Chapter 96: The Border Package

At dusk, Li Banfeng took a walk through the wilderness.

The previous night, he had practiced using the iron ruler with the Gramophone inside the Pocket Dwelling for the entire night. After eating two cans of food, he went to sleep. When he woke up, it was already five in the afternoon.

Making use of the remaining daylight, Li Banfeng quickly finished his daily foundational cultivation requirement as a Wanderlust Cultivator.

Mount Pricklebamboo was vast and treacherous. Walking five hundred meters along its steep mountain paths yielded the same cultivation progress as walking seven hundred and fifty meters under normal conditions.

After trekking for over one hundred and fifty kilometers, Li Banfeng felt a response within his body. He had completed his daily foundational cultivation requirement.

Since beginning his journey on the Wanderlust Cultivator's path more than two months ago, Li Banfeng had never missed a day of cultivation. By his calculations, after accounting for the time he spent following the proper order of his cultivation path, he had still managed to accumulate more than three months' worth of cultivation progress.

That was mainly because he often chose to cultivate in dangerous environments, where his life was always on the line.

Li Banfeng intended to walk a few more kilometers to gather additional cultivation progress, but he suddenly spotted figures moving among the bamboo trees.

Taking out the Threaded Earring, Li Banfeng listened for a moment and heard Wu Jinming's voice.

"Keep your eyes peeled. Once we get past this ridge, we'll call it a day."

"Come on, Captain, we've been patrolling this mountain since last night. Not once in my entire career as a patrol officer have I done a patrol like this before."

"What can we do? The Lu Family's got too much power. They insisted we search for Li Banfeng."

"We work for the Border Controller, and he's from the Outer Provinces. Why should we get involved in the Lu Family's business?"

"The Border Controller must've received plenty of benefits from the Lu Family. Otherwise, why would he be this compliant?"

"He received benefits, yet he didn't fucking share even a little with us. We've been walking the whole damn day. My shoes are worn through, and he won't even issue a new pair."

"Watch your mouth. This isn't just about the benefits. The Lu Family's about to dominate Puluo. The He, Ma, and Chu Families are no match for them. The Border Controller operates here in Puluo. That means he'll need the Lu Family's support sooner or later."

Wu Jinming led his men through the grove. Seeing that the sun was about to set, he said, "Alright, that's enough for today. The border checkpoint opens tomorrow. We absolutely cannot let anything go wrong. Head to bed early; don't wander around."

Once the group of patrol officers descended the mountain, Li Banfeng stepped out from his Pocket Dwelling.

The Lu Family has already tracked me to the border?

Will I still be able to cross the border tomorrow?

If I go anywhere near the patrol station, I'll definitely get caught.

I'll have to find another way.

Late that night, Li Banfeng arrived at Nectarine's home.

When she saw Li Banfeng, Nectarine was overjoyed. She quickly ushered him inside and shut the door of her bamboo house. She said quietly, "Brother White Sand, you scared me half to death. The enemy you said you're hiding from... is the Lu Family?"

Li Banfeng gave a slight nod.

Nectarine smacked her lips. "That's troublesome. If the Lu Family wants to find someone, there's no escaping them as long as you're still in Medicine King Gully."

Li Banfeng nodded. "That's why I initially planned to go to Greenwater Bay."

"Greenwater Bay? Are you out of your mind?" Nectarine asked in disbelief. "The Lu Family's base is in Greenwater Bay. Going there would be suicide!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "You're right. I'm sure of it now. I can't go there, but I need to send something there. Can you help me get it to Greenwater Bay?"

It wasn't that he didn't trust Nectarine. The situation left him no choice but to keep secrets; there were some things she could not know.

"Deliver something..." Nectarine thought about it for a moment, then she nodded. "Alright, I'll go find a Flower Tongue tomorrow and ask about the situation there."

After spending some time around Yu Nan, Li Banfeng had learned some underworld slang.

"Flower Tongue" was slang for "broker."

By the border, there was a special kind of broker that made deals with travelers who crossed through the border.

These travelers all possessed travel permits that allowed them to cross the border legally. The brokers would pay them thirty to fifty thousand yuan to carry small packages across the border.

Of course, they could not take too many items with them.

