In the Outer Gully of Mount Pricklebamboo, Li Banfeng crouched among the bamboo. He wore a fedora and a fake beard that concealed his face as he silently watched the clearing ahead.

The clearing lay beneath a thick layer of dust, barren of even a single blade of grass. Aside from that, nothing seemed unusual.

A butterfly fluttered toward the center, but the instant it reached it, its wings dissolved into a wisp of smoke and vanished.

A rabbit hopped into the clearing, took two leaps forward, and disintegrated into a cloud of dust that got carried away by the wind.

A bamboo leaf swept across the clearing on the wind and likewise crumbled into dust.

A mosquito buzzed by, and when Li Banfeng swatted it toward the clearing, it too became a tiny puff of dust.

Li Banfeng folded a paper airplane and sent it gliding across the boundary line. It, too, disintegrated into dust.

He picked up a small stone and tossed it over. That, as well, crumbled into dust.

A dark cloud drifted overhead and released a few drops of rain. Each drop struck the boundary with a faint pop, evaporating in an instant.

Mount Pricklebamboo sat on the border between Medicine King Gully and Greenwater Bay. Travelers taking the train would pass through Greenwater Bay first, then Girdle-Slipping Hollow, before finally arriving at Medicine King Gully.

Geographically, the three places were right next to each other with their borders overlapping like threads on a map. However, the stretch of land between Greenwater Bay and Medicine King Gully was remote and rarely visited.

Why did Li Banfeng choose to visit the Greenwater Bay instead of the Girdle-Slipping Hollow? This decision was thanks to the many newspapers Li Banfeng had recently read.

Medicine King Gully was a larger town, home to many Medicine Cultivators, though cultivators of other Daoist paths also lived there. Girdle-Slipping Hollow, on the other hand, was about half its size and had a rather peculiar environment. Those who stayed there long-term generally fell into two categories: Hedonism Cultivators and their partners.

It was normal for outsiders like Li Banfeng to spend a few days in Girdle-Slipping Hollow for pleasure, but staying too long would inevitably attract attention.

Greenwater Bay, on the other hand, was entirely different. It was home to the largest city in Puluo Province, Greenwater City. Beyond the city stretched a vast network of towns and villages.

Its land area and population were greater than those of Medicine King Gully, Girdle-Slipping Hollow, the Ridge of Bottomless Stomachs, and the neighboring towns combined. To Li Banfeng, it seemed like the perfect place to hide.

Of course, Greenwater Bay was not without risks. The four great families had their roots there, and entering Greenwater City meant moving right under their noses.

Even so, it was precisely because those families were all present that Li Banfeng was certain the Lu Family would not dare make any drastic moves in the city. There were things they surely did not want the He Family to discover, much less the other three families.

But was it really that easy to reach Greenwater Bay?

Li Banfeng had followed the border for an entire day, and the situation was far from promising. Between Medicine King Gully and Greenwater Bay lay an invisible boundary line. Anything larger than a speck of dust could not cross it.

A man in flowing white robes stood nearby, accompanied by a celestial crane nearly twice the height of a man. The man cast a sidelong glance toward Li Banfeng, who was hiding within the bamboo grove, and spoke with quiet disdain. "In the end, you are but a mortal."

Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "Aren't you a mortal too?"

The man let out a cold laugh. "For twenty years, I have cultivated in seclusion and touched upon the threshold of immortality. How could a mere mortal such as you hope to compare? Do you wish to cross the border? I can grant you a ride."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "Please, Immortal, you go first. I will observe from the side and follow after."

The man mounted the crane, which let out a long, piercing cry and soared into the air.

As the so-called immortal soared into the sky, Li Banfeng thought,

Which Daoist path is that? His cultivation must be quite high!

He had seen people ride horses, donkeys, and camels before, but this was his first time seeing someone ride a crane.

As they drifted through the clouds, the man upon the crane said softly,"My lord[1], that mortal is blind to reason and knows not the blessings before him."

The crane replied in a voice as clear as jade chimes. "A mere being of flesh and dust. Let us open his eyes to the vastness of the heavens."

"Huh?" Li Banfeng stared up at the celestial crane for a long time.

Did I see wrong, or hear wrong? Which one just called the other "my lord"? Wait… the crane is the lord? Then how dare that man ride his own lord?

The crane glided gracefully through the heavens, circling at a height of fifty or sixty meters.

With a long, echoing cry, the crane carried the man toward the unseen border. The white-robed cultivator lifted a long flute to his lips, and a melody, one that Li Banfeng could not comprehend, drifted through the air.

Li Banfeng took out his golden earring, ready to analyze the melody more closely. Yet the instant they crossed the border, the flute's music fell silent.

Both the immortal and his crane turned into flying ash—nothing remained, not even the flute.

Even if he somehow managed to sneak in and stash the key inside a passenger's luggage, the follow-up problems would be just as troublesome.

