「Three days later, at dawn.」
After the ward doctor had left, He Jiaqing opened his eyes.
He needed to confirm some things with Ling Miaoying.
"My friend is a Traveling Cultivator with the Technique of ’Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster.’ Have you taken any precautions against this?"
"Don’t worry. I have a way of hiding ill intent; he won’t sense any danger before I make my move."
He Jiaqing was still uneasy. Li Banfeng had given him many surprises recently. "Traveling Cultivators are known for their speed," he added. "You still need to be careful."
"You don’t need to worry about your friend. No matter how fast he is, it’s useless. Once he’s on my train, he wouldn’t be able to fly out even if he had wings. However, Ma Wu is a bit troublesome. He’s now the darling of Greenwater City and has dealings with the Border Defense Envoy, so killing him at the station might upset the Envoy. I’ve also made preparations outside the station. As soon as he leaves, we’ll make our move. Neither he nor his group of supporters will escape."
"I don’t care about the others. You must not harm my friend’s life. Our target is that item."
"Rest assured, I will definitely bring you back a live one."
"The matter must be kept secret, not to be known by unrelated people."
"Since Ma Wu isn’t coming, I’ll act alone this time. Apart from notifying the station, no one else knows."
With everything in place, He Jiaqing broke off contact, waiting for news from Ling Miaoying.
...
Li Banfeng packed his luggage, ready to depart, and Ma Wu was also dressed and ready to set out.
"Where are you going?" Li Banfeng asked, puzzled.
Carrying a backpack, Ma Wu replied, "To see you off at the station. I’ve also prepared some food for you."
"I’ve brought food," Li Banfeng said, pointing to his own suitcase. "You needn’t see me off; I know the way."
Ma Wu fell silent for a moment, then lifted his head to say, "Old Qi, I’ve thought it over carefully. We have a number of businesses now, and we can barely handle Blue Poplar Village and Zhengjing Village. Now we’ve added Xiaoyao Lodge too. There’s no rush for the business at Black Stone Slope; we can’t attend to it anyway. You really shouldn’t go."
Li Banfeng’s brows furrowed slightly, then he smiled and said, "What’s gotten into you? What exactly are you worried about?"
"I just feel it’s unsafe for you to go to Black Stone Slope alone." Ma Wu felt uneasy, just as he had when fighting Shui Yongquan and Qiu Luoye.
He always had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
It was because of that same feeling that he had gone to Hundred Vine Valley; now he felt that Li Banfeng might also be in danger on this trip.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "If you go to the station to see me off, that’s when I’ll be in danger. Do you know how many people in Greenwater City are watching you?"
After much thought, Ma Wu still insisted on going. "I’ll disguise myself a bit; I won’t be at ease until I see you board the train."
While they were talking, Xiao Chuanzi came to report, "Master Wu, Fourth Master has come again, bringing people with him. He said he won’t leave today unless he takes you back home."
Ma Wu looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Old Qi, my family is causing trouble again. You can’t leave; let’s deal with this first."
After a moment, Li Banfeng said solemnly, "Old Five, when we were clearing land in New Land, you told me you’re my brother, a brother who can stand on his own. I trusted you then, and I trust you now. You can handle this; I don’t need to step in."
Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat, picked up his suitcase, and left Xiaoyao Lodge.
Watching Li Banfeng’s retreating figure, Ma Wu couldn’t shake the feeling that he might never see him again.
Chuanzi urged from the side, "Master Wu, Fourth Master is getting impatient."
"If he’s in such a hurry, let him scram! If he wants to see me, he can wait!" Ma Wu snapped, then took a big gulp from his cup.
...
Outside Xiaoyao Lodge, an Odd-Jobs Worker pushed a cart to the corner, appearing to be sweeping up trash.
In fact, he was using the broom to send a message. His actions were so covert that no one around noticed.
Once Ling Miaoying received the message, she immediately informed He Jiaqing, "Ma Wu didn’t go. Ma Junjiang came instead; he might have detained him. This morning, only one person left Xiaoyao Lodge heading for the train station. It should be your friend."
"What did he look like?"
"Wearing a top hat with a very low brim, so I couldn’t see his face. He has a big beard."
After a moment of contemplation, He Jiaqing said, "It’s good Ma Wu didn’t go. Just focus on handling him. And remember, I want him alive."
...
Upon arriving at Greenwater City Station, Li Banfeng used his ticket and Guide Token to enter the waiting hall directly. He then let out a long breath.
The last time he took a train was from Yuezhou to Puluo State, and over half a year had already passed.
Greenwater City Station is Puluo State’s largest station, but the waiting hall wasn’t crowded.
In Puluo State, one needs a Guide Token to take a train, and not many can obtain one. The waiting hall had only a few dozen people: some reading books, some reading newspapers, and some silently daydreaming.
There was no electronic display board. Li Banfeng frequently glanced at his pocket watch, afraid of missing his boarding time.
However, he soon realized his concern was unnecessary.
Ma Wu had bought him a first-class sleeper ticket, a high-class ticket that came with personal service.
"Sir, your train has arrived. Please follow me to platform three to board."
The station staff led Li Banfeng to the platform, where a steam train was already waiting.
Li Banfeng looked around and saw seven or eight other people boarding with him. Among them, two or three seemed to be seeing others off. A girl was crying nonstop in a man’s arms, her tears flowing in streams.
Li Banfeng saw a black line flash across the girl’s face.
Li Banfeng had seen similar black lines before.