Xiao Zhenggong looked at Blockhead as he rolled a coin between his fingers.

Blockhead was a level-five Martial Cultivator. He was talented, but not actually that much stronger than Zhong Guoshu. If Xiao Zhenggong wanted to kill him, it wouldn't take much effort. Just this coin in his hand would be enough.

Suddenly, Xiao Zhenggong's tone softened as he asked calmly, "Blockhead, what exactly did you come here for?"

Blockhead replied, "The captain sent me."

"You better be honest. The captain has never told you to come to the hospital every day. There's something else going on."

Blockhead shook his head at once. "I do not come every day. I only came to take a look today."

"I am questioning you as the deputy right now. You know the rules of the Dark Star Bureau. If you don't cooperate, I won't show you any mercy."

At some point, the coin in Xiao Zhenggong's hand had flipped to rest between his thumb and index finger.

"I told him to come." Captain Chen Changrui suddenly appeared at the doorway. "Zhenggong, put the coin away. It's just a one-yuan coin, yet you are playing with it so enthusiastically. If others see you, they will think we can't even afford to pay salaries."

Xiao Zhenggong put the coin away and said to Chen Changrui, "I suspect Investigator Zou Guoming and He Jiaqing are colluding in secret and leaking the bureau's confidential information. There's nothing wrong with me asking him a couple of questions, right?"

Chen Changrui smiled. "There's nothing wrong with this. Go ahead and ask, but this is not the place for it. Some things are not meant for outsiders to hear. Let us take him back to the bureau and question him there. What do you think?"

Xiao Zhenggong let out a cold laugh.

"No need," he said. "I have already asked what I needed to ask and seen what I needed to see. I am just an outsider in the bureau anyway. If I say too much, people will only find it annoying."

After that, Xiao Zhenggong turned and left the ward without another word.

Chen Changrui and Blockhead remained behind for a short while. Only after things settled did the two of them leave together and head back to the bureau.

That night, Blockhead went to Flower Lake Park and entered the New Land.

Out in the wilderness, He Jiaqing sat beside a campfire. He raised a hand and beckoned Blockhead over.

He Jiaqing felt rather puzzled by Xiao Zhenggong's actions.

"Is your deputy always like this?" he asked. "If he had really killed me today, would your bureau just let him off?"

Blockhead did not hesitate. "The bureau might not pursue it at all. And even if they do, it would only be a disciplinary action."

"A disciplinary action?" He Jiaqing arched his brows. "Do they really look down on me that much? Am I not even considered important?"

"You are an important figure, but Xiao Zhenggong has a very special identity."

"What identity?"

"As far as I know, he's a Balancer."

"What's a Balancer?" He Jiaqing had never heard this term before.

"This is classified within the bureau," Blockhead said. "During one operation, Xiao Zhenggong killed a teammate. That man had a powerful background. His father was a major figure. Even so, the matter was dropped in the end.

"That father pulled every string he could to investigate Xiao Zhenggong and avenge his son. I happened to be working with Xiao Zhenggong that day, so I got dragged into it as well."

"In the end, Captain Chen stepped in and protected me. That was the only reason I got out of it. Still, I never understood it. Xiao Zhenggong killed someone and walked away without consequence. I did nothing, yet I paid the price."

"Later, I learned from Captain Chen that Xiao Zhenggong is a Balancer. That powerful figure couldn't touch him at all.

"A Balancer is someone who can maintain the balance between Puluo Province and the Outer Provinces. Xiao Zhenggong holds a rather unusual identity in Puluo Province, but as for what a Balancer does, I don't know."

"I know," He Jiaqing said, frowning slightly. "He is the leader of the Jiangxiang Gang. But the Jiangxiang Gang isn't considered a major faction in Puluo Province. Why do people in the Outer Provinces think so highly of him?"

Blockhead shook his head. "I have no idea. In any case, you need to be more careful from now on. Since he is set on killing you, he will look for another chance in the coming days."

