The Overlord of Puluo

Chapter 266: The Night-Blooming Jasmine of Blackstone Slope

When they arrived at Blackstone Slope, everyone got off the train.

This was Li Banfeng’s first visit to Blackstone Slope. Soon after he stepped off, he sensed that the city smelled distinctly different.

Blackstone Slope had a scent unlike anywhere else. With his Hundred Flavors at the Tip of the Nose ability, Li Banfeng could pick out that difference with sharp precision.

Girdle-Slipping Hollow had a thick, cloying sweetness that lingered in the air and stuck to the nose. The Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs were packed with the rich smell of food. The smell in Iron Gate Fort left people with a quiet calmness that didn’t exist anywhere else. And Greenwater City? It smelled loudly of wealth and excess that felt bold and showy.

Blackstone Slope’s scent was much heavier. In simple terms, it came down to three things: smoke, ash, and machine oil.

The sky here was noticeably dimmer than elsewhere. After leaving the station, he looked up and saw chimneys of all heights crowding the skyline.

In an era where electricity had yet to spread, steam had been pushed to its limits, and coal had become the most essential fuel for steam engines.

Blackstone Slope had three main resources: iron ore, stone, and coal.

Some of these were shipped across Puluo Province, while the rest were processed locally into finished goods.

That was the nature of Blackstone Slope. It was an industrial city through and through.

Little Chuan had arrived ahead of them and already arranged lodging for everyone. While Li Banfeng was still thinking about transportation, Little Chuan had everything prepared.

It wasn’t a horse carriage or a rickshaw, but a steam-powered car.

A little engine huffed and clanked at the front, dragging two carriages behind it as it rattled along narrow tracks that twisted through the streets.

Isn’t this just a train? Li Banfeng thought.

The only real difference from a proper train was its size. This one was small enough to squeeze straight into alleyways without a hint of shame.

Blackstone Slope was that kind of city. Unlike Greenwater City, where roads spread out wide and open, every last street here had been claimed by railway tracks. The noise was louder, the air thicker and dirtier, but the moment you stepped outside, a train was already there waiting.

It reminded Li Banfeng of the light rail in Yuezhou City. However, that one ran on electricity. Compared to a steam train, it felt like it was missing something.

Little Chuan said, ”I heard from the workers here that Greenwater City once wanted to lay railway tracks through the city. But those rich folks kicked up a fuss and refused. Said it was too noisy, too dirty. I really don’t see the problem. It’s just a bit of coal dust, some loose dirt. How dirty can it be?”

Little Chuan was an Artificer Cultivator, and to him, Blackstone Slope was practically a holy land. Every place he pointed out lit him up with excitement, even though to anyone else, the buildings all looked the same, packed tightly together, plain, and built with rough, heavy lines.

The little train rattled along for more than forty minutes before finally grinding to a stop at a station. One by one, they stepped off and made their way to the place of residence Little Chuan had just bought.

For now, they could only call it a residence...

The place was enormous.

Beyond the main gate lay a wide courtyard, and right in the middle stood a towering structure over twenty meters tall.

It was a gray-white cube, its surface wrapped in pipes of all sizes, with a chimney beside it that stretched even higher, stabbing straight into the dim sky.

To outsiders, it looked like nothing more than a building. But anyone who knew their trade would recognize it at once as one of the core machines of the steam age, a steam generator or more commonly known as a boiler.

After passing the boiler and heading further inside, Li Banfeng saw parts scattered across the ground and half-finished machine tools.

Rust covered both the parts and the machines.

Li Banfeng glanced at Little Chuan. ”This is a house?”

This is clearly an abandoned factory! Li Banfeng thought.

Little Chuan scratched his head. ”Master Qi, a place like what you are asking for isn’t easy to find in Blackstone Slope.

”You said it has to house more than thirty people and be hidden enough without drawing any attention. Only a place like this fits.”

Li Banfeng frowned. ”Live where? In the factory?”

”Not exactly. There’s a building behind it.”

In the factory’s back courtyard stood a three-story building. A canteen, a bathhouse, and a row of toilets occupied the first floor, while the second and third floors each had more than a dozen rooms.

Places like this were common in Blackstone Slope, and most of the citizens of Blackstone Slope were factory workers.

They would spend their days laboring in the factory and their nights sleeping there. Once they started families, they would bring their family members into the factory and live out their lives within the factory, rarely ever leaving.

Aside from working, did they have no life of their own? They did.

They could go to a cinema and watch a film. They could stop by a tavern for a drink. They could buy a newspaper and take a short rest.

Aside from working, did they have no life of their own? They did.

They could go to a cinema and watch a film. They could stop by a tavern for a drink. They could buy a newspaper and take a short rest.

When they had money, they could visit certain places and find certain people to spend the night with them. When their pockets were empty, a cheap magazine was all they needed to satisfy themselves.

Workers were always racing against time. Places like dance halls, theaters, salons, banquets...were not suitable for them.

