The Overlord of Puluo

Chapter 277: The Train to the New Land

”Master Qi, there’s nothing much going on at the newspaper office. I can accompany you for a stroll around the city,” Bai Qiusheng said as he packed up, ready to leave.

Li Banfeng, however, did not want to bring him along. There were times when he was more used to traveling alone. It would be inconvenient to handle serious matters if he had to take someone with him, and it would be inconvenient for him to go back to the Pocket Dwelling whenever he wanted.

The day before, Yu Wenqi had mentioned that a new dance hall had opened in the eastern part of the city. More than a dozen dancers performed there together, completely unclothed.

Li Banfeng was not interested in watching the girls dance. He simply wanted to observe the customs of Blackstone Slope.

Furthermore, it was not suitable for him to go to such a place with someone. Others might misunderstand and think that he had poor taste. And if something unexpected happened to whatever in his pants, others might think that he lacked endurance.

”Get me a map. I will go by myself. Make sure the New Land is marked.”

Bai Qiusheng quickly handed one over. ”Master Qi, this is the latest map, but maps aren’t always reliable in Blackstone Slope.”

He pointed to several marked spots as he spoke, ”Especially near the New Land, you must be extremely careful. You can enter through the points I have marked, but don’t go anywhere I haven’t.

”In recent years, too many coal mines and stone quarries have been opened here. Some mountains have been dug away entirely, and places that were never entrances before have turned into entrances.

”Stay away from those places. These are dangerous places. There are also locations not marked on the map that I can’t clearly remember. It’s best if you avoid these locations as well. You must remember everything I tell you about the New Land...”

Bai Qiusheng continued rambling, but Li Banfeng listened very attentively.

Honestly, Bai Qiusheng was only worried about two things. One was that Li Banfeng would lose his way, and the second was that he would encounter aberrant creatures once he arrived in the New Land.

To Li Banfeng, these concerns were unnecessary. He was a Wanderlust Cultivator, and he would not easily lose his way.

As for the New Land, based on Bai Qiusheng’s description, the outer areas of Blackstone City’s New Land were no different from those of Greenwater City. Bai Qiusheng had never ventured into the inner areas, and Li Banfeng had no intention of going too deep for now.

Since Li Banfeng was going to familiarize himself with the roads in the New Land, he had planned to go on foot. However, some temptations were hard to resist, such as a small train suddenly emerging from an alley.

It was a little past ten in the morning, and the train was nearly empty. Li Banfeng bought a few magazines and read as the train swayed along. Before he knew it, he had reached the final stop.

Following the map, he transferred to another train and continued on his way. Anyone who often took public transport knew that walking somewhere and transferring between routes were two entirely different things.

Li Banfeng transferred between six different trains, yet he still hadn’t reached the edge of the New Land or found the dance hall in the east of the city. He had gotten lost.

The buildings in Blackstone Slope all shared a similar style, and the city was developed so evenly that there were no distinctive landmarks. Li Banfeng could tell he was somewhere in the southern part of the city, but he had no idea exactly where he was.

”How is there not even a single landmark...”

There was a construction site ahead. A crane operator leaned by the roadside, smoking.

Li Banfeng walked over and greeted him. ”Brother, I am trying to get to the New Land. How do I get there?”

”What are you going there for?”

”To hunt, of course!”

”Hunt what? That’s a dangerous line of work. Wouldn’t it be better to find a proper job?”

The man was surprisingly enthusiastic. He led Li Banfeng to the roadside and gave him detailed directions.

”Go straight down this road, turn left at the intersection ahead, then turn right at the third junction. Follow that road all the way to the end and turn left again. You will then see the entry point to the New Land.

”You must follow exactly what I said. Don’t go anywhere else. If you take a wrong turn, you will die!”

Li Banfeng thanked him and handed him ten yuan.

The driver frowned. ”What are you doing? Why are you giving me money just for asking directions?”

Li Banfeng only smiled and said nothing. He never let others do things for him for free, no matter how small the favor.

After watching Li Banfeng walk away, the driver pocketed the money and secretly felt really happy.

Another worker climbed down from the crane and called out, ”Shift change!”