"I am not afraid of him," He Jiaqing said. "I am worried about you. He blamed you in front of everyone, and your captain heard it."

Blockhead did not seem concerned. "The captain trusts me. He despises Xiao Zhenggong. He will not suspect me over a few words."

He Jiaqing let out a quiet sigh. "It's my fault that you were dragged into this."

Blockhead shook his head with a faint smile. "Are we not brothers? Why keep score over something like this?"

He Jiaqing said nothing. He simply took out a Golden Essence Pill and a packet of medicinal powder, then pressed them into Blockhead's hand.

"Take it," he said. "Swallow the pill with the powder. It will help your cultivation."

Blockhead glanced down at what he was holding. "You mean it will help strengthen my dark ability?"

He shook his head and pushed the pill back.

"The bureau has rules. The strengthening of one's dark ability must be reported. The process and the method must be explained clearly."

He closed He Jiaqing's hand around the items again. "I cannot take this kind of medicine. I would not be able to explain where the improvement came from. If the bureau finds out, I will be severely punished."

He Jiaqing smiled. "Do you really report every strengthening of your dark ability to the bureau every single time?"

Blockhead didn't find anything unusual about that. "Those are the rules. Hiding the level of your dark ability is a serious offense."

"You said Xiao Zhenggong is a level-three combatant. Do you really think he hasn't hidden anything?"

Blockhead paused for a moment before replying, "He's a Balancer. I can't compare myself to him. The bureau has special equipment that can test the level of our dark ability."

He Jiaqing pushed the pill back into Blockhead's hand. "Just take it. There's no device in this world that can detect the level of your dark ability.

"Remember this. You must take both medicines together. The pill is poison, and the powder is the antidote. After taking them, get plenty of rest.

"The future your bureau promises you is nothing but a lie. Only your own cultivation is real. Never forget that."

***

He Jiaqing lay back on the hospital bed and carefully went over everything in his mind. In the past, within the entire Jiangxiang Gang, the only person he had truly respected was Luo Zhengnan.

He now realized he had been overlooking Xiao Zhenggong all along.

A gang leader becoming a deputy captain in the Dark Star Bureau had been suspicious from the very beginning. At first, He Jiaqing had assumed Xiao Zhenggong only wanted a job in the Outer Provinces to polish his image. After all, Jiangxiang Gang's name was already notorious.

However, he now realized that things were more complicated than he had first thought.

The situation had already strayed far from the original plan. They needed to find either Crimson Lotus or Zhao Xiaowan as soon as possible. If this delay continued, once the great families recovered, all his earlier efforts would be for nothing.

Xiao Zhenggong was indeed difficult to deal with, so he would have to focus his attention on an old friend.

Banfeng, where did you go? You went through so much to build all this, and now you have just abandoned it? You can't possibly let it go that easily, can you? He Jiaqing muttered inwardly. He felt along the buttons of his hospital gown, found the hook hidden in the stitching, and then contacted Ling Miaoying.

"How's the newspaper business doing?"

"It's running quite well. The foundation Big Brother left behind is solid. Even though publication was stopped for a while, we have managed to win back many of our old clients."

"Good," He Jiaqing said, nodding in approval. "Publish a notice for me."

***

Li Banfeng sat inside the Pocket Dwelling, saying nothing at all, simply watching the Gramophone and Hongying.

Hongying had already been steamed for quite a while before she was made to listen to the Gramophone sing two songs.

Li Banfeng thought the two songs sounded quite pleasant. To Hongying, however, every line was a whip. Each word struck hard and sharp, lashing into her until it felt as though her skin split and her flesh tore.

Even so, she said nothing at all. Not a single word to wifey.

Hongying was not weak. One could boil her, burn her, or slice her to ribbons, and she still would not bend. Wifey knew that very well.

That was why Li Banfeng had come up with a much simpler idea. Why go through all this fuss? Just swallow Hongying's soul in one gulp, and toss whatever was left to Crimson Lotus to be neatly refined.

