Lin Fojiao said: "Brother Brother Qiye, this proves you still watched it."

Li Li Banfeng let the Glove pull the curtains: "Boss Lin, since you have told me the truth, I won't hide it from you either. Meng Xiao Qian didn't come to your territory; I just made a puppet."

The two stared at each other for a moment, each revealing a faint smile, and the chill in the booth gradually dissipated.

"Since the sincerity has been shown, let's talk about business." Li Li Banfeng intended to order three hundred sets of armor and ten Wuchong Fuxu chariots from Lin Fojiao.

"Brother Brother Qiye has great ambition. For such a large number, I need some time to prepare the stock."

"That's easy to say. Let's talk about the price first."

The two agreed on the price, and Lin Fojiao took out a contract and placed it in front of Li Li Banfeng.

Looking at the paper, Li Li Banfeng felt it looked familiar: "Is this a contract paper?"

Lin Fojiao nodded: "The rules of Puluo Province, we both understand."

The two pricked their fingers and pressed their handprints. Li Li Banfeng asked: "Boss Lin, are you from Puluo Province?"

Lin Fojiao said: "I used to be, but it's hard to say now."

"Can you tell me the reason?"

"I think life in a dream is quite good, but the Peddler can't tolerate me." Lin Fojiao's eyelids drooped, and he felt a bit tired again. "Brother Brother Qiye, now that the trains aren't running between the Outer Provinces and Puluo Province, I'm afraid delivery will be a bit troublesome."

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

Lin Fojiao took the contract and left the booth, returning to his office.

Li Li Banfeng collected the contract, packed up his stall, and went to Santoucha overnight.

Qiu Qiu Zhiheng had been waiting for Li Li Banfeng's news. There were many Outer Province enterprises in the underground city, and their products were only sold to the Outer Provinces. Because the railway was interrupted, these companies were all waiting to ship their goods.

Ma Wu had already tested the railway. The train could smoothly pass through the border between the Outer Provinces and Puluo Province to transport this batch of goods out. On the return trip, it could transport the armor and chariots back. But the premise for all of this was that the Guanfang Hall didn't cause trouble.

The Guanfang Hall had once controlled Puluo Province to a certain extent, but now it only had the Santoucha territory left. However, in this territory, the Guanfang Hall had the Innocent Army and also controlled the City of Sinners. Currently, Liao Liao Zihui was working in the City of Sinners.

To avoid the light of heaven, Liao Liao Zihui's office was located underground, without windows, and without distinction between day and night.

At three o'clock in the morning, Liao Liao Zihui still hadn't slept. He sat beside his desk, using a record player to play old songs one after another.

After playing "Roses Bloom Everywhere," Li Li Banfeng changed the record and started playing "Ten Thousand Waters and Mountains Are Always Love."

Li Li Banfeng and Liao Liao Zihui both liked this old song.

Seeing Li Qi sitting opposite him, Liao Liao Zihui was neither surprised nor nervous.

He handed the rosters of the City of Sinners and the Innocent Army to Li Li Banfeng together.

Li Li Banfeng accepted the rosters and asked: "Have you received the document from your superiors?"

Liao Liao Zihui shook his head: "Superiors won't easily issue documents, but they are clear about the matter."

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

Liao Liao Zihui gave a bitter laugh: "I'm definitely taking the blame for this, but for your sake, they won't make it too difficult for me. At most, they'll let me retire early."

"Retirement isn't bad either. I'm still waiting to go to Xiaoyao Wu to live a good life."

"Fine! When the time comes, I'll go to Xiaoyao Wu to support you."

Liao Liao Zihui put on his protective suit: "Then today, I'll support you in the City of Sinners first. Let's hand over the handover on the spot."

The two arrived on the surface, and Liao Liao Zihui said: "I came to Santoucha by train. Apart from the train, there is currently no way to cross the border."

A-Yu had become Li Li Banfeng's house spirit, and the equipment for crossing the border in the Outer Provinces had all failed.

Liao Liao Zihui led Li Li Banfeng to the square in the center of the City of Sinners and said to Li Li Banfeng: "Now I can't even control the train. Where you can take them depends on how you handle it. My suggestion is to let them continue to stay in the City of Sinners."

Li Li Banfeng looked at the dormitories of the City of Sinners. All the buildings were exactly the same, with windows as small as could be and iron doors with iron locks, reminding everyone every moment that this was a place for sinners to live.

Behind the iron doors were pairs of eyes, quietly looking outside. They didn't know who had come, but seeing the people from the Guanfang Hall, they didn't dare to sleep. Some of them were likely to be punished, and the higher the status of the person who came, the heavier the punishment would be.