A letter or a small parcel was fine; the Border Controller wouldn't be bothered by that. However, an entire cartload of things was unacceptable.

Did people really have to rely on someone else to carry their items across the border?

Did Puluo not have a postal service?

There was one, but it had strict rules, especially when it came to cross-border deliveries, which were under greater scrutiny.

Every parcel had to undergo multiple rounds of inspection, and the delivery timeframe was notoriously long. By the time the parcel arrived at its destination, it could be more than a month after mailing it. Li Banfeng couldn't afford to take that kind of risk.

"A Flower Tongue will pay someone thirty to fifty thousand yuan to carry a package across, but he'll also need to make a profit too. So, in total, a single delivery might cost up to a hundred thousand yuan. It's not the same as mailing something," Nectarine said. She looked a bit embarrassed as she mentioned the cost to Li Banfeng.

Nectarine owed him a great debt, as he had once saved her life. Under normal circumstances, she would never ask him to pay for anything.

However, Nectarine was poor.

After all, she had risked her life to gather speckled-snake chrysanthemums, which had only sold at eighty-five yuan per stalk. Li Banfeng had given her a few pills to sell, but her days were still spent in hardship.

On the other hand, a hundred thousand yuan was no big deal to Li Banfeng.

"I'll give you two hundred thousand."

Nectarine quickly shook her head. "That's far too much..."

"The rest is yours to keep. There's a pool halfway up the western slope of Mount Pricklebamboo. Do you know it?"

Nectarine nodded. "The water in that pool is very clear, and there's rarely anyone around. I often bathe there."

"There's a large bluestone by the pool. It's big, with a hole underneath it. Do you know the one?"

Nectarine nodded again. "I know it. I usually leave my clothes on that stone when I bathe."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Why do you keep talking about bathing?

"Tomorrow night at two, go to that pool. Inside the hole beneath the bluestone, you'll find a package. Help me get the package to Blue Poplar Village in Greenwater Bay and hide it somewhere near the entrance of the village. That's good enough."

Blue Poplar Village was a small place Li Banfeng had seen on the map, located very close to the border.

Nectarine looked puzzled. "What

is

that thing? Why not just give it to me now?"

"Not yet. The time isn't right."

Nectarine reminded him, "There's no guarantee that the person carrying it across the border will actually deliver it to the destination. Those who travel between Medicine King Valley and Greenwater Bay often can usually be trusted, but the others... not so much.

"If it's not particularly urgent, it's safer to send it through the post. But if you really must have someone carry it over, I'll talk to the Flower Tongue tomorrow and ask him to find a trustworthy person to do it. Still, if that's not possible—"

"Then we'll just have to take a gamble."

In truth, it didn't have to be Blue Poplar Village. As long as it left Medicine King Gully, that would be enough.

Li Banfeng turned to leave.

Nectarine reached out and grabbed his arm.

She asked, "Where are you going?"

"To spend the night in the mountains."

"It's not safe up there either. I heard the patrols have started combing the mountains."

"I'll manage. I can't drag you into this."

Li Banfeng left, and Nectarine stood by the doorway, watching him go.

She feared that this might be the last time she ever saw him.

A cough came from upstairs, prompting Nectarine to go up.

The young lady sitting in the corner let out a derisive snort. "If you've fallen for him, then go with him."

Nectarine nodded. "Alright, I'll go with him."

"You heartless woman!" The young lady burst into tears. "He's obviously not a good man! What do you even see in him?"

Nectarine wore a soft smile as she caressed the young lady's cheek. "He's a good man. A truly good man."

***

The next morning, Nectarine went to the edge of the village to find a Flower Tongue. He quoted her a price of a hundred and twenty thousand yuan, promising to find a trustworthy person who could ensure the package would be delivered.

Nectarine frowned. "Why did the price go up? The highest it used to be was a hundred thousand!"

The Flower Tongue chuckled. "Blue Poplar Village isn't exactly peaceful these days. Pay too little, and no one will be willing to take the job."

Nectarine had never been to Greenwater Bay and had no idea what kind of place Blue Poplar Village was, but since Li Banfeng had already decided on the location, she didn't ask further.

The Flower Tongue and Nectarine agreed to meet the next morning for the handover of the item and the money.

