Li Banfeng realized he had been using the wrong method. To be precise, he had been misled by the white-clothed figure. But the issue wasn’t really about the white clothes themselves.
In his dream, there were only two types of people. The first type was those he created in the dream. The second type was those who invaded the dream. The woman had made it clear that she was the only one; to leave the dream, he had to find her.
The people created in the dream acted according to Li Banfeng’s cognitive logic. Qiaocui, whom he initially met at the village entrance, was a person created in the dream, and her behavior conformed to his cognitive logic.
After entering the village, the behavior of others also largely conformed to logic, except for Bai Qiusheng. Bai Qiusheng should not have appeared in Zhengjing Village. His appearance was illogical, so he was an invader of the dream.
As soon as Li Banfeng noticed the flaw, the invader immediately went into the latrine, leaving his line of sight. Soon, she reappeared before Li Banfeng, having attached to Ma Wu. She didn’t understand Ma Wu well enough and continued to call Li Banfeng Seventh Master, thus revealing the flaw again. Once more, she disappeared from Li Banfeng’s sight and transformed into Zuo Wugang. After Zuo Wugang revealed a flaw, she attached herself to Ah Qin.
Realizing she had exposed herself again, the invader no longer appeared easily. She started to gather more information.
Li Banfeng immediately looked at Ma Wu and asked, "Who’s your father?"
Ma Wu was taken aback. "Why are you asking this?"
"Just say it!"
"Ma Chunting!"
Li Banfeng then turned to Zuo Wugang. "Who was your former boss?"
"Let’s not talk about that..."
"Hurry up and say it!"
"Master Lu, Lu Dongliang."
Li Banfeng then asked Ah Qin, "Who is the Local Deity of your family?"
"Qiu Luoye."
Li Banfeng asked Xiao Chuanzi again, "What work did you do previously at the Ma Family?"
"Operating a road roller!"
Li Banfeng then asked Xiao Genzi, "What Taoist Sect do you belong to?"
Xiao Genzi, holding a bucket and spoon, said, "Gold Cultivation."
Li Banfeng looked at the restaurant owner and the other patrons.
Li Banfeng shouted loudly, "All of you, tell me together, what is the name of this village?"
Everyone looked at Li Banfeng and answered in unison, "Zhengjing Village!"
Everyone answered loudly and decisively.
Li Banfeng looked up and realized where the problem lay. The problem was with the questions he had just asked.
Li Banfeng took a sip of tea, chatted idly with everyone for a moment, then turned to Root. "How did you originally join Gold Cultivation?"
Ma Wu said, "You went with him for that. How could you have forgotten?"
Li Banfeng scratched his head. "I seem to have forgotten a bit."
Ma Wu started, "He just..."
"Have a drink!" Li Banfeng pressed a wine cup to Ma Wu’s lips, smiling at Xiao Genzi.
Xiao Genzi replied naturally, "Seventh Master, you forgot. I entered Gold Cultivation through a Peddler."
"How much did you spend on the Gold Cultivation Powder?"
"One hundred Huan Country Banknotes. The bucket and spoon were free."
"Why did you choose to join the Gold Cultivation Taoist Sect?"
Xiao Genzi puffed out his chest and replied, "It’s the strongest Taoist Sect in the world."
Li Banfeng laughed, pointed at Root, and said, "I’ve found you!"
Xiao Genzi was stunned for a moment. In the dream, everyone froze.
Then, Xiao Genzi suddenly laughed. His coarse, short jacket transformed into a white robe. The muscular Xiao Genzi changed into a slender woman. Before Li Banfeng could get a clear look at her face, the woman quickly rose and left the restaurant.
Li Banfeng immediately pursued her. The woman was incredibly fast, and Li Banfeng strained to keep up, chasing her from the village to the outskirts, all the way to the base of a small hill. The woman ascended the hill swiftly, with Li Banfeng closely behind. Halfway up the hillside, she suddenly turned and darted into a forest. Li Banfeng continued the pursuit.
As he entered the forest, faint Light Halos began to appear, and the scenery before his eyes twisted and blurred. Li Banfeng forced his eyes wide open and finally woke up.
He had left the dream and was now lying on a bed.
It was pitch-black all around. Li Banfeng sat up and struck a match.
He was in a small room. If not for its different size and furnishings, Li Banfeng would have almost panicked.
