This was a copper lotus flower, with lotus leaves as the base, about ten centimeters in diameter. The flower bud was perched directly atop the lotus leaves. Though the flower was not open, one could feel the seams between the petals.
Although Li Banfeng had no particular expertise in antiques, he could still tell that this was an extremely exquisite ornament.
Having slept plenty over the past few days and with nothing else to do, Li Banfeng had been studying this Copper Lotus Flower ceaselessly.
From dawn until two in the afternoon, the Copper Lotus Flower had remained unopened.
SQUEAK.
The announcer’s voice came over the intercom: "The train will soon arrive at Medicine King Valley Station. Passengers getting off here, please collect your belongings and prepare to disembark."
Li Banfeng quickly gathered the silk, Yellow Paper, and various other items, wrapped the Copper Lotus Flower carefully, and stuffed it into his backpack along with the remaining three boxes of instant noodles, a box of chips, and a half-eaten bag of spicy strips. Then, he pushed open the door of the train carriage and stepped out.
This was the first time Li Banfeng had stepped out of his carriage since boarding the train, and also the first time he had laid eyes on the other passengers.
At first, Li Banfeng was somewhat apprehensive, fearing he might encounter inexplicable creatures, perhaps with three heads.
There were quite a few people waiting by the door to get off, but they all looked normal—at least, at first glance.
Some people weren’t supposed to get off at this station, but they had to disembark early because they were on the verge of starvation.
A man dressed in a suit, his left hand in his pocket and carrying a suitcase in his right, stood next to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng glanced at him; the man was at least 1.9 meters tall but probably weighed no more than fifty kilograms.
Behind him followed a woman whose figure was the exact opposite of the man’s; she was probably under 1.4 meters tall but certainly weighed over seventy kilograms.
The train jolted, and the man quickly steadied the woman beside him. From their proximity and body language, the two appeared to be husband and wife.
The woman held a child in her arms, looking to be about one or two years old; it was hard to tell which parent the child resembled.
HISSS!
WOO-OOO!
With a long whistle, the train pulled into Medicine King Valley Station.
The train attendant lowered the carriage steps, and Li Banfeng followed the crowd off the train.
The moment he stepped out of the carriage, fresh air intoxicated Li Banfeng. Despite being tinged with a bit of coal dust and the smell of oil, it was far better than the stagnant air inside the train.
The weather was a bit gloomy, but that was still preferable to the dim yellow light in the carriage, especially since, for the past few days, even that dim light had disappeared.
After getting off the train, Li Banfeng took note of the attire of the people around him.
Their clothing was very different from his.
Many people wore suits—black, white, striped, checkered—all kinds of styles.
Quite a few wore Sun Yat-sen suits, with collars either standing up or folded down.
Some wore vests over their shirts, accessorized with bow ties.
Others wore long robes, somewhat resembling the gowns of folk artists.
Many wore hats of various styles; top hats were plentiful, and duckbill caps were also common.
There was also a type of hat similar to a duckbill cap but with a slightly narrower brim and a button on it.
Li Banfeng thought:
After boarding the train, Li Banfeng had taken off his shirt and trousers and changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants, which now made him feel completely out of place compared to what others were wearing.
Li Banfeng felt like he was the most eye-catching man on the platform—truly radiant. He even had the distinct illusion that his body was emitting light.
"Mommy, that man has light on him!" said a child behind him, staring intently at Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng extended his right hand. Under the dim sky, his right arm was emitting a pale, dazzling Light Halo.
It wasn’t just his right arm; his entire body was glowing.
But after observing for a moment, Li Banfeng realized it wasn’t him glowing. Rather, a beam of light was focused on him, like a stage spotlight.
Li Banfeng looked up at the sky, squinting against the blinding light streaming down.
The light shining on his body suddenly extinguished. Startled, Li Banfeng rushed toward the ticket checkpoint.
Many people had been standing at the checkpoint, all of whom had turned to look at Li Banfeng just moments before.
Eager to leave the station, Li Banfeng hadn’t expected these people to voluntarily make way for him.
"Keep clear, everyone stay clear! He’s been touched by the Heavenly Light."
"Could he be a White Lamb?"
"Stay away from him, don’t get splashed with blood!"
Li Banfeng grew even more nervous. He quickly took out his ticket and handed it to the ticket inspector.
The ticket inspector took out a pair of clippers, punched another hole in the ticket, and returned the stub to Li Banfeng.
Ignoring the stub, Li Banfeng walked straight out of the station and saw many people approaching him at the entrance.
They wore vests directly on their skin, with no shirts underneath.
They also wore hats. The material was unidentifiable, but the style was very similar to Li Banfeng’s mountaineering cap.
One man stepped forward and initiated conversation: "Sir, need a ride?"
Li Banfeng, his spicy strips within reach and his vigilance at its peak, replied, "A ride to where?"
"Anywhere you like, sir! Just name the place!"
Li Banfeng was in a hurry, so he told the driver, "I’m heading to Medicine King Valley."
The driver chuckled. "Sir, this *is* Medicine King Valley. This whole territory is called Medicine King Valley. Where in Medicine King Valley do you want to go? Li Gou or Waigou?"
The question stirred a memory. He Jiaqing had once sent him the address.
"Li Gou. A place called Pai-something Street."
"Paifang Street, right?" the driver smiled. "No problem. That’ll be eight dollars!"
"Eight dollars, fine!"
The driver’s smile widened; this customer was refreshingly straightforward and didn’t haggle.
Indeed, Li Banfeng had no intention of haggling. Eight dollars wasn’t expensive; it was just the starting fare for a taxi.
The driver led Li Banfeng across the station plaza to his vehicle.
Li Banfeng looked at the vehicle.
It had two wheels, one seat, and two shafts connected by a crossbar.
"Is this vehicle fast?"
"Fast!" The driver slung a towel over his shoulder and, pointing at his vehicle, boasted, "Ask anyone about the rickshaws in front of the station—whose vehicle is faster than mine?"
This driver was a rickshaw puller.
But having already ridden a steam locomotive and encountered three-headed people, taking a rickshaw didn’t seem particularly strange.
Li Banfeng, however, found it too slow.
"Is there anything faster?"
"Are you looking for a horse-drawn carriage?" The Coachman waved his hand dismissively. "Horse-drawn carriages aren’t allowed to stop in front of the station. Those things are unclean, only permitted if someone’s unloading cargo. Besides, it wouldn’t suit your status to ride in one."
Li Banfeng meant to ask for a motorized vehicle, but as he was about to speak, he found his jaw unresponsive; he couldn’t open his mouth.
It wasn’t just his mouth; his hands and feet were also immobile. His body felt as if it had solidified in a truckload of wet cement.
Seeing Li Banfeng standing there, frozen, the Coachman asked, "Sir, what’s wrong? Sir? Sir... You haven’t been touched by the Heavenly Light, have you?!"
PS: More at five o’clock in the evening.