Entertainment for workers had to meet two conditions: it had to save time, and it had to be affordable. That was why the publishing industry in Blackstone Slope was so well developed. It was cheap, convenient, and effective.

Li Banfeng said to the writers Bai Qiusheng and Yu Wenqi, ”You two have both stayed in Blackstone Slope before, so you two should have a good idea of the rules and regulations here. Go handle the licenses tomorrow. First set up a newspaper business, then start a magazine company.”

”Licenses?” Bai Qiusheng shook his head. ”There’s no need for that. In Blackstone Slope, all you need to start a newspaper business is a printing press.”

Yu Wenqi added, ”It’s a bit more complicated to start a magazine company. You must have a camera.”

Li Banfeng was taken aback. ”You can start a newspaper business with just a printing press?”

”Yes, we can!” Bai Qiusheng said. ”We will write the articles tonight, set the layout tomorrow, and have someone buy a printing press. We should make it in time to distribute tomorrow evening’s newspapers.”

Li Banfeng froze in shock for a long time before saying, ”We haven’t even set up the newspaper office yet, and you are already rushing to publish tomorrow evening’s paper? Are you joking? What are you going to write about? Do you even have news?”

”News is easy,” Yu Wenqi said. ”Pick up a few major papers and copy a couple of stories. What we are selling is commentary and stories. People can get news anywhere. What matters is whether it hits hard!”

”Make things up?” Li Banfeng still didn’t understand. ”Who would buy a paper full of nonsense?”

The two writers were unsure of how they should explain it. Little Chuan stepped in. ”Master Qi, I will take you to a news cart. You will understand once you see it.”

Little Chuan led Li Banfeng and the others to a news cart.

A ”news cart” was essentially a small house that sold newspapers and magazines. In Yuezhou, something like this would be called a newsstand kiosk.

However, the kiosks in Blackstone Slope were different. The small house had wheels underneath, four wooden ones and four iron ones.

Most of the time, the wooden wheels stayed on the ground so that the vendor could pull the cart through the streets.

Upon pulling the news cart to the tracks, the vendor would control a pulley inside the house to lift the wooden wheels and lower the iron ones instead. There was a hook at the front, so the cart could latch onto a passing train and ride along with it.

Li Banfeng stepped into the booth and glanced over the newspapers.

He recognized the papers from the Lu Family and the Ling Family, but most of the others were unfamiliar.

One of them stood out at once. The evening paper One Pole Rises had a particularly striking name.

Li Banfeng glanced at the headline: From Stage to Reality: Singing Queen Xiao Xiufei, Just How Deep in Character Is She?

The opening lines covered an interview Xiao Xiufei had given before the first release of The Legendary Bloodblade Detective.

How long ago is this news? Li Banfeng thought. It’s almost four months already! Something like this can still be published in the newspaper?

Li Banfeng was very curious. He took the newspaper up to take a look, but the vendor immediately stopped him. ”One Pole Rises cost eight mao. No reading without buying.”

Li Banfeng pointed at the Lu and Ling Family papers. ”How much are those?”

”Their morning paper costs three mao. Evening paper costs five mao.”

”Why does One Pole Rising cost eight mao?”

”That’s the price. This magazine is the real deal. Immediate effects! This is not a scam!”

Immediate effects? That’s used to describe fast-acting medicine!

Li Banfeng shot the vendor a disdainful look. Still, he took out eight mao and bought a copy of One Pole Rises. And sure enough, it really did have immediate effects. The moment he finished reading the front page, his ”pole” had risen.

The front-page article examined Xiao Xiufei’s immersion in her role from every angle. The wording was plain, but the content was rich and detailed. It touched on the male lead’s feelings, the female lead’s experience, the cinematographer’s impressions, even the cleaning lady’s recollections.

Everything was described so vividly that it felt even more engaging than the film itself. Before Li Banfeng could read the remaining pages, he noticed a magazine.

The magazine was titled The Legendary Bloodspear Detective Five.

My film’s only at the third installment. How is this already at the fifth? Li Banfeng wondered.

The woman on the cover was strikingly beautiful, with a figure and style that stood out at once. Her form was graceful and alluring. As for her clothing, she wore none at all.

”How much is this magazine?”

”Five yuan and six mao.”

”Isn’t that a bit much? A movie ticket only costs five.”

The vendor let out a scoff. ”You don’t get it. Buy a movie ticket, and you only get to watch it once. And The Legendary Bloodspear Detective isn’t even showing in the cinemas here anymore.

”Buy this magazine, and you can look at it as many times as you want. I will even throw in a poster.”

The vendor had barely revealed half the poster before Li Banfeng decided to buy it.

Whatever shown on this poster had such a huge ”heart.”[1]

”I will take that one, and that one...”

In just a few minutes, Li Banfeng spent over a hundred yuan. The vendor was thrilled and gave him more than twenty posters. If Bai Qiusheng hadn’t stopped him, Li Banfeng would have kept buying.

