Li Banfeng had remained inside his Portable Residence for a whole sixteen hours before coming out.
He had stayed so long after careful consideration.
First, he wasn’t sure whether Ling Miaoying would plant a hook on him, so he had to make sure his wife removed it cleanly. Fortunately, his wife did not find any hook on him. Second, he wasn’t certain whether Ling Miaoying would chase the train or when the train might stop. If Ling Miaoying chased the train, or if it directly stopped at Greenwater City and Li Banfeng rapidly appeared, then his situation would be the same as not having escaped at all, still under Ling Miaoying’s control.
In terms of cultivation level, Li Banfeng was far inferior to Ling Miaoying, and there was also a gap in experience. Even when it came to Magical Treasures, Li Banfeng held no advantage. Under Ling Miaoying’s control, Li Banfeng’s life would undoubtedly be over.
The only thing he could count on was the Portable Residence. Staying in it a little longer was the wisest choice.
But what if Ling Miaoying had boarded the train and taken the key? Wasn’t Li Banfeng afraid?
He was afraid, but fear was futile. If Ling Miaoying had really found the key and wanted to pick it up, Li Banfeng couldn’t have stopped him at all. So Li Banfeng had prepared for the worst.
When he came out of the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng found himself still on the train.
This meant that Ling Miaoying hadn’t taken the key.
This was a relatively ideal situation for Li Banfeng.
All he needed to do now was to stay quietly in the carriage, wait for the train to reach the station, then get off and figure out a way to return to Greenwater City.
The last time he took a train, Li Banfeng hadn’t pulled back the curtains to look outside.
This time, with a rare opportunity, Li Banfeng stood at the edge of the carriage, carefully taking in the scenery outside.
There wasn’t actually any scenery to appreciate. The night was deep, and the sky was dark, with only the silhouettes of trees rapidly receding on both sides of the road.
After watching for a moment, a train attendant reminded him, "The train is entering a tunnel. You should lie down."
Li Banfeng quickly lay down alongside the train attendant in a pile of coal.
Li Banfeng hadn’t noticed him at all.
After the train passed through the tunnel, the attendant stood before Li Banfeng and asked, "Why are you on this train?"
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and provided a very reasonable explanation, "I have a ticket!"
He handed his ticket to the attendant.
After examining the ticket, the attendant returned it to Li Banfeng. "This is not a ticket for this train."
"Really?" Li Banfeng examined the ticket carefully, then also the train, and asked with a look of shock, "What is the number of this train? Could it be that I boarded the wrong one?"
Li Banfeng thought his acting was quite convincing, but it didn’t move the train attendant.
With an expressionless face, the attendant said, "This is train number 1151, and the one you should be on is 1173. Moreover, this is a freight train; the one you need is a passenger train."
Upon hearing this, Li Banfeng quickly put away the ticket and apologized profusely, "This is my first time taking a train. I accidentally boarded the wrong one. I will get off immediately when we reach the next station."
The attendant’s thoughts differed from Li Banfeng’s. "If I let you get to the next station, that would be a severe dereliction of my duty."
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and said, "Then let’s wait for a temporary stop, and I’ll get off immediately."
"There are no temporary stops planned for this train."
"Then I would trouble you to arrange for a temporary stop."
The attendant still shook his head. "Arranging a temporary stop at will would also be a dereliction of my duty."
Li Banfeng’s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "So what do you plan to do?"
"I suggest you get off the train immediately."
"If you don’t stop the train, how can I get down?"
WHOOO!
A whistle shrieked, and a metal rod protruded from the carriage.
Li Banfeng was poked off the train with the rod by the attendant and fell into the forest beside the railroad tracks.
Before being poked off, Li Banfeng tried to resist but was unsuccessful.
In Puluo State, one should never offend the crew. Li Banfeng truly learned this iron rule.
Li Banfeng dusted off his clothes and tried to ascertain his direction.
He could determine the direction, but Li Banfeng did not know his location.
Li Banfeng had only taken a few steps when a sudden, inexplicable chill washed over him.
There was danger.
The source of the danger wasn’t hard to determine.
Using the Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster Technique, Li Banfeng navigated through the forest. He walked a great distance, the entire night.
The forest paths were not easy to navigate, and dangers were continuous. Being new to the area, Li Banfeng proceeded with extreme caution.
At dawn, Li Banfeng emerged from the forest, passed through a canyon, and finally saw signs of human habitation.
At the entrance to the canyon, eight huge gates had been built. These were truly extravagant. Each gate was five meters wide and eight meters tall. They opened to either side in pairs and were arrayed in a line, mounted under four gate frames, sealing off the entire canyon. Though not close, Li Banfeng could see that these gates were incredibly thick and made of sturdy material.
HUFF... PUFF... HUFF... PUFF...
Li Banfeng heard the unique puffing sound of a steam train and shuddered all over.