Well, that didn't work. What should I do now?

Even someone who spent twenty years cultivating in seclusion can't fly across this boundary line, so how could I possibly make it through?

Should I go into the Pocket Dwelling first and toss the key across afterward?

But would the key even survive the destructive force of the border? Li Banfeng doubted it.

And if the key turned to ash, would he still be able to get out of the Pocket Dwelling? He doubted that even more.

Previously, Li Banfeng had thought about sneaking into the train station, hiding the key inside a passenger's luggage, and then slipping onboard unnoticed.

It was a clever idea in theory, but not one that could actually work.

The Lu Family would have surely turned the train station into a heavily guarded area, just as Chu Yunlong once did when he ambushed Li Banfeng. Now that they had accurate information, the Lu Family would definitely send experts to keep watch. The moment Li Banfeng entered, he would be caught.

Even if he somehow managed to sneak in and hide the key inside a passenger's luggage, the problems that followed would be just as troublesome.

Li Banfeng wouldn't know when to come out of the Pocket Dwelling. He wouldn't know when that passenger would get off the train.

Even if he found the opportunity to take a glimpse at the passenger's ticket, he still couldn't accurately predict the time of disembarkation. It would be useless to check the train schedule because the steam trains were never that punctual.

If he came out of the Pocket Dwelling too early, while the passenger was still on board, he would be without a travel permit or a ticket. And if he happened to run into that fierce attendant, the consequences were unpredictable, and one wrong move could cost him his life.

If he came out too late, after the passenger had reached home and unpacked, what would happen when they found a mysterious key among their belongings?

If they simply threw the key away, that would be fine. But if they knew what this key was and handed this key over to the Lu Family or the Jiangxiang Gang, what would he do then?

And if the passenger happened to be traveling to the Outer Provinces and turned the key over to the Dark Star Bureau, how would Li Banfeng ever escape?

Going to the train station was definitely not going to work. Yet given the current situation, barging through the boundary line was out of the question.

Xiao Yeci had mentioned that there were checkpoints along the border. After thinking it over, Li Banfeng realized his only option was to slip through one of them unnoticed.

Where exactly are the checkpoints?

Li Banfeng thought.The map he bought from Shopkeeper Feng didn't mark the locations of the checkpoints.

Should I head down the mountain and ask around in a nearby village?

Li Banfeng had been reluctant to enter a village, fearing it might draw unwanted attention or even expose his identity.

However, wandering aimlessly along the border was not a solution either. At the very least, he needed to know the general direction of a checkpoint.

After some thought, he decided to head to the village. The Lu Family had not caught up yet, and rather than wasting time hesitating, it was better to act quickly and figure things out.

When he reached the village entrance, there were no stone markers or signposts indicating its name.

Since this mountain is called Mount Pricklebamboo, could the village be named Pricklebamboo Village?

Li Banfeng thought.

Pricklebamboo Village? This name sounds familiar. I think I have heard of this place somewhere before.

Once Li Banfeng had entered the village, he didn't ask for directions right away as that would easily cause suspicion. And so, he decided to buy some food first.

The villagers clearly weren't used to seeing outsiders. The farmers in the fields, the women doing chores, and even the children playing by the roadside all stopped what they were doing and stared straight at him.

Li Banfeng grew tense.

Why are they staring at me? Are they planning to rob me?

Not daring to venture deeper into the village, he decided to strike up a casual conversation with someone nearby and ask about the checkpoints.

He spotted an elderly woman cooking by the roadside and greeted her. "Auntie, I'd like to buy something to eat."

The old woman seemed hard of hearing and looked startled when she saw him. For a moment, she didn't seem to understand what he was saying.

Li Banfeng took out a fifty-yuan note, and the old woman no longer seemed that nervous anymore.

She packed five portions of bamboo rice for him, along with a jar of pickled fish and another of sweet potato liquor.

She seemed honest and generous. Li Banfeng thought she had given him too much, so he was about to pay extra and strike up a conversation about the checkpoints when the color drained from her face and she hurried back into her house.

She wasn't afraid of Li Banfeng. She was afraid of the person standing behind him.

When Li Banfeng turned around, he saw a man in a patrol officer's uniform.

The officer gave him a hard look from head to toe and asked, "Where are you from?"

Li Banfeng calmly set down the food and drink in his hands and replied naturally, "From Inner Gully."

He had placed the items down so that he could reach for his knife or his gun at any time.

The patrol officer continued, "And what are you doing here, coming all the way from Inner Gully?"

"Visiting relatives," Li Banfeng continued answering in a calm manner.

"Which relative?" the patrol officer pressed on.

Li Banfeng frowned slightly. "Do you have to ask that too?"

"I can't ask about it?" the patrol officer sneered. "I have had my eyes on you ever since you came up the mountain. You've been wandering back and forth along the border. You're trying to sneak across, aren't you?

