Hearing this, Xiao Zhenggong’s mood eased slightly.
Over the years, he had navigated among the various major families. Although he wasn’t welcomed anywhere,
Of course, this didn’t include He Haiqin’s attitude toward him, nor the grudge between him and He Jiaqing.
Moreover, he still didn’t know about He Yuxiu’s ordeal in the Soda Kiln. The Hall Master there had captured He Yuxiu, intending to send her directly to the Border Defense Envoy to claim credit, but he hadn’t reported this to Xiao Zhenggong at the time.
By the time he thought of reporting, it was too late; Li Banfeng and He Yuxiu had already wiped out the entire Hall Entrance.
Li Banfeng looked at Cui Tiq and asked, "Doctor Cui, what’s with this outfit? Have you just come back from seeing a patient?"
Cui Tiq nodded. "I’ve seen a patient with an infectious disease."
Everyone’s expression changed, and they quickly distanced themselves from Cui Tiq.
"I’ve disinfected!" Cui Tiq stood up. "My disinfectant is outside. I’ll bring it over for you to see."
Xiao Zhenggong gestured downwards with his hand. "Doctor Cui, please sit down and eat first. Don’t keep thinking about your disinfectant."
Having cooperated with Cui Tiq multiple times, Xiao Zhenggong knew his methods and always remained wary of him.
As it turned out, his wariness was justified.
There indeed was something in the iron can, but it wasn’t a pathogen.
The drain valve under the can was open, and the liquid inside flowed out unnoticed, across the lawn, and into the woods by the lake.
In the woods, the liquid gathered and slowly transformed into a human shape—into He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing, dressed like a disciple of the Jiang Xiang Gang, walked toward the rockery by the lake.
Two disciples guarded the rockery, preventing anyone else from approaching.
As He Jiaqing passed the rockery, his fingers twitched, and two Silver Needles pierced the foreheads of the two disciples.
The two stood rooted to the spot, expressionless, showing no signs of anything unusual.
Seeing no one else around, He Jiaqing entered the rockery directly; the two guards showed no reaction.
At the end of the cave, He Jiaqing saw the Stone Cone embedded in the wall. With his talent, he could tell at a glance that it was the mechanism to open the door.
This mechanism was not easy to operate; both Stone Cones had to be turned to specific angles to open the secret door.
He Jiaqing grasped the first Stone Cone and slowly rotated it, sensing the changes in the machinery and Spirit Attribute behind it.
In less than five minutes, the first Stone Cone was in position.
The second Stone Cone had an even stronger mechanical feel. In less than three minutes, it was in place, and the secret door opened.
He Jiaqing looked at the two Stone Cones, sensing they were rare treasures.
He was very clear about his purpose for this trip: his target was Zhao Xiaowan, who had transformed into the Long Spear known as the Flying General. He was there to reclaim what he had lost.
He quietly walked down the stairs into the basement. Through the wall, he could already sense the overwhelming aura.
The door to the secret room slowly opened, and a woman holding a Long Spear emerged.
"Is it you?" The woman gritted her teeth, looking at He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing’s lips curled into a smile. "Xiao Lan, we finally meet."
Lu Xiaolan laughed. "Surprised, aren’t you? Did you expect me to die in your old family home, hoping never to see me again in this lifetime?"
He Jiaqing shook his head. "If I hadn’t written to Lu Chunying, you would have had no chance of getting out of the old family home. You truly would have been trapped and died inside."
Lu Xiaolan asked, "What do you mean by that? Should I thank you then?"
He Jiaqing nodded. "Xiao Lan, you wronged me first. I spared your life. You really should thank me!"
Lu Xiaolan retorted, "My ending up like this today—isn’t it all thanks to you?"
"Xiao Lan, you’re lucky to be alive. If I hadn’t arranged for Ling Miaowen to introduce you, do you think you could have made it to Iron Sheep Mountain?
"You’ve always been harming me, and I’ve always been helping you. Everyone in this world has the right to hate me—except you!"
Lu Xiaolan lowered her head, silent for a long time.
The atmosphere at the banquet grew merrier, and Xiao Zhenggong became more and more relaxed.
"Brother Li Qi, is there something regarding the Outside Provinces you wish to discuss with me?" Xiao Zhenggong asked directly.
Li Banfeng also raised his cup to Xiao Zhenggong, continuing down the conversational path. "Captain Xiao, your insight is truly godlike. Indeed, I’ve come to you this time regarding matters of the Outside Provinces."
Xiao Zhenggong drained his cup and asked, "What can I help you with? Please, speak freely."
Li Banfeng continued along that path. "I have a friend who’s been targeted by the Dark Star Bureau."
Xiao Zhenggong looked surprised. "What is it about?"
Li Banfeng said, "He himself isn’t clear on the matter. First, he was questioned by people from the Dark Star Bureau, and then he was tailed. I suspect there might be a misunderstanding."
Xiao Zhenggong chuckled and shook his head slightly. "In the Outside Provinces, we also do things by the rules. If the Dark Star Bureau has targeted this person, it’s most likely not a misunderstanding.
"Your friend must be a Dark Energy User—what we in Puluo State usually call a Cultivator."
Li Banfeng asked, "Being a Cultivator in the Outside Provinces—is that against the law?"
Xiao Zhenggong laughed. "Brother Li Qi, I heard you studied in the Outside Provinces. Surely you’re not unaware of the rules there?"
Li Qi shook his head. "When I was studying, I really wasn’t aware of any such rules."
Xiao Zhenggong smiled. "That’s because you were lucky. There are indeed many Cultivators in the Outside Provinces. These individuals must register with the local Dark Star Bureau.
"If they’re unregistered, they are illegal Cultivators and considered a potential threat. Once discovered, questioning and surveillance are lenient treatment. If they encountered me, they would likely be put down on the spot."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "A potential threat warrants being put down?"
Xiao Zhenggong said, "Brother, that’s where you’re uninformed. When it comes to such threats, it’s better to wrongly kill a thousand than to let one slip by. Otherwise, if something happens, the consequences would be unimaginable."
He Yuxiu interjected, "I can hardly understand the terms you’re using. What does ’put down’ mean?"
Xiao Zhenggong explained, "It means putting a gun barrel to their forehead and taking their life with a single shot."
Chu Er laughed. "Are guns in the Outside Provinces really that effective?"
Xiao Zhenggong said, "The Outside Provinces are different from our Puluo State; gunpowder rarely fails there."
Lu Chunying asked, "What if one shot doesn’t kill them?"
Xiao Zhenggong laughed. "The gun barrel is right at their forehead. If one shot doesn’t kill, fire a couple more."
"Makes sense." Li Banfeng nodded, drew his pistol, pressed it against Xiao Zhenggong’s forehead, and fired six shots in succession.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
He was lucky; five out of the six shots fired.
Li Banfeng moved too quickly, his actions too sudden for Xiao Zhenggong to react.
Five bullets tore through his head.
P.S. Following the path laid out isn’t just for eliciting information.
When Li Banfeng first obtained the Copper Lotus Flower, Xiao Zhenggong had ordered Light Bulb to put Li Banfeng down on the spot. (See Chapter Six for details).