Crimson Lotus agreed at once. It sounded like a splendid idea. However, the Gramophone did not.

There were things she simply had to get to the bottom of, and once she set her mind on something, she would not let it go. She was so obsessed with getting an answer that she became very easily irritated. She was in such a bad temper that she wouldn't let him lubricate her machine parts anymore.

Li Banfeng never quite felt at ease with Hongying in the house. After all, he had tricked her here by special means, and whenever he saw her, he felt a trace of guilt. Since he felt guilty, he simply tried not to look at her.

Life in Iron Gate Fort, after all, was perfectly pleasant. Food and daily necessities arrived at his door without fail. The vast mountains lay open before him, and he roamed them as he pleased, steadily advancing his Wanderlust Cultivation.

That day after dinner, Li Banfeng was reading a novel in the residence when Wu Yongchao ran in, drenched in sweat. "Fort Lord, I bought it."

"What did you buy?"

"A newspaper, the one you often mention."

Li Banfeng had the habit of reading newspapers. The Homebound Cultivators of Iron Gate Fort did not. As far as they were concerned, anything that happened beyond the fort walls might as well not exist at all.

Wu Yongchao, however, had been watching. He had seen Li Banfeng buying newspapers again and again, and naturally, he came to a conclusion. It must be troublesome. Very troublesome.

So, being a helpful sort of person, he decided to run this errand for Li Banfeng today.

To buy the newspaper, he ran for several kilometers through twisting mountain paths. He missed two meals. He got lost once. Then twice. Possibly more. He had no idea that if Li Banfeng had gone himself, it would have been just a casual stroll.

It wasn't a big matter, but Li Banfeng appreciated the thought.

He spent some money to hire Li Zhijuan, a Homebound Cultivator known for her excellent cooking, and had her prepare a table full of dishes. Two pots of wine were warmed as well to treat Wu Yongchao to dinner.

Wu Yongchao dug in like a man possessed, eating as if he had not seen food in days. Meanwhile, Li Banfeng sat off to the side, flipping through the newspaper.

Before long, one piece of news caught his eye.

The Ling Family and the Ma Family had joined forces to activate a plot of land in the New Land.

It was nothing unusual for great families to activate a plot of land in the New Land. However, the photo in this piece of news made Li Banfeng very uneasy.

In the picture, Ling Miaoying and Ma Chunting stood side by side on a stretch of land. Li Banfeng recognized it at a glance. It lay within Qiu Luoye's territory, and he had been there before. It was less than one and a half kilometers from Properfolk Village.

If they succeeded in activating that land, it would be just as unpleasant as when Lu Xiaolan had done the same back then.

Perhaps it would be even more disgusting than what Lu Xiaolan did because the Ma Family was involved this time.

Properfolk Village was something Li Banfeng had built with his own hands, fighting every step of the way. There was no chance he would tolerate any threat to it.

Ling Miaoying, are you intentionally forcing me to go back? Looks like I can't avoid you anymore. Fine! I won't then!

Ma Wu once said the Ling Family is a lineage of Spycraft Cultivators, and the three brothers are all at least seventh-level... Li Banfeng murmured inwardly. Fine. I'll count them as seventh-level for now.

I am a level-five Homebound Cultivator, and I am a level-four Wanderlust Cultivator. These two adds up to nine levels. With nine levels, I don't have to be afraid of a level-seven cultivator.

The real problem is the Ma Family. What level is Ma Wu's father again?

A moment later, he recalled the answer.

Right. Ma Wu said he's a level-eight Literary Cultivator.

Eight plus seven... that makes fifteen.

No problem! I will fight them one at a time.

Li Banfeng knew it wasn't that simple. Levels didn't add up like numbers on a page.

Still, he had to go back. Properfolk Village was not something he could abandon. Whether he could defeat Ma Chunting and Ling Miaoying or not, he would have to fight.

There was no other choice.

Even if he lost, Li Banfeng wasn't worried. On that territory, he had a way out, a retreat others could not reach.

