The Overlord of Puluo

It was a bronze lotus flower with lotus leaves forming its base and a flower bud resting on top. The flower measured about ten centimeters across. Though it had yet to bloom, he could still feel the gaps between its petals.

I see! So it’s a solid bronze piece. No wonder it’s so heavy! Li Banfeng exclaimed inwardly. He wasn’t an expert in antiques, but it was obvious to him that this was an exquisite ornament.

But is this ornament really that important? Why did Jiaqing insist that I take it back to his hometown? Why would Deputy Xiao want me dead over it? What is the secret of this lotus?

Having slept well over the past few days and with nothing else to do, Li Banfeng devoted himself to studying the bronze lotus flower. From dawn until two in the afternoon, he examined it without pause, yet he still couldn’t open it.

Crackle~

The announcer’s voice echoed through the speakers.

「The train is approaching Medicine King Gully Station. For passengers getting off at this station, please gather your belongings and prepare to disembark.」

We’re here! Medicine King Gully! Li Banfeng thought excitedly.

He quickly gathered the silk, yellow paper, and other items, wrapped the bronze lotus securely, and stuffed it into his backpack. He added the remaining three cups of instant noodles, a can of chips, and half a pack of latiao, then pushed the door open and stepped out of the compartment.

Since boarding, this was the first time he had left his compartment. It was also the first time he had seen any other passengers on the train. Li Banfeng felt a little nervous, worried he might run into some three-headed creature or other strange beings.

A number of people were waiting by the door to disembark, and they all looked normal, at least on the surface. It seemed that some of them should not have gotten off at this stop, but they had no choice because they were going to starve to death.

A man in a suit stood next to Li Banfeng. He kept his left hand in his pocket and carried his suitcase with the other hand. Li Banfeng glanced at him and guessed he was at least 1.9 meters tall but weighed less than fifty kilograms. With such a scrawny frame, a strong gust of wind might really blow him away.

A woman followed behind him. Her physique was the exact opposite of the man’s. She looked to be under 1.4 meters tall but weighed over seventy kilograms.

When the train jolted, the man quickly reached out to support the woman beside him. From their closeness and the way they moved, it was clear they were husband and wife.

The woman held a child who looked to be about one or two years old, though it was hard to tell which parent the child took after.

Screeeech!

Tooooooooooooooot!

With a long whistle, the train pulled into Medicine King Gully Station.

The attendant lowered the steps, and Li Banfeng joined the crowd as they disembarked.

The moment he stepped off the train, Li Banfeng felt slightly dizzy from the rush of fresh air. Though it carried the scent of coal dust and engine oil, it was still far better than the air inside the train.

The weather was a bit gloomy, but it was still better than the dim yellow light inside the compartment, which had gone out entirely in the past few days.

After stepping off the train, the first thing Li Banfeng noticed was how the people around him were dressed.

They were dressed very differently from him. Many wore suits in every style imaginable, including black, white, striped, and checkered. There were also many wearing Zhongshan suits[1] with either the turn-down or upright collar. Some wore vests over their shirts, with bowties fastened at the collar. Others wore changshan—traditional Chinese long gowns, the kind often seen on performers of crosstalk, storytelling, folk singing, clapper talk, or traditional opera.

Most people wore hats of various styles. Fedoras were common, but there were also plenty of baseball caps. Some wore hats that looked like flat caps but with slightly narrower brims and a button on top of the visor.

I think that’s called a Gatsby cap? Li Banfeng thought. If everyone’s wearing hats, should I take out my hiking hat? The problem is, mine looks nothing like theirs... And the hat isn’t the only problem.

After boarding the train, Li Banfeng had swapped his dress shirt and slacks for a T-shirt and track pants. Now, he stood out like a sore thumb among the crowd.

Should I change back into my shirt and slacks? If I can change clothes on the subway, doing it on the platform shouldn’t be a big deal either.

Forget it. Why should I dress like them anyway? Having my own style is a good thing.

For some reason, Li Banfeng felt like the brightest star on the platform, so dazzling that he almost imagined a glow radiating from his body.

A child standing behind him suddenly stared at him and shouted, ”Mama! That man’s glowing!”

You see... Even a child is saying that I am glowing. This means that... I AM NOT HALLUCINATING!!!!

Li Banfeng stretched out his right hand. Under the gloomy sky, his arm was indeed radiating a pale, dazzling halo. It was not just his arm! His entire body was glowing!

