The Overlord of Puluo

East Station, Yuezhou City, Eastern Yue Prefecture.

East Station was the oldest train station in Yuezhou. It had six waiting areas and handled every kind of train, from high-speed rail to express lines to the slow green trains that crawled through the countryside.

Li Banfeng lowered his head to check the information on his ticket.

Train 1160. Why is it this train again?

Li Banfeng typed out a message.

Li Banfeng: Didn’t this train derail before?

Ka-da-da~

He Jiaqing: The accident’s been handled. Service resumed.

Handled already? It was such a serious accident. And now it’s all resolved?

There wasn’t even a ”K” in front of the train number. That meant it wasn’t a regular express train. It was the slowest kind.

Hopefully, his hometown isn’t too far... Li Banfeng muttered inwardly.

The ticket stated ”Platform 96.” Li Banfeng made his way through all the waiting areas. He passed by middle-aged men in suits and casually dressed young people.

What stood out most were the elderly folks in plain clothes. They were loaded with bags, carrying them on their backs, over their shoulders, and in their hands. Many even had large enamel tea mugs[1] tied to the outside of their luggage. It was the most common sight at the station, yet somehow the most striking.

However, even after checking every corner, Li Banfeng still couldn’t find Platform 96.

He sent He Jiaqing another message.

Li Banfeng: Where’s Platform 96?

He Jiaqing: The location changes. Go ask the staff.

Li Banfeng asked five different station attendants. The first four all gave the same answer, saying that no such platform existed.

The fifth staff member took one look at his ticket and led him toward the Waiting Area 2. They passed the restrooms, entered a corridor, opened a metal door, and stepped into an underground passage.

Underground passages weren’t unusual in train stations, but this one was different. It was long and dimly lit, and a thick, rotting stench hung in the air. The floor was full of potholes, and stagnant puddles had collected in several places. Tiny damp insects wriggled about in the murky water.

It reminded Li Banfeng of the kind of grimy underground passage he had only seen back in his childhood. When he was a child, he used to follow Granny Wu to an abandoned train station where they didn’t go to catch trains but to steal scrap metal.

After they passed through the long underground passage, the staff member led Li Banfeng straight to the platform and pulled out a pitch-black box shaped like a mailbox. A crank stuck out from the right side of the box.

The staff member turned it, and a strip of the train ticket slid out from a slit at the top. It was a strip of ticket about ten centimeters long, made of soft paper. This was different from the stiff, hard paper tickets Li Banfeng was familiar with.

The staff member stamped the ticket and handed it to Li Banfeng. The front of the ticket listed every stop along the route, along with their expected arrival times.

Three-Headed Fork, the Ridge of Bottomless Stomachs, Greenwater Bay, Girdle-Slipping Hollow...

However, he didn’t recognize a single location. At the bottom of the ticket was the name of the destination, and it was this station called Medicine King Gully.

Is He Jiaqing’s hometown in Medicine King Gully? Li Banfeng wondered. He had never been there, and he had never heard of this location before.

He looked at the departure time: June 28th, 1:53 PM.

The train would arrive in fifteen minutes.

Then he checked the arrival time: June 30th, 7:00 AM.

Nearly two full days. This trip is way too long, Li Banfeng complained inwardly.

Next, he looked at the seating type: Carriage Seven, Seat Seven. First-class Sleeper.

Li Banfeng thought, Oh. This means it’s a soft berth. I can somewhat accept this.

There was a line of small print on the ticket. Li Banfeng squinted at it and saw that it read: Hot water is available on this train. No food will be provided. Passengers, please prepare accordingly.

He grumbled inwardly, This train doesn’t sell any food when it’s a two-day journey?!!! What about sunflower seeds, drinks, and bottled water? Will the train not have any of those basic snack carts?

Why didn’t Jiaqing mention this earlier? What am I supposed to eat during the trip? There’s food for sale at Waiting Area 2. Should I run all the way back there from the platform? But the train leaves in fifteen minutes. I probably can’t make it in time...

Not only is the route too complicated, I will also have to get through a metal gate. And if I happen to run into the man with those lightbulb eyes, I would surely be killed on the spot.

Should I maybe buy a little something from someone here?

Those thoughts run through his mind, but he then realized that he was the only one waiting at this old, worn-out platform.

Should I just board the train and look for someone later? Would anyone even be willing to sell to me?

At this critical moment, Li Banfeng’s phone buzzed. It was a message from He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing: Bro, did you buy food?

Li Banfeng: You’re only telling me this now? Why didn’t you tell me back at the supermarket?

He Jiaqing: It was urgent back then, and I forgot. Once you get on the train, make sure you don’t leave your berth compartment.”

Seeing this, Li Banfeng thought, Why can’t I leave the berth compartment? Does going to the restroom count as leaving? There’s no way they want me to hold it in for two whole days, right?

Just as Li Banfeng stood there in confusion, he suddenly saw an old lady approaching along the platform, carrying a cardboard box in her arms.

”Young man, want some cup noodles?”