Realizing this place wasn’t the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng felt slightly calmer. After checking his belongings, which were all there, Li Banfeng pushed the door open and left the room.
Outside the room was a seemingly endless corridor, with doors spaced every three meters along both sides.
Li Banfeng patted his Wine Gourd, but there was no response—it seemed to still be in a deep slumber. All his other Magical Treasures were also asleep. Relying on his "Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster" Technique, Li Banfeng turned left and proceeded down the corridor, searching for an exit.
After walking for several dozen meters, he suddenly heard a CREAK—a door ahead had opened.
A man emerged from the room and walked slowly ahead of Li Banfeng.
"Friend, what is this place?" Li Banfeng asked, but the other man didn’t reply and kept walking forward.
Li Banfeng lit matches intermittently while following the man. After several more dozen meters, they reached the end of the corridor. The man turned right into a room. Li Banfeng followed and discovered the room had no door, just a white curtain from which a familiar scent drifted.
It seemed this was some sort of inn or dormitory.
Li Banfeng parted the curtain and entered, seeing the man relieving himself at a urinal.
After finishing, the man walked towards Li Banfeng. He wore a white shirt and black trousers. His complexion was pale, his hair long and unkempt, with a fringe of fine stubble around his mouth, apparently neglected for quite some time. He walked directly toward Li Banfeng, and the two nearly collided.
Li Banfeng grabbed the man and shouted twice, "Wake up, wake up!"
As he was shaken, the man opened his eyes. He stared at Li Banfeng, stunned for a moment, then took a delicate Glasses case from his trouser pocket and inserted a pair of contact lenses into his eyes.
The man looked at Li Banfeng. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Li Banfeng said, "Nothing, I just wanted to ask..."
"If it’s nothing, why did you wake me?" The man was annoyed.
Li Banfeng took out a one-hundred Huan Country Banknote and stuffed it into the man’s hand. "I just want to ask, where is this place?"
"You’re already here, and you don’t know where this is?" The man was very angry and pocketed Li Banfeng’s money. "I was right in the middle of a good dream when you woke me up!"
Li Banfeng was also getting a little angry. "What do you mean? You’re blaming me?"
"Of course I’m blaming you!" The man stretched lazily, yawned, and rubbed his stomach. "Ah, forget it. Since I’m awake now, let’s get something to eat together."
"Get something to eat? Here? That doesn’t seem appropriate, does it?"
The man laughed. "Of course it’s not appropriate here. Let’s go to the canteen."
He led Li Banfeng out of the restroom to the second door on the right near the end of the corridor. The door wasn’t locked. Pushing it open, Li Banfeng saw a flight of stairs. The stairs were steep; walking down felt like descending a hillside.
After going down two flights, the man pushed open another door, and the aroma of food wafted in.
Pushing the door open, Li Banfeng saw a very spacious dining hall inside. It had no windows, but the lighting was bright, and the tables and chairs were neatly arranged.
The man sat down at a table and called out, "Two stir-fried dishes and a pot of wine! Hey, come on over and eat with me."
He waved at Li Banfeng. Having shaken off his crankiness from being woken, the man seemed friendly enough.
Li Banfeng sat opposite the man. "Are you from the Outside Provinces?"
The man nodded. "I’m from Spring Proclaim City. Are you also from the Outside Provinces?"
Li Banfeng replied, "I’ve been to the Outside Provinces."
While talking, Li Banfeng looked around. About a dozen people were dining in the canteen. One woman wore a T-shirt and jeans, and another wore a long trench coat. Apart from these two, the rest were dressed in various Puluo State outfits: Sun Yat-sen suits, magua, long robes, and plaid western suits.
Among these people, three were eating with their eyes open, while the others all had their eyes closed, apparently still asleep.
The man asked Li Banfeng, "How did you end up here?"
Li Banfeng said, "I arrived in a state of confusion."
The man laughed. "I really envy you folks from Puluo State. You can just stumble into such a great place. I spent nearly two million to get here!"
Li Banfeng frowned. "You paid money to come here?"
The man said, "And that’s only because I found the right connections. Someone else might not be able to get in even with twenty million."
"What exactly is this place?"
"This is the Dream Tugging Tower. There’s no better place in the world."
PS: Would someone really be willing to spend twenty million to come to this place?