The Flower Tongue then gave Nectarine a reminder. "Nectarine, we've known each other for a while, so let me make this clear. The patrol officers have been doing very stringent checks lately. If the item's illegal, I'm not touching it. Don't drag me into trouble."

Nectarine agreed she wouldn't, but she didn't even know what exactly Li Banfeng wanted to send to Greenwater Bay.

At 2 AM, Nectarine arrived at the pool on the western slope of Mount Pricklebamboo. Beneath the bluestone, she found the package Li Banfeng had left. It was only the size of her palm and very light.

Just as she was about to head back down the mountain with the package in hand, Nectarine heard movement nearby.

Peering into the bamboo grove, she saw a few flickering lights.

Crap. Patrol officers!

Those lights were distinctive. They were the lights of patrol officers' special gas lamps.

A gas lamp was essentially a small oil lamp, but instead of oil as its fuel, it had a gas canister about the size of a fist. There was a pipe connecting the canister to the lamp, and when the valve on the pipe was turned, the gas would hiss out into the lantern. Once the lamp was lit, it shone far brighter than any ordinary lamp.

In Puluo, regular oil solidified quickly and couldn't be stored in large amounts. The equipment needed to refine that hardened oil into usable gas was extremely expensive. Around Mount Pricklebamboo, only the patrol officers could afford the gas lamps.

Nectarine wanted to flee, but the flickering lights told her she'd already been spotted. The patrol officers were signaling her not to move.

Left with no choice, Nectarine swiftly undressed, tucked the package into her clothes, and slipped into the pool.

Before long, Wu Jinming arrived with his men.

Seeing Nectarine crouched in the water, several patrol officers had the urge to stick their heads underwater to get a better look at her.

Unfortunately for them, Nectarine had positioned herself under the bluestone's shadow, leaving them unable to make out anything in the dim moonlight.

Wu Jinming frowned and asked, "You Xuetao, what are you doing here?"

Nectarine frowned as well. "Officer Wu, can't you see what I'm doing? I'm taking a bath, of course. Want to join me?"

Usually, Wu Jinming would joke back at her, but he wasn't in the mood today. "I told you. I've never made things hard for you. So why are you causing me trouble now?"

"Officer Wu, you're here with a squad of men watching me bathe, and you're saying I'm the one causing trouble? How's that fair?" Nectarine said, keeping her gaze fixed on Wu Jinming. Her tone was neither servile nor overbearing; it was thirty percent resentful, fifty percent aggrieved, and twenty percent helpless and miserable.

She had to have tears glimmering in her eyes, but they absolutely could not fall.

She couldn't overdo the act. Wu Jinming was a cultivator too; she could not risk letting him turn hostile on her.

However, if she didn't push the act enough, he wouldn't soften his stance.

The power of a Hedonism Cultivator depended on their cultivation level, their ability to push the boundaries of what was appropriate, and their ability to strategise.

Wu Jinming said nothing, but his subordinates lowered their heads.

They felt sorry for Nectarine.

They were ashamed of their behavior.

They couldn't stand to stay there for even a moment longer.

***

Wu Jinming didn't question Nectarine any further. He led the patrol officers down the mountain. Along the way, they no longer held suspicions that Nectarine was doing anything illegal. Instead, they all started complaining endlessly to Wu Jinming.

"Captain, why were you so hard on Miss You? She didn't do anything wrong. Why did we have to make things difficult for her?"

"Exactly. It's bad enough we have to patrol in the middle of the night. We're a group of grown men, yet we bullied a young woman."

"We see her around all the time, and we still have to work here. We can't go around offending everyone just because of some nonsense from the Lu Family!"

"After what we've done, I'll be too embarrassed to even look her in the eye!"

"I didn't even dare look into the water earlier!"

The patrol officers pitied Nectarine greatly, so much so that the guilt of what they had done weighed heavily on their hearts.

Wu Jinming kept silent. He knew his men had all fallen under the effects of the Hedonism Cultivator's abilities.

He was certain that Nectarine was hiding something and that whatever it was likely had to do with Li Banfeng, the man the Lu Family was searching for.

If that so-called sworn brother of hers had been there at the pool, Wu Jinming would never have let him go.

However, since the man hadn't been there, Wu Jinming truly didn't want to press Nectarine any further.