Li Banfeng eyed her warily. People actually sell things on this platform?

To be fair, it wasn’t unusual for vendors to show up at green train platforms. He had taken green trains before. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. The weird thing was that he did not see this lady on the platform earlier.

The old lady said, ”The train is coming soon. There’s no food on board. Better buy a few cup noodles to take with you!”

”How much per cup?”

”Four yuan.”

Only four yuan? Li Banfeng thought.

This price would’ve been a bargain even in a regular supermarket in Yuezhou City, let alone at a train station.

”I’ll take ten!” Li Banfeng answered. Inwardly, he thought, Ten boxes for two days should be enough.

Just as Li Banfeng pulled out his phone to scan the payment QR code, a tall man in uniform stepped onto the platform and snatched the box of cup noodles away from the old lady.

”Who gave you permission to sell here?” the man in uniform demanded.

”I talked to the stationmaster,” the old lady replied in a trembling voice.

”The stationmaster didn’t tell me anything! I’m confiscating these!” the man in uniform shouted. He hoisted the box onto his shoulder and turned to leave.

The old lady trembled as she watched him go. Her heart ached for that box of cup noodles, but she didn’t dare say a word.

Li Banfeng stepped forward and grabbed the box, yanking it off the man’s shoulder. The sudden force made the man stumble.

The man in uniform was startled and asked, ”What do you think you’re doing?”

”What do you think you’re doing?” Li Banfeng retorted. ”Robbing people in broad daylight?”

The man in uniform frowned and barked, ”I’m a platform staff member! She’s selling things illegally! I am simply following protocol!”

”Illegally selling what?” Li Banfeng muttered to the man in uniform. Then he turned to the old lady and continued, ”This is my second aunt. She came to see me off and brought me a box of cup noodles. Is that not allowed?”

The man in uniform was left speechless. Li Banfeng turned to the old lady and said, ”Second Aunt, you can just see me off here. I’ll be boarding soon.”

As Li Banfeng spoke, he quietly slipped a one-hundred yuan bill into the old lady’s hand.

The old lady stared at Li Banfeng for a long moment without saying a word.

There are twenty-four cups in the box altogether, which is a bit too much. But it’s whatever! Li Banfeng figured he’d just bring them to He Jiaqing’s house and share them with his family.

Choo-choo~ Chug-chug-chug! Choo-choo~ Chug-chug-chug!

What is that sound? This was Li Banfeng’s first thought. He followed the tracks with his eyes, looking toward the far end of the line.

The first thing he saw was a plume of white smoke. But on closer look, it wasn’t smoke at all. It was steam.

Drifting within that steam were thick clumps of black haze. It was real smoke, rising from the soot of burning coal.

Ding-clang! Ding-clang! Ding-clang!

It was the sharp, mechanical rhythm of a crankshaft striking its connecting rods.

Tooooooooooooooot!

It was actually the whistle of a steam-powered engine!

Li Banfeng stood there in shock. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Is that... a steam train? Do steam trains still exist in this day and age?

The deep-black locomotive thundered in, billowing clouds of steam as it screeched to a halt at the platform. One by one, the green train cars swung open, and the conductors stepped out to lower the boarding ladders.

Li Banfeng lifted his box of cup noodles and made his way toward Carriage Seven.

At the entrance to the platform, Xiao Zhenggong and Lightbulb stood in silence, watching as Li Banfeng approached the train.

”Lightbulb. Take him out,” Xiao Zhenggong ordered.

A shiver ran through Lightbulb. He hadn’t expected Deputy Xiao to be here in person and still not act himself.

Is Deputy Xiao testing me? he wondered. No... this isn’t a test. This is my last chance.

In truth, Xiao Zhenggong had thought about doing it himself. However, when he saw the old woman on the platform selling cup noodles, he changed his mind.

The old woman was still watching Li Banfeng, and this sent a chill down Xiao Zhenggong’s spine. He knew exactly who she was. If she had any connection to Li Banfeng, then making a move here was out of the question. The consequence of killing Li Banfeng while she was still present would be catastrophic.

However, the thought of letting Li Banfeng walk away like this was something Xiao Zhenggong could not accept.

Is that old woman really watching Li Banfeng? Xiao Zhenggong wondered. Perhaps she has no connection to him at all.

Instead of letting Li Banfeng escape, Xiao Zhenggong decided to experiment by sending Lightbulb in to test the waters.

”Kill the suspect immediately. This is your last chance!” Xiao Zhenggong ordered again.

At Xiao Zhenggong’s order, Lightbulb gritted his teeth and was about to rush onto the platform when someone grabbed him from behind. He turned around and found that it was Old Chen who had stopped him.

When did Captain get here? Lightbulb wondered, quickly snapping to attention and saluting.

Xiao Zhenggong pointed at Li Banfeng, who was about to board the train. ”Captain! Li Banfeng is trying to escape. He might be carrying something important. This is our only chance to bring him back.”

Old Chen nodded. ”That makes sense. Go on, then. I’ll wait for you here.”