However, after looking himself over for a while, Li Banfeng realized he was not the one glowing. There was a beam of light shining directly on him, as if he were standing on a stage under a spotlight.

Where is this beam of light coming from? Li Banfeng wondered. He looked up at the sky, but the light was so blinding that he could not keep his eyes open.

Is this the searchlight of a helicopter? Is a helicopter tracking me?

Suddenly, the beam of light went out. Li Banfeng, who was startled, dashed toward the ticket gate.

A moment ago, the crowd at the exit had all turned to look at him. To his surprise, as he rushed forward to leave the station, they stepped aside to let him pass.

”Stay back, everyone! Stay back! He’s been struck by Heavenly Light!”

”Could he be a Bleater?”

”Keep away from him, or you’ll get splattered with blood!”

What do they mean by that? They know that there’s a helicopter up there? Li Banfeng thought. He grew even more anxious and immediately handed his ticket to the ticket attendant.

The ticket attendant pulled out a punch clipper, snipped another notch in the ticket, and handed the stub back to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng couldn’t bother with the stub. He walked straight out of the station, where he saw a group of people approaching him.

They wore vests with no dress shirts underneath. In fact, they had no shirts at all. Their hats were made of some unknown material, but the style was much like Li Banfeng’s hiking hat.

Is this their uniform?Are they dressed like this to arrest me? Li Banfeng grew tense.

One of them stepped forward and greeted him. ”Sir, need a ride?”

Li Banfeng tightened his grip on the strip of latiao he was holding for defense and asked warily, ”Where does the ride go?”

”Your destination, your choice! Name the place, and I will make it happen!”

Oh. Just a cab driver...

Li Banfeng was in a hurry to get going and told the driver, ”I’m going to Medicine King Gully.”

When the driver heard that, he laughed. ”Sir, you’re already in Medicine King Gully. This whole place is Medicine King Gully. But where exactly do you want to go? The Inner Gully or the Outer Gully?”

Was it Inner Gully or Outer Gully? Li Banfeng thought. The driver’s question jogged his memory, and he recalled that He Jiaqing had sent him the address before. Pieces of it came back to him as he replied, ”Inner Gully. A street called Memorial... something.”

The driver grinned. ”Memorial Arch Street, right? No problem. That’ll be eight bucks.”

”Eight bucks? Works for me!”

The driver grinned even wider. This customer was straightforward and didn’t haggle at all.

Li Banfeng had no intention of bargaining either. After all, eight bucks was not expensive! It was just the normal base fare for a ride.

The driver led him across the plaza in front of the station to his vehicle.

Li Banfeng took a look. It had two wheels, a single seat, and two shafts connected by a wooden crossbar.

”Is this thing fast?”

”Fast!” The driver said as he tossed a towel over his shoulder and pointed at the rickshaw. ”Ask all those rickshaw pullers at the station. No other rickshaw is faster than mine.”

So this driver is a rickshaw puller? Do rickshaw pullers still exist in this day and age?

But then again, he had already ridden a steam train and seen people with three heads. It wouldn’t be too strange to ride in a rickshaw...

Still, Li Banfeng thought it would be too slow. ”Is there something a little faster?”

”You want a horse-drawn carriage?” The driver waved the idea away. ”They’re not allowed to stop in front of the station. Those things are dirty. Unless someone’s here to unload cargo, they don’t come around. Besides, with your status, that wouldn’t be appropriate.”

What Li Banfeng really meant was whether there were any motor vehicles, but just as he was about to speak, he found his jaw unresponsive. He couldn’t open his mouth at all. It wasn’t just his mouth. His arms and legs wouldn’t move either, as if his whole body had been set in wet cement.

Seeing him frozen in place, the driver called out, ”Sir? What’s wrong? Sir? Sir... don’t tell me you’ve been struck by Heavenly Light?!”

1. This is a Chinese tunic suit that was popular in China in the early 20th century. This style of clothing was named after Sun Zhongshan, who is a revolutionary leader who led the 1911 revolution and ended over two thousand years of imperial rule in China. He established the Republic of China. This kind of suit was promoted as a modern practical alternative to traditional Chinese robes. It has a mix of Chinese and Western elements. Over time, it became associated with Chinese political leaders, especially Mao Zedong, which is why it is often called the Mao suit in the West. ☜