Li Banfeng gently pushed open the door of the Fifth Room, not making the Projector feel too awkward, just letting it know he had entered.
The Projector greeted him calmly, "Seventh Guide, you haven’t gone to sleep."
Li Banfeng smiled, sat down on the sofa next to the Projector, and quietly appreciated the scenes projected from the lens.
Text was on the left, shadow plays on the right.
Li Banfeng had read this story in the newspaper. Unlike the traditional style of Black Stone Slope, this story’s narrative style was subtle and indirect.
The frames skipped now and then; it was clearly not a real recording.
Li Banfeng asked, "Who is this girl? Aren’t you going to introduce me?"
"You mean this girl?" The image froze on the female lead. The Projector said, "She’s someone I imagined."
Li Banfeng didn’t speak. After watching the entire story, he commented, "It’s filmed very well, but the editing needs more care."
After that, Li Banfeng prepared to return to his room to sleep. At the doorway, he heard the Projector say from behind him, "Seventh Guide, I am utterly loyal to you and have never wavered. On the battlefield, I am always willing to fight for you until the very last moment."
Li Banfeng nodded. "I’ve never doubted that."
As an expert in this field, Li Banfeng could make an accurate assessment.
Li Banfeng sat in Liu Fang, contemplating for a long time. Then, he once again heard the Projector’s voice, "Don’t be shy! This is the candor of art!"
"But this is... a little too candid..."
"My heart holds only the purity of art!"
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s up to no good."
Li Banfeng stared at his own Liu Fang for a long while.
He got up, pushed open the door to the Seventh Room, and listened for a while, but there was no sound.
Moving on, he pushed open the door to Bafang, which was empty and undecorated. In the bare room, there seemed to be a faint sound.
Li Banfeng focused all his attention on his ears until his temples throbbed with pain, but he still heard nothing from Bafang.
Recently, due to his advancement, his Insightful Spirit Sound Technique had indeed improved quite substantially. But the intruder had suddenly gone silent.
Li Banfeng rubbed his temples and continued towards the Ninth Room when he heard a woman’s voice near his ear.
"What’s this madman doing, not sleeping? What’s he up to now?"
Li Banfeng whirled around. "Who are you calling a madman?!"
Red Lotus shivered. "You heard that?"
Among everyone in this "family," Red Lotus had arrived even before the Portable Residence. Yet this was the first time Li Banfeng had ever heard her speak.
Red Lotus’s voice wasn’t as sweet as that of his wife. However, it possessed more intellect and reason, evoking the image of a woman with ear-length hair, rimless glasses, and a professional skirt suit.
Li Banfeng struck a match, lit a candle, and sat down beside Red Lotus. "I didn’t expect your voice to be so pleasant."
"It can’t compare to your wife’s." Red Lotus scoffed, clearly intending to ignore Li Banfeng.
Seeing a light halo on the lotus leaf, indicating Red Lotus was still performing alchemy, Li Banfeng asked, "The elixir you’re refining this time... it isn’t a Xuanyun Pill, is it?"
"Is a Xuanyun Pill beneath you? Do you know how many Cultivators Above the Clouds would risk their lives for a single one of these elixirs?"
"But I’m not Above the Clouds right now."
"One must always look at the bigger picture. I’m genuinely looking out for you; I won’t let you suffer any losses."
Li Banfeng paused, then smiled. "So, it seems I’ve misunderstood you. It is indeed a bit unfair to have you stay here. I should move you back to the second son."
"No need. I quite like it here. It’s peaceful being a bit further from that vile woman."
"Do you really find it peaceful here?" Li Banfeng looked around. "Have you ever heard any other sounds?"
Red Lotus’s lotus leaf trembled for a moment before she said to Li Banfeng, "I have indeed heard sounds. I’ve heard sounds from every room."
Li Banfeng was astonished. "You’ve heard them in every room?"
Red Lotus said resentfully, "Every time you opened a new room, I had to move. I’ve lived in every single room, so of course, I’ve heard sounds from each one."
Li Banfeng asked first, "Exactly how many people are in the Portable Residence? I mean, people I don’t know."
Red Lotus thought for a moment. "As far as I know, there’s at least one in every room."
"Who are these people?"
"I can’t tell. Their voices are too indistinct; I can’t even distinguish between male and female."
Li Banfeng said, "I heard a woman’s voice in the Fifth Room just now."
"I’ve lived in the Fifth Room too and heard voices, but I really couldn’t tell if they were male or female. Perhaps that wicked woman’s Insightful Spirit Sound Technique is special, allowing you to hear more clearly than I can."
Li Banfeng asked again, "Do you know what they’ve said?"
"I can make that out even less. In this household, probably only your wife can hear them clearly."
Li Banfeng said, "Can’t the Old Man hear them clearly himself?"
"Who knows? Perhaps he just can’t be bothered to listen."
As they were speaking, a burst of laughter reached their ears.
HEHEHE...
An indistinct laugh, impossible to tell if it was male or female.
Red Lotus’s lotus leaf quivered; she also wanted to trace the source of the sound but was never able to pinpoint it.