By the time they returned to the factory, Ma Wu had already arranged a room for Li Banfeng. After spending an hour studying things inside, Li Banfeng finally figured out how the publishing industry in Blackstone Slope worked.

Newspapers were entirely made up. Not all the content in the magazines was made up. They would find a few local girls to model, take their photos, then pair them with invented backstories and reflections on life and the future.

Li Banfeng sighed. ”I have to say! These girls are quite talented. What they write is pretty profound. They all seem like people with dreams.”

Yu Wenqi shook his head. ”Master Qi, most of these girls can barely read. Where would they get that kind of insight? The magazine staff write it all. That’s how they make a living.”

Li Banfeng nodded. ”So aside from the girls’ names, everything else is fake.”

”Not quite,” Yu Wenqi said, shaking his head. ”Even their names aren’t real.”

Bai Qiusheng said, ”In Blackstone Slope, if you want to make a living, your writing has to be good. It’s just like performing on the street.

”It doesn’t matter if you’re a renowned master or a famous scholar. If what you write is entertaining, people will keep buying. If it’s not, they might fall for it once, but they won’t come back a second time.”

Yu Wenqi added, ”Master Qi, you might think this sort of thing isn’t proper. However, Blackstone Slope has its fair share of proper material too. There are plenty of good stories here. This place doesn’t lack quality publications.”

”I think this is all perfectly proper. It’s art. People who create art are good people, and people who appreciate it are good people too. That can’t be wrong, and neither can this place,”

Li Banfeng patted the stack of papers in his hand. ”We will run newspapers and magazines. When Little Chuan brings back the printing press in a couple of days, we will get started.”

”Why wait a couple of days?” Bai Qiusheng laughed. ”Little Chuan’s been gone for over an hour. He should be back soon.”

”In one hour? To buy a printing press?”

A printing press in Puluo Province was not like a printer in the Outer Provinces. Li Banfeng had seen them before. They were steam-driven machines so large they couldn’t even fit inside two rooms. How could something that big be bought and hauled back in the blink of an eye?

And yet, Little Chuan really did bring one back. It was even fully assembled.

It wasn’t large and was only about the size of two wicker trunks.

After spending so much time tinkering with his ”wifey,” Li Banfeng had picked up a thing or two about machines.

”This isn’t steam-powered,” he said. ”It’s hand-cranked.”

Little Chuan said, ”The two writers suggested we get this one for now.”

Bai Qiusheng said, ”Master Qi, this is Blackstone Slope, not Greenwater City. Printing presses there cost thousands of silver dollars. We don’t need anything that big. Here in Blackstone Slope, you can find all kinds of presses. This one shouldn’t cost more than sixty silver dollars, right?”

Little Chuan nodded. ”It costs fifty-seven.”

”Good! That’s not expensive. Master Qi, trust us. We will start with this. If business goes well, we will upgrade. If not, we won’t lose much.”

Li Banfeng nodded. ”I’m the outsider here, so I will go along with whatever you two decide. Sorry to trouble you with this. Let’s get started right away. Newspapers first, then magazines.”

Yu Wenqi sighed and remarked emotionally. ”We used to make a living doing this. And now, we have become more well-known. Even so, we ended up doing it again. This was something I didn’t expect.”

Li Banfeng smiled. ”But the pay won’t be the same. Based on your current standing, I will give triple the fee, plus double bonuses. You won’t be treated unfairly.”

Bai Qiusheng said with admiration, ”Master Qi, you really get things done. So, what should we call this newspaper?”

Li Banfeng thought for a moment. ”Since it’s an evening paper, let’s call it Night-Blooming Jasmine.”

Yu Wenqi slapped his thigh. ”Simple! Easy to remember! Perfect. That settles it!”

The writers immediately got to work and began creating ”art.”

The photographer Ma Wu had brought from the film crew didn’t sit idle either. He went around looking for girls to photograph, busy creating his own ”art.”

When it came to selling the newspapers and magazines, Ma Wu and the two writers were experts, so Li Banfeng didn’t need to worry.

Li Banfeng headed straight to Triple Blessings Cinema.

The owner was packing up, ready to leave. The cinema had been wrecked, the clerks beaten, and the Pure Conduct Society had issued an order: he was to leave Blackstone Slope within a month and never return.

Li Banfeng took out twenty silver dollars and stuffed them into the owner’s hand. ”Fix the place up and screen The Legendary Bloodspear Detective again.”

”Screen it again?” The owner shook his head. ”Sir, if I dare do that one more time, I will lose my life. Please don’t put me in that position.”

Seeing that the man truly didn’t have the nerve, Li Banfeng didn’t press further. ”Alright. Give me a price. Sell the cinema to me.”

The owner froze for a moment. ”May I ask for your name, sir?”

Author’s Note:

PS: Night-Blooming Jasmine not just the name of a newspaper.

1. Basically huge boobs ☜