"If you can tell me exactly which relative you're visiting, I'll personally take you there. There isn't a soul in this village I don't know. But if you can't, you're coming with me to the patrol station right now."

Of course, Li Banfeng had no intention of going to the patrol station. He couldn't even explain his identity properly, and if he tried, it would only make things worse.

Just as the standoff was about to drag on, a woman's voice suddenly called out, "You heartless man! You said you would arrive yesterday. What took you so long?"

Li Banfeng froze and turned around to see a woman in a qipao walking toward him. She stepped up and hooked her arm around his.

"Officer Wu, this is my older brother from Inner Gully. He came to visit me today."

"Brother?" Officer Wu looked the woman up and down with a grin. "A real brother or a sworn brother?"

The woman smiled sweetly. "Real brother or sworn brother, isn't it all the same?"

Officer Wu snorted. "Not quite. A real brother's born from the same womb, but a sworn brother's made in the same bed."

"Oh, listen to what you are saying," the woman said with a light laugh, brushing it off. Officer Wu didn't press the matter.

He gave Li Banfeng a knowing smirk. "You're a lucky one, kid. Be a good sworn brother and save your strength for the bed. Don't go wandering around for no reason."

Once the patrol officer left, the woman quickly led Li Banfeng deeper into the village. When they reached a stilted bamboo house, she smiled and said, "Brother White Sand, what brings you here?"

White Sand?

Li Banfeng stared at the woman for a long while. She looked familiar, yet he couldn't recall where he had seen her before.

The woman turned around, deliberately facing her back toward him, then glanced back over her shoulder with a playful smile.

Li Banfeng's gaze swept over her from head to toe before he blurted out, "Peachy butt!"

Back on Mount Bitterfog, the mist had been so thick that he hadn't gotten a good look at her face. He didn't remember her features clearly, but he could never forget the shape of her butt.

The woman gave a wry smile. "After all that, the only thing you remember is my peachy butt? Couldn't you at least remember my name is Nectarine?"

Nectarine or You Xuetao was the woman who had owed Li Banfeng a favor back on Mount Bitterfog. Back then, she had mentioned that she lived in Pricklebamboo Village, which was why the name of this village sounded so familiar to Li Banfeng.

"Come inside for a bit," You Xuetao said, tugging his arm as she led him toward the bamboo house.

However, Li Banfeng hesitated, feeling reluctant to step through the door. You Xuetao was a Hedonism Cultivator, and she had once told him that her partner was a Homebound Cultivator. Li Banfeng didn't want to enter the dwelling of a Homebound Cultivator.

You Xuetao tugged his arm again. "Don't you trust me? Hurry up! Wu Jinming is a suspicious man. He might come back any minute."

The Wu Jinming she mentioned was the patrol officer from earlier.

You Xuetao pulled Li Banfeng into the bamboo house.

It was a two-story bamboo house. The first floor was spacious, with a tea table and two chairs at the center, a bowl rack and a clothes stand against the wall, and a tall cabinet off to the side.

The furnishings were simple, yet the house was spotless. It perfectly reflected the temperament of a Homebound Cultivator.

"Brother White Sand, what brings you to Pricklebamboo Village?" You Xuetao asked, pouring him a cup of tea.

"Just wandering around," Li Banfeng replied, without touching the tea. On his way down the mountain, some mud had stuck to his shoes. He intentionally tapped them lightly against the floor, but the mud that fell and stained the ground vanished along with the stains.

There was indeed a dwelling spirit in this house.

"Wandering here?" You Xuetao looked surprised. This was hardly a place for sightseeing. "Brother, be honest with me. Are you trying to sneak across the border?"

Li Banfeng was just wondering how to respond when he suddenly heard someone coughing upstairs.

Cough, cough~

Judging by the sound, it was a woman.

You Xuetao frowned and called up, "Don't overthink this. He's a friend of mine."

Li Banfeng understood immediately. The Homebound Cultivator upstairs clearly did not welcome his presence.

That was normal. Homebound Cultivators usually disliked having strangers in their homes.

Li Banfeng stood up. "Thanks for helping me out just now. It's getting late, so I'll be on my way."

You Xuetao stood and blocked his path. "Where are you going? I'm telling you, don't try to cross the border carelessly. You'll lose your life."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment before replying, "I'm not planning to force my way through. I have a friend who needs to cross. Do you know where the border checkpoint is?"

"Checkpoint?" You Xuetao paused to think. "Do you mean yesterday's one or today's?"

Yesterday's or today's? There's more than one checkpoint?

1. The raw term 主公 (zhu gong) is a respectful title used by retainers or servants to address their lord or superior. "My lord" is a standard and widely accepted localization, especially in contexts like the Three Kingdoms period (Sānguó), where generals and advisors address their leaders (like Liu Bei, Cao Cao, or Sun Quan) who are powerful warlords or rulers, but who may not yet be emperors. Another localization choice is master but another term has already taken the localization for master. ☜