Liao Liao Zihui first let his subordinates open each dormitory.

The iron doors opened, and each dormitory was silent; not a single person dared to walk out.

Liao Liao Zihui held a megaphone and shouted loudly: "From today on, the Guanfang Hall will formally transfer the management authority of the City of Sinners and all sinners in the city to the Balance Work Comprehensive Research Institute."

"The determination of the sinners' crimes and the sentencing of their prison terms in the city will all be re-examined and reviewed by the Balance Work Comprehensive Research Institute."

"Below, I invite Dean Li to speak to everyone."

Liao Liao Zihui handled it very appropriately. He just transferred the management authority from one institution to another.

When taking the blame in the future, the pressure he would face would be much smaller.

The staff had also prepared a megaphone for Li Li Banfeng. Li Li Banfeng held the megaphone, waited for a long time, and said one sentence: "You are innocent."

The voice hovered over the City of Sinners. It was unknown if they had heard it clearly, but all the dormitories remained silent.

After waiting for a moment, Li Li Banfeng said the second sentence: "Follow me."

He put down the megaphone and walked toward the gate of the City of Sinners.

He walked alone in front, walking out half a street, and finally, a few bold three-headed people followed out, walking behind Li Li Banfeng toward the gate.

Walking through a street, more than a hundred people followed behind Li Li Banfeng.

Walking through the second street, there was a very long line behind Li Li Banfeng.

Arriving at the entrance, the staff were still waiting for Liao Liao Zihui's order to open the gate. Li Li Banfeng directly used his Tang Dao to cut the mechanical gate and used his hand to open the steam-driven city gate.

Boom! Boom!

Outside the city gate, a group of three-headed people were beating drums, the unique big drums of the City of Sinners.

The people in the city recognized them; they had once followed Li Qi out of the City of Sinners.

The big drums of the City of Sinners would only be beaten under two circumstances.

One is during the New Year, representing the City of Sinners' expectations for life.

Two is when they can no longer survive, representing the City of Sinners' struggle for life.

Now it wasn't New Year, but they were beating the drums with all their might, waiting for their loved ones to leave together.

But the three-headed people in the city didn't dare to come out. The City of Sinners was surrounded by a circle of boundaries. Once they crossed the boundary, they would be burned to ashes. This was common knowledge in the City of Sinners, and this common knowledge grew in everyone's mind from birth to death.

Li Li Banfeng lowered his hat and took a step toward the boundary.

Some three-headed people wanted to follow, but their feet stepped out and then shrank back.

Juanzi shouted in the crowd: "Follow Brother Brother Qiye!"

Xiaoshan shouted: "Come out! Once we come out, we are innocent."

Mengzi didn't say anything; he grabbed the drumstick and beat the drum desperately.

Li Li Banfeng crossed the boundary and stood outside the city unscathed.

He turned around and waited for the three-headed people in the city, watching them walk out of the city one by one.

At first, they tried their best to cross the boundary on the ground. When there were gradually more people, they no longer had any concerns and stepped directly over the boundary.

The three-headed people who came out of the city gathered together. They were looking, they were asking, and they were inquiring everywhere about who had let them out.

Juanzi didn't dare to step forward to explain; she didn't dare to get too close. She only had one head left now.

Tu Heng shouted to the crowd: "It's Brother Brother Qiye! Brother Brother Qiye came to save us."

"Who exactly is Brother Brother Qiye?" They still didn't recognize Li Li Banfeng.

When all the three-headed people in the City of Sinners had come outside the city, Li Li Banfeng disappeared silently into the crowd.

A-Yu's voice sounded from the gold nugget in his pocket: "You can truly let go! Such a great favor, you say you're leaving just like that?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "This doesn't count as a great favor. I promised to save them, so I should fulfill my promise. They are people, so they should live like people."

A-Yu gave a cold snort: "Don't forget my credit. If I hadn't retracted the boundary in advance, how could they have come out?"

"This time you've earned so much popularity. If it's enough, hurry back and promote. I'll teach you the technique of Xiao Xuan Guang Zhu Xie."

Li Li Banfeng looked at the sky of the City of Sinners, always feeling that the light of heaven could fall at any time.

"Is the light of heaven in Santoucha also created by the Heavenly Maiden?"

A-Yu gave a snort: "If the Heavenly Maiden had this ability, could she still be beaten like this by the Peddler? The light of heaven in Santoucha is called the True Light of Heaven. This has nothing to do with the Heavenly Maiden. Back then, the Heavenly Maiden created the technique of Xiao Xuan Guang Zhu Xie because she was inspired by the True Light of Heaven."

PS: Where does the True Light of Heaven come from? ===== CHAPTER 790 =====