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At dawn, You Xue Tao handed over the package to the Middleman, who, in You Xue Tao’s presence, gave the package to a middle-aged man.
This middle-aged man, Yang Yanzheng, was a manager for the Chu Family, one of the Four Great Families of Puluo State. He often came to Medicine King Valley to buy medicinal herbs. He was an acquaintance of the Middleman and was known for his reliability.
The Middleman smiled and said, "Peach, you’re in luck. Mr. Yang is just about to go to Blue Poplar Village. Your package will definitely be delivered."
With the package in hand, Yang Yanzheng went to the Patrol Arrest Office. Wu Jinming, leading twenty Patrol Officers, accompanied by ten travelers passing through, arrived at the checkpoint.
Hemp Bamboo Mountain allowed only ten people to cross the Border Line each day. If you couldn’t make it today, you had to wait until tomorrow.
The checkpoint changed location daily; this was a rule in Puluo State. Today’s chosen spot was at the foot of the southern slope of Hemp Bamboo Mountain.
The Border Line, where not even a blade of grass grew, was easy to recognize. Ten Patrol Officers escorted a steam car. They were delivering an iron box—two meters long, one meter wide, and one meter high—to the side of the Border Line.
Accompanied by five guards, the Border Defense Envoy personally took out a key and unlocked the iron box.
A Patrol Officer carried a boxy lantern from the iron box, and the Border Defense Envoy personally inspected the lantern’s position.
Once the inspection confirmed everything was correct, the process began. A Patrol Officer added water above the lantern. Another Patrol Officer opened the lantern’s rear cover to add coal. A third Patrol Officer, carrying a bucket of grease, was responsible for lighting it.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Steam rhythmically spewed from the top of the lantern, the pace quickening steadily. The lantern flickered a few times and gradually lit up.
This wasn’t driven by electricity; high-temperature Steam triggered the Magical Treasure inside the lantern.
A beam of cyan-blue light shot toward the Border Line, casting a light spot one and a half meters in diameter on the ground.
Those who had crossed the Border Line before knew that wherever the light spot appeared, the otherwise invincible Border Line would temporarily become ineffective.
Yang Yanzheng was first in line. Accompanied by a Patrol Officer, he approached the Border Defense Envoy.
The Border Defense Envoy’s clerk commanded, "Show your Guide Token."
Yang Yanzheng took out his Guide Token and handed it to the Border Defense Envoy.
After a glance, the Border Defense Envoy looked up and asked, "What is your name?"
The Border Defense Envoy possessed a Magical Treasure.
Yang Yanzheng didn’t know what the Magical Treasure looked like, but he was aware of the consequences of lying. He had once seen three travelers try to use someone else’s Guide Token to impersonate them. They gave false names and instantly shattered into pieces right there, turning into a puddle of flesh.
It wasn’t just impersonators who faced this fate. Even those who had recently changed their names and weren’t fully accustomed to their new identities would be killed on the spot by this Magical Treasure.
Some travelers crossing the Border Line for the first time couldn’t understand this. On trains and boats, Guide Tokens were also checked, but that was usually the ticket seller’s or crew’s responsibility. Why, at the Border Line, did the Border Defense Envoy himself have to conduct the inspection personally?
They would understand after crossing a few more times.
Those who crossed the Border Line on foot, rather than by vehicle or boat, usually had special reasons for doing so.
Take Yang Yanzheng, for example. His purpose on this trip was twofold: to deliver a box of special Elixirs for the Chu Family’s Second Miss and, incidentally, to take care of some business in Blue Poplar Village. This box of Elixirs was highly poisonous and couldn’t be transported on trains or boats. If discovered by the crew, Yang Yanzheng could very well die en route.
Anyone crossing the Border Line on foot usually had special business to attend to, and many of these individuals possessed unique skills. Therefore, the Border Defense Envoy had to personally oversee these crossings, taking strict precautions.
Once his identity was confirmed without error, the Border Defense Envoy permitted him to cross.
Yang Yanzheng approached the Border Line, cautiously stepped onto the light spot on the ground, and crossed over.
In less than half a day, Yang Yanzheng arrived at Blue Poplar Village. He placed the package into a tree hollow at the entrance of the village before entering the village itself.
Li Banfeng dusted off his clothes, let out a sigh, and looked at the village before him.
PS: For two consecutive nights, I dreamed about a Phonograph. Wrapped in the warmth of Steam, I felt very cozy. It was only after checking my temperature that I realized I was running a fever of thirty-nine degrees.
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