His men were right. He still had to keep working here. He couldn't just disregard everyone else over one order from the Lu Family.

***

At daybreak, Nectarine handed the package to the Flower Tongue. He passed it along right in front of her to a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was Yang Yanzheng, a steward from the Chu Family—one of the four major influential families of Puluo. He frequently visited Medicine King Gully to purchase medicinal herbs and was the Flower Tongue's acquaintance. He was guaranteed to be trustworthy.

The Flower Tongue grinned. "Nectarine, you're in luck. Mr. Yang happens to be heading to Blue Poplar Village. Your package will get there for sure."

After taking the package, Yang Yanzheng went to the patrol office. Wu Jinming was leading a group of twenty patrol officers and ten travelers toward the border checkpoint.

Mount Pricklebamboo only allowed ten people to cross the border per day. If there were more than ten people, the extra people would have to wait until the next day.

The location of the checkpoint changed daily. This was one of Puluo's strict rules. Today's checkpoint was at the foot of the southern slope of Mount Pricklebamboo.

Nothing grew along the border, making the checkpoint location easy to spot. Ten patrol officers escorted a steam-powered vehicle carrying a metal crate that was two meters long, one meter wide, and one meter tall to the edge of the border.

Accompanied by five guards, the Border Controller pulled out a key and unlocked the metal crate.

A patrol officer lifted out a square-shaped lightbox from inside the crate, and the Border Controller personally inspected its placement on the ground.

Once its placement was confirmed, a patrol officer poured water into the top of the box, a second opened the rear hatch to add coal, and a third carried a bucket of oil to ignite the coal.

Huff! Huff! Huff!

Steam puffed rhythmically from the top of the lightbox. As the tempo quickened, the lightbox flickered several times before gradually lighting up.

It wasn't powered by electricity; it was the enchanted artifact inside, which was activated by high-temperature steam.

A beam of cyan light shot toward the border, leaving behind a circular mark about one and a half meters wide.

Anyone who had ever crossed the border knew that where the light shone, the impenetrable border would temporarily lose its effect.

Yang Yanzheng was first in line. Accompanied by a patrol officer, he stepped forward to face the Border Controller.

The clerk beside the Border Controller instructed, "Present your travel permit."

Yang Yanzheng took out his travel permit and handed it over.

The Border Controller looked down at it for a moment, then he looked back up and asked, "What's your name?"

This was the one moment Yang Yanzheng absolutely could not lie.

The Border Controller carried a special enchanted artifact. Yang Yanzheng didn't know what the artifact looked like, but he knew what happened to liars. He had once witnessed three travelers attempting to cross the border with someone else's permit; they had falsely reported their names and instantly turned into paste before everyone's eyes.

This was a problem even for those who had recently changed their names. If they had yet to fully accept the changed name, they would die on the spot because of the enchanted artifact's power.

However, there was something many first-time border crossers didn't understand. When traveling by train or ship, the ticket clerks handled the permit checks, so why did the Border Controller himself have to handle them here?

Nevertheless, they understood the reason for that after experiencing a few border crossings.

Those who chose to cross the border on foot all had special reasons for doing so.

Yang Yanzheng, for example, was crossing the border on foot this time to deliver a box of special pills to the Chu Family's second daughter, and while he was there, he would run an errand in Blue Poplar Village. The pills were highly poisonous and couldn't be brought onto a train or ship. If a crew member were to discover them, Yang Yanzheng might be killed on the way to his destination.

All those who crossed the border this way usually did so because of special reasons like that, and most of them possessed unique abilities. So the Border Controller had to personally oversee every crossing.

Once Yang Yanzheng's identity was verified, the Border Controller granted him passage.

Yang Yanzheng approached the border and cautiously stepped onto the glowing circle on the ground, crossing the line boundary marking the border.

Within half a day, Yang Yanzheng reached Blue Poplar Village. Before heading inside, he placed Li Banfeng's package inside the hollow of a tree near the village entrance.

Three hours later, Li Banfeng estimated that the delivery agent had likely arrived at the destination already. He stepped out from the Pocket Dwelling, covered in wood dust and moss, and crawled out of the tree hollow.

Li Banfeng brushed the dirt off his clothes, let out a deep breath, and looked at the village before him.

He