The man took his place in the crane and began lifting stones. The man directing from below shouted, ”Right, to the right, a bit more to the right! I said right, you...”

Clang!

The crane’s claw veered off course and nearly hit someone. The man below snapped, ”I told you to go right! Do you even know which side is right?”

The crane driver lifted his left hand. ”Isn’t this right?”

The man below snapped, ”Are you messing with me?”

The driver thought for a moment, then raised his right hand. ”Maybe it’s this?”

***

Li Banfeng moved quickly. Following the crane driver’s directions, he soon reached a train station.

In Blackstone Slope, train stations were the most common mode of transport. However, this one appeared abandoned. The tracks were still there, but half the platform had collapsed. As for the ticket dwelling, or waiting hall as people from the Outer Provinces would call it, had completely collapsed.

Li Banfeng grew curious. Where does this railway lead to?

Building railways in the New Land was unrealistic. Even if someone risked their life to construct one, no one would maintain it. However, when Li Banfeng stood by the tracks and looked south, he realized he had been mistaken.

The railway stretched south, vanishing into the darkness.

Does it really lead into the New Land? Li Banfeng wondered. I guess it’s built only to the edge of the New Land, to make it easier for hunters to transport goods.

But if that were the case, why would such an important railway be abandoned?

As he pondered, he suddenly heard the sound of a train whistle behind him.

Toot-toooooooooooooot~

Are there still trains running on this track?

Li Banfeng was started and quickly stepped away from the tracks. When he looked closely, he saw that it was an old man standing there.

The old man had a high forehead, round cheeks, and a sturdy build. He was marching in place on the railway tracks.

Huff! Huff!

He turned his head to the side and let out a breath.

”Toot-tooooooooooot~” he mimicked again, sounding eerily like the whistle of a real train.

Clank! Clank!

He swung his arms back and forth in a rigid, rhythmic motion, as if the train were just starting to pull away.

Li Banfeng looked at the old man with sympathy and let out a soft sigh.

Hmm. I guess there is a difference between a lunatic and a madman. This old man actually thinks that he is a train? How ridiculous is that? I have never thought of myself as a train.

I mean sometimes I do think that I am a plane or a tank, but that’s fundamentally different from being a train. As a train, you would be stuck running on tracks and there is no freedom in that...

While Li Banfeng was lost in thought, the old man suddenly spoke. ”Get on!”

”Get on what?”

”It’s about to depart. Aren’t you getting on?”

Look at this? That’s why I said this old man is crazy. He’s even asking me to get on! How could I possibly get on?

Li Banfeng looked at him and let out a scoff. ”I haven’t even bought a ticket yet!”

”Get on first. You can pay for the ticket later!”

The old man suddenly appeared in front of Li Banfeng. He hadn’t even seen how the man moved. Before Li Banfeng could react, the old man hoisted him onto his back and sprinted down the railway tracks, still chattering as he ran.

”Choo-choo~ Huff! Huff! Toot-toot~”

Li Banfeng shouted, ”Where are you taking me?”

”Don’t move. If you fall, you’ll die!”

The old man was incredibly fast. The scenery on either side blurred past, too quick for Li Banfeng to make out.

What level of cultivator is this old man? Where is he taking me?

Li Banfeng quietly took out his sickle, but the old man suddenly laughed. ”Go ahead. Try it. Maybe I will throw you off and watch you turn into a flower.”

Li Banfeng immediately put the sickle away.

There was a lot to unpack in that sentence. It revealed two critical points.

If the old man threw him off at that speed, Li Banfeng might not be able to see him. And if the old man so much as glanced at him, Li Banfeng would turn into a ”flower” on the spot.

This was a fifth-level ability of a Wanderlust Cultivator: Passing Flowers on Horseback.

According to the glove, this ability was typically used when a high-level cultivator completely overwhelmed a weaker one. In other words, Li Banfeng was facing a Wanderlust Cultivator far above his level, someone who could crush him without effort.

What is he trying to do? Li Banfeng thought. As of now, he could only rely on his Pocket Dwelling. The moment he found an opening, he would slip back into his home. Even if the old man picked up the key afterward, it would not matter.

Li Banfeng forced his eyes to focus, trying to pick out what lay on both sides. If he spotted any woods or bushes, he would act immediately.