Before setting off, Li Banfeng split the eight hundred thousand silver dollars into two portions.

He took two hundred thousand with him and left the remaining six hundred thousand at Iron Gate Fort, entrusting it to Wu Yongchao for safekeeping.

That was no small sum, and no small decision either. But Li Banfeng trusted Iron Gate Fort. More importantly, he trusted this brother.

If something went wrong out there, he would still have a safe haven. And if trouble ever came knocking at Iron Gate Fort's gates, the people there could use the money in case of emergency. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Li Banfeng set off that very night, which frightened Wu Yongchao badly.

"Fort Lord, I only went out to buy a newspaper, and now you are leaving?" Wu Yongchao's voice trembled. "If I had known, I wouldn't have gone..."

Li Banfeng looked at him for a moment, then instructed, "No matter what happens, remember three things. You must never forget them.

"Iron Gate Fort has only one Fort Lord. His name is Fort Lord.

"No matter where he is, he is your Fort Lord.

"Whether he is dead or alive, he is your Fort Lord.

"Do you remember?"

Wu Yongchao remembered.

Iron Gate Fort remembered.

Their Fort Lord was called Fort Lord, and the Homebound Cultivators would never forget it for the rest of their lives.

***

Li Banfeng arrived at Peach Blossom Lake and wasted no time.

He first returned to the Pocket Dwelling and left his clothes behind. Then, without hesitation, he jumped straight into the lake, completely naked.

He moved along the lakebed as if taking a short walk. After a while, he surfaced elsewhere and stepped onto a stretch of barren land.

He returned to the Pocket Dwelling, dried himself, and was in the middle of getting dressed when Hongying suddenly spoke.

"You came in naked just now?"

The Gramophone said in astonishment, "Wretch, you could see that?"

Hongying let out a cold, sharp laugh. "See it? No. I smelled it."

"You could smell that?" The Gramophone hissed, a burst of steam escaping as her voice turned sharp. "Have you gone mad from craving men?"

"If I crave men, what business is it of yours?"

"Explain why you harmed me back then."

"I won't say. Kill me or cut me up if you want."

"Wretch, don't start crying when you get beaten later!"

The same scene played out once again.

Li Banfeng could not be bothered to watch. He turned and quickly returned to the barren land. Following Old Mister Yao's map, he traveled at full speed and reached Qiu Luoye's territory in less than a day.

When he arrived at the location shown in the news photo, he saw nothing.

No one was activating the land. There was no glow from the plot either.

What is going on? Was the news fake? Was someone trying to set me up?

Li Banfeng was not surprised. The newspaper that carried the report belonged to the Ling Family.

He stood on the plot and looked around, his gaze sweeping across the empty land.

Not far away, within her own plot, Lu Xiaolan had already heard him.

"Mom, he's here."

Zhuo Yuling stayed hidden among the trees, not daring to move so much as a leaf.

Through the hook on her sash, she whispered, "Is it time to make a move?"

Lu Xiaolan's voice came back at once. "Not yet. He's heading your way. Wait until he walks straight into the trap."

Li Banfeng walked toward Properfolk Village at an unhurried pace.

After a little over a hundred steps, something seemed to stir in him. Without warning, he lifted his voice and began to sing an old tune, as if the thought had simply slipped into his head all on its own.

「Beat the drum, now fast and bright,

Strike the gong, then slow it light,

Hush the sound, now gather near,

Drop the noise and lend an ear.

Idle talk I will not bring,

Come and hear Eighteen... ♪」

The simple folk tune drifted through the air and reached Lu Xiaolan's ears.

The moment it did, her eardrums throbbed violently. Pain surged through her head, sharp and sudden, and blood began to seep from her ear canals.

So you planted a hook here to set me up? Li Banfeng muttered inwardly. You are lucky you didn't run into my wifey!

Author's Note:

PS: This is a very simple folk tune. Dear readers, sing along with Salagus.