The elder was right; some things were just beyond the Projector’s grasp.
"Come out with me tomorrow, and I’ll buy you some more film," he said.
Back in the main house, everyone had eaten their fill. The Projector, having consumed flesh and blood, finally calmed down.
Leaving the leftovers to Red Lotus for cleaning, Li Banfeng made his way to the Ninth Room, once again passing by the Fifth Room.
A gust of sea breeze, tinged with the taste of salt, caressed Li Banfeng’s cheek. A faint Light Halo appeared on the wall, as if a movie were about to begin.
Li Banfeng looked at the wall, tilted the brim of his hat, a corner of his mouth curling upward. His eyes gleamed as he smiled.
"Care to come out for a chat?" Li Banfeng asked.
The chill wind disappeared, and the Light Halo on the wall vanished as well.
Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat and took Red Lotus back to the main house.
"Ah Tao, if you don’t eat now, there’ll be nothing left once Red Lotus is at the table," he said.
Gloves were still inspecting Xiao Zhenggong’s clothing. "Boss, I really don’t want to eat. It’s not like I’ll starve if I miss this meal; just leave me be," they replied.
The next day, Li Banfeng woke up ready to go out, and the Phonograph said, "Beloved husband, take out the trash."
The ’trash’ referred to Xiao Zhenggong’s clothing. Just as Li Banfeng was about to tidy up the clothes, Gloves pleaded, "Boss, don’t be in a rush! Let me check them for one more day; you can throw them away tomorrow."
Li Banfeng sighed. "What’s really going on with you? There might genuinely be no Magical Treasure on him. Maybe he moved it beforehand."
Gloves shook their index finger. "Impossible! Last night when you fought him, I still smelled a Magical Treasure. If I’m wrong about this, how could I keep doing this job?"
Li Banfeng didn’t press the issue; Gloves had their own disposition and their own stubbornness.
Taking the Projector out to the street, Li Banfeng casually bought a newspaper. It was from his own newspaper agency, and the events at Jiang Xiang Gang’s main hall from the previous night had already been reported.
The headline was very direct: "Jiang Xiang Gang Annihilated, Xiao Zhenggong Dead Without a Trace."
The content was blunt, directly stating that Li Qi, He Yuxiu, and others had bloodily purged the main hall of Jiang Xiang Gang, eradicating a major scourge in Puluo State.
This was Li Banfeng’s intention; he knew the matter couldn’t be concealed, so he simply spread the word.
Today’s newspapers sold like crazy; who could have imagined that the notorious Jiang Xiang Gang would be destroyed overnight?
The news also mentioned the Flying General Camp, recounting parts of Yao Zhiyi’s testimony; Li Qi intended to fully expose this conspiracy.
The morning edition’s print run was doubled, yet it still sold out. Li Banfeng purchased a copy of a newspaper under Shen Rongqing’s control, only to find that there was no news of Jiang Xiang Gang on the front page.
Shen Rongqing too had received news of Jiang Xiang Gang’s destruction, but she hesitated to publish, especially regarding the Flying General Camp, as it severely conflicted with the news she had previously released.
She wanted to consult with He Jiaqing, but despite spending the entire morning, she couldn’t contact him.
Shen Rongqing was anxious, uncertain about how to handle the evening newspaper.
Li Banfeng arrived at the Beautiful Voice Record Player Shop and bought all the movie film in stock.
Ling Miaosheng poured Li Banfeng a cup of tea. "Boss Li, could I trouble you to stay a bit longer? I have a favor to ask."
Li Banfeng found it strange. Having known each other for so long, Ling Miaosheng had always kept his distance from Li Banfeng. His sudden request for a favor was unexpected.
Ling Miaosheng took out a Contract Book. "Boss Li, I would like to temporarily entrust the Phonograph Shop to you. Of course, this is not an uncompensated request. First, all income from the Phonograph Shop during this period will be yours. If there are losses due to poor management, I will bear them. Furthermore, I have a gift for you."
After speaking, Ling Miaosheng took out a hand-cranked phonograph. "This is a Spiritual Object; I always call it the ’Retracer.’ This phonograph can trace back certain aspects of the Peeping Cultivation Technique. Simply put, it can reproduce part of the content from the hooks. My two brothers set many hooks in my Phonograph Shop. I didn’t know their purpose initially, until I was affected. Only then did I seek out a Craftsman Cultivator to create this Spiritual Object. It’s a powerful tool for guarding against Peeping Cultivation. I hope this Spiritual Object can be of some help to you in the future."
Li Banfeng asked, "Why do you want to hand over the Phonograph Shop to me?"
Ling Miaosheng replied, "I want to search for art—the kind that was originally mine, yet lost. It may sound absurd. When we last met, I told you about some of my experiences in Amikan Country. Since then, some of the memories that were taken from me keep recurring in my dreams. I left too many regrets there. I want to make amends for these regrets in my lifetime. If I fail, if my life ends in a foreign land, my Phonograph Shop will completely belong to you. All these details are clearly written in the Contract Book."
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "I’m just one of your customers. Why do you trust me so much? Entrusting your most precious business to me?"
Ling Miaosheng smiled. "It might sound amusing, but I once considered entrusting the Phonograph Shop to someone more reliable. Yet, when I went through everyone I know, no one seemed more reliable than you. When no one else believed me, you did, and you were willing to buy my phonographs. In entrusting these most precious works of art, I believe in you too."
After a moment of silence, Li Banfeng nodded and took the Contract Book. "Before you return, I can guarantee that your Phonograph Shop will not be harmed. After you come back, share with me the art you’ve found."
"It’s a deal." Ling Miaosheng took off his top hat, held it to his chest, and bowed to Li Banfeng.
Back in the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng began to study the phonograph called ’Retracer.’ Ling Miaosheng had explained its use, but Li Banfeng only grasped parts of it; the device’s principles were rather complex.
Moreover, this phonograph was a pure Spiritual Object. It couldn’t express itself, and Li Banfeng couldn’t communicate with it.
Fortunately, his wife was adept in the Craftsmanship Method, and she quickly figured out some tricks for using the phonograph.
The couple researched until late into the night. White Glove stared at Xiao Zhenggong’s clothes, barely moving.
Seeing Gloves covered in loose threads and wrinkles, Li Banfeng felt they had aged considerably.
"Ah Tao, you can’t go on like this. Tomorrow, I’ll throw away Xiao Zhenggong’s clothes. It’s time to let this go."
"It’s over," Gloves replied, dejected. "I’ll do as the Boss says. It’s all over. We’ll just say I was mistaken."
After speaking, Gloves lay down next to the Judge’s Pen, motionless like a piece of rag. Li Banfeng was genuinely worried they’d lose all hope and start to stagnate along with the Cheap Pen.
In the middle of the night, while the family was fast asleep, a crack suddenly opened in the door of the main room.
This was impossible.
Inside the Portable Residence, no one could open the door besides Li Banfeng and the elder himself.
Everyone was asleep. Only Gloves suddenly woke up, rushing towards the door.
"Scoundrel! Where do you think you’re running? Damn it! I knew something was off! Trying to steal from me, huh? I’ll beat you to death today!"
Hearing the sounds of the struggle, the flames from the Phonograph surged.
Li Banfeng also woke up, only to see two gloves, one white and one black, wrestling by the door.
PS: Xiao Zhenggong has a Black Glove, as detailed in Chapter 334.