However, the old man moved faster and faster. He had already rushed past the end of the railway and kept sprinting forward. Li Banfeng’s vision blurred more and more. Just as panic set in, the old man suddenly let out a sharp cry, ”Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech~”

He braked and tossed Li Banfeng onto the ground and said with a serious expression, ”We have arrived. Pay for your ticket!”

Li Banfeng answered just as seriously, ”How much is the ticket?”

”Hard seat cost one hundred and fifty!”

Hard seat? Li Banfeng thought and shouted, ”DO YOU HAVE OTHER OPTIONS?”

The old man unfolded a stretcher from his back. ”Hard sleeper costs two hundred and eighty!”

”ANY SOFT SLEEPER?”

The old man unfolded a mattress from his back. ”Soft sleeper, three hundred thirty!”

WOW. UNBELIEVABLE.

Li Banfeng handed the old man two hundred yuan and the old man replied with a generous expression, ”No need for change! Toot-toot~ Huff! huff!”

He swung his arms and ”drove” off.

Damn it. I gave him two hundred and he didn’t even give me my change back. If I had known, I would have picked sleeper. Wait! NO! I didn’t get to pick! Why did that crazy old man bring me here?

Li Banfeng looked around at his surroundings. It was a dense forest that looked somewhat familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen it before.

Maybe I can track the old man’s footprint? I think I can see some footprints.

There was indeed a line of footprints, and they were quite deep.

Li Banfeng followed the footprints back when a sharp cry suddenly rang out behind him.

”Choo-choo! TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! Hisss... huff, huff!”

What the hell! That old bastard is back again. This isn’t a one-way trip! It’s a round trip. He even has a fixed route!

Li Banfeng didn’t dare think any further. Feeling afraid that the old man would chase after him, he immediately veered off the trail of footprints and sprinted for more than five kilometers in one breath.

As he ran, a thought crossed Li Banfeng’s mind. If I told the old man I would take the train again and pay for the ride, would he carry me back? Nevermind. I am a normal person. I shouldn’t take a crazy man seriously. If he ends up having another episode, who knows where he will take me?

When Li Banfeng was sure that the old man had not caught up, he looked around his surroundings. The place looked increasingly familiar and he was now certain that he had been here before.

After walking more than a dozen kilometers east, crossing a mountain, and trekking across the wasteland for about an hour, Li Banfeng finally spotted a village.

At the village entrance, an enormous Madam Bagworm Moth stood on patrol. At first, Li Banfeng thought it was Swallowie, but as he got closer, he realized it was Qiaocui.

”Master Qi, you’re back!” Qiaocui greeted him warmly.

I am at Properfolk Village! How did that old man know about Properfolk Village? Why did he bring me back here?

When traveling only through the Proper Land, Greenwater Bay and Blackstone Slope were quite far apart. However, if one used the New Land routes, the distance between them became much shorter.

”Master Qi, could you tell my darling Wu to come over to my place tonight?”

Li Banfeng paused in surprise. ”Old Wu’s back in the village?”

”Yeah. He’s filming by the lake right now.”

Why did he come back to the village?

Li Banfeng entered the village and soon spotted Ma Wu by the lakeside. Dressed in a black Zhongshan suit, he was adjusting a camera. It looked like the filming of The Legendary Bloodspear Detective series had started again.

Several crew members were busy setting up the scene nearby, while a few actors, already in makeup, stood off to the side waiting for their cue.

Ma Wu replied, ”Something urgent came up. I had to deal with it first. What about you? Why are you back?”

Li Banfeng said, ”I, well...”

He trailed off without explaining further.

Li Banfeng glanced around the set and spotted Bai Qiusheng, who was making revisions of the script. It was one of Ma Wu’s habits. Whenever he filmed, he always kept a screenwriter with him.

Lowering the brim of his hat, Li Banfeng asked, ”You are back too?”

Bai Qiusheng quickly stood up. ”Master Qi, they said something urgent came up here, so I came back first.”

”I see...” Li Banfeng nodded and pulled his hat even lower.

Author’s Note:

PS: Do you guys remember Bai Qiusheng’s background and origin?