But someone should know.
...
At 4:50 AM, dawn was approaching.
The cinema had shown three movies; tonight’s black market was about to close.
Yin Si Niang took out about ten porcelain jars, one for each ghost servant, packed them up, and stored them in a suitcase.
Besides the ghost servants, there were also two boxes of cash and two boxes of miscellaneous items. Yin Si Niang, quite strong, carried the four boxes downstairs and loaded them directly onto the truck, and drove onto the street with a push of the accelerator.
Yin Si Niang rolled down the window, let the breeze blow in, hummed a little tune, and felt very at ease along the way.
Meeting such a generous buyer who bought four ghost servants without even bargaining, how could she not feel at ease?
"That south wind blows cool, that south wind is really cool, how is it so cool..."
Li Banfeng sighed and said, "Is that the only line you know?"
Yin Si Niang shuddered, the steering wheel swerved, and the truck almost fell into the ditch.
She looked at the big boss in astonishment and asked, "When did you get in the car?"
Li Banfeng smiled and said, "Just now, I also want to do business with you."
Yin Si Niang shook her head and said, "If you want to do business, come to the Cultural Palace tomorrow night to find me."
"Why bother going to the black market, we’re already so familiar?"
"No way!" Yin Si Niang said, "I do business by the rules, I never deal privately with clients."
"Whose rules?"
"Black market rules!"
Li Banfeng laughed and said, "This isn’t the black market, so why follow black market rules?"
This reasoning made sense, leaving Yin Si Niang at a loss for words.
"Anyway, I don’t want to talk business here with you." Yin Si Niang’s eyes glanced at the safety belt buckle beside the car seat, inside which was hidden an iron bead, a spiritual object extremely adept at combat.
Yin Si Niang had once used this bead to hold off a Seventh Layer cultivator, buying herself time to escape, and she could still retrieve the bead, which demonstrated the spiritual object’s prowess.
But this time, Yin Si Niang didn’t plan on retrieving the bead.
This big boss got into the car without her noticing at all, showing his immense strength. To get rid of him, abandoning the bead and even the car didn’t matter, as long as she could save her life.
Li Banfeng advised Yin Si Niang, "Every day you do business day and night, always on edge, earning a little money isn’t easy. If we can agree on this deal, I could buy all the ghost servants in your car, without any black market cut."
"What exactly do you want to deal about?"
"I want to ask, where did you get these ghost servants in your car?"
"Haven’t I told you? I got them from Puluo State!"
"I’m not asking about their hometown, I’m asking, where did you buy these ghost servants?"
"I got them myself from Puluo State!" Yin Si Niang’s hand reached for the safety belt buckle.
"When did you go to Puluo State?"
"I go often, I just came back from Puluo State last week!"
Li Banfeng sighed and said, "In business, you must first be honest."
"How am I not being honest? What I’m saying is the truth!"
"What’s the sign of Greenwater City?"
Yin Si Niang thought and said, "It’s the sign on the city gate!"
"Which street is the Lu Family Mansion on?"
"I’ve never been to the Lu Family Mansion."
"Aren’t you Zuo Wugang’s sworn sister? He hasn’t taken you to see it?"
"I, I just haven’t been there..."
"Yes, you haven’t been there," Li Banfeng smiled and said, "Not only have you not been to the Lu Family Mansion, you haven’t even been to Puluo State."
Yin Si Niang slammed on the brakes, stopping the car, her left hand slammed the safety belt buckle with a bang, an action done smoothly in one go.
The iron bead didn’t fly out.
Li Banfeng said in surprise, "What are you trying to do?"
Yin Si Niang slapped it again, but the iron bead still didn’t fly out.
Li Banfeng looked at the safety belt buckle: "You can’t unlock the seatbelt?"
Yin Si Niang gritted her teeth and slapped it again; the iron bead emerged.
The iron bead was in Li Banfeng’s hand.
"Is this what you’re looking for?" Li Banfeng asked, holding the iron bead, "How does this thing work, just throw it out?"
While speaking, Li Banfeng seemed to want to throw the iron bead at Yin Si Niang’s face.
Yin Si Niang quickly ducked, and, taking advantage of the momentum, took out a stack of contract papers from beside the car door: "All of you, up!"
She wanted to use the contract papers to control the ghost servants and attack Li Banfeng.
Bam bam bam!
There was a commotion in the truck compartment, as if something wanted to break out.
"Hoo ya!" Li Banfeng shouted, and the truck instantly fell silent.
Yin Si Niang clutched her head, curled up on the seat, with snot and tears all over.
Li Banfeng looked down; a faint yellow unknown liquid submerged his shoes.
"These shoes, they’re..."
These shoes were just issued by the Dark Star Bureau, and after only a few days, they were soaked in urine.
This wasn’t Yin Si Niang’s fault; it was Li Banfeng’s.
After advancing to Above the Clouds, there was an essential difference in the Deep Mansion Courtyard Technique and Earth Skin. His shout nearly took Yin Si Niang’s life.
Yin Si Niang cried, "Big boss, I know I was wrong, I wouldn’t dare lie to you. Whatever you ask, I’ll say. I’ll return all the money in a bit, and the car is yours, the stuff in the car is all yours."
"I don’t want any of these things; I just want to know where these ghost servants came from?"
"They came from the ferry."
Li Banfeng grew a bit impatient, "I didn’t ask about the transportation."
"I wasn’t talking about transportation; those people are called the Ferry Gang, and their leader is called Boat Master."
"What does the Ferry Gang do?"
"They deal in goods, bringing them in and out of Puluo State."
Is this what Ma Wu meant by people doing business in the Outside Provinces?
Is this Ferry Gang a powerful group or just a gang?
"Have you seen the Boat Master?"
"Yes, twice, the valuable good stuff he personally handles; these ghost servants were personally sold to me by him."
"Can you see him again?"
"A week from now, I’ll go to restock from them; if I see him, I’ll definitely tell you in advance."
Li Banfeng took out a piece of contract paper: "Then we have a deal; just press a fingerprint on it."
Unable to find ink, Yin Si Niang used her finger to dab some water from the seat to press onto the contract paper.
Li Banfeng frowned and said, "Isn’t that your urine? Who uses urine to press a contract? It requires blood!"
Indeed, Yin Si Niang hadn’t been to Puluo State, unaware of Puluo State’s rules. If the big boss asked for blood, then she’d use blood.
She placed her finger in her mouth, the same one used to dab water, and bit the fingertip.
"Can’t you use another finger..." Li Banfeng didn’t know what to say, but he watched her press the blood fingerprint onto it. Li Banfeng took the contract paper and got off the car, went to the compartment, and removed all the ghost servants.
"After the business is done, we’ll settle the payment, I’ll wait for your message."
Yin Si Niang was still shivering in the car, while Li Banfeng had already walked far away.
Ferry Gang, who exactly are you?
Are you just middlemen?
Or are you the ones investigating me?
Back at his place, Li Banfeng took a nap, and the projector placed the phone in front of him: "Seventh Guide, a message came in, the Dark Star Bureau says it’s holding an important meeting this morning."
The message was sent by Shen Jingye.
Remembered me for a meeting?
This meeting seems quite important.
PS: Some things can only be found in the Outside Provinces.