At those words, Xiao Zhenggong’s cheek twitched, but he didn’t move at all.

Lightbulb had no idea why Xiao Zhenggong was not making a move. He was very confused and thought, Was he really just trying to test me?

Old Chen looked at Xiao Zhenggong and smiled. ”You’re scared?”

Xiao Zhenggong did not defend himself. Indeed, he was scared.

Hearing that, Lightbulb felt even more confused now as he thought, What is Xiao Zhenggong scared of? Why would he be scared of a Bleater[2] like Li Banfeng?

Old Chen stared at the old lady on the platform. ”Li Banfeng took Lucky Star’s item, which means he’s guaranteed to have good luck three times. If you send Lightbulb to capture him right in front of Lucky Star, aren’t you just sending him to his death?”

That one line left Lightbulb utterly dumbfounded, and he stared at Deputy Xiao in disbelief. Who is Lucky Star? That old lady? I will die if I go? Then why did Deputy Xiao tell me to go?

However, Xiao Zhenggong kept a blank face and showed not even a trace of guilt. ”I’m not sure if that’s the Lucky Star. I’m not sure Lucky Star is connected to Li Banfeng in any way.”

Lightbulb’s face went ghostly pale. You’re not sure? And you still told me to go... to be your guinea pig?

At that thought, his view of Xiao Zhenggong changed completely.

Xiao Zhenggong continued, ”What Li Banfeng has is extremely important. We can’t let him take it away. We have to take some risks to stop him.”

Lightbulb stared at Xiao Zhenggong. ”And you tried to make me take all the risk?”

”This is your job,” Xiao replied calmly. ”You were the one who lost track of Li Banfeng in the first place.”

Old Chen patted Lightbulb on the back, trying to calm him down.

Once Lightbulb calmed down, Old Chen turned to Xiao Zhenggong. ”Wouldn’t it be better to let that thing go where it’s meant to go?”

Xiao Zhenggong’s expression turned cold. ”Li Banfeng isn’t a Dark Ability User. If he takes that thing to Puluo, it’ll be like walking to his death. It’d be better to just...”

Old Chen kept the same smile as he said, ”I’ll tell you what I said before. If you want to go, then go. Quick! I won’t stop you!”

Xiao Zhenggong stayed silent. He would never risk his life provoking Lucky Star.

Old Chen watched Li Banfeng’s back and muttered inwardly, Young man, with Lucky Star’s protection, you should make it to Puluo safely. But when you return... I wonder if you’ll still be the same.

Tooooot! Toooooooot!

The whistle blew again, as if urging passengers to board quickly.

Li Banfeng reached the door of the green train car. The conductor checked his ticket, clipped a notch in it with pliers, and waved him aboard.

He stepped into the narrow corridor and found a door marked ”Seven.”

This... is the berth? Li Banfeng wondered.

He pushed open the door marked ”Seven” and discovered that it was a small compartment.

A private room? Li Banfeng muttered inwardly. They have private compartments on trains in Huan?

Inside the room was a long bench. This kind of long bench was very commonly seen in green trains. In Li Banfeng’s memory, they usually came in pairs, but here there was only one.

In front of the bench was a small dining table, a standard feature of green trains that Li Banfeng knew well.

Next to it was a train window, with handles and latches at the bottom corners for opening. Just as he was about to open it and let in some fresh air, he noticed two more doors inside the compartment.

He opened one of the doors, and a familiar scent wafted out.

It was a bathroom. Through the squat toilet, he could see the railway tracks rushing below[3]. A washbasin stood beside it. This was a standard restroom setup in a green train.

A first-class sleeper ticket came with a private bathroom?

Li Banfeng turned and opened the other door. There was another small room inside. To be accurate, this was the berth, as this room had one bed inside.

A bedroom, a living space, and a bathroom all in one compartment. Is this what a first-class sleeper gets to enjoy? Li Banfeng thought.

Li Banfeng was starting to worry that he had gotten the wrong carriage. He was just about to push the door open and step out to ask about it when the speaker in the living room crackled to life.

「Dear passengers, welcome aboard Train 1160. Passengers who have already boarded, please refrain from moving about in the train unnecessarily. First-time passengers, please keep your curtains drawn, and do not look out the window. Under no circumstances should you open the windows.

The train attendants are only responsible for ticket verification and arrival reminders. They will not disturb you at other times. Unless absolutely necessary, do not let strangers into your compartment.

We wish you a pleasant journey.」

Crackle~

The announcement ended. Li Banfeng was still puzzled by some of the peculiar rules, like not being allowed to open the window or having to keep the curtains drawn, when his phone buzzed with a new message from He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing: Bro, you must absolutely and strictly follow the rules on this train.

1. These mugs were very common in China from the 1950s to the 1980s. They are typically made of metal with a handle and lid. Refer to translator’s thought. ☜

2. This is a special term. As you read, you will know what it means. ☜

3. On older green trains in China, the squat toilets are essentially just openings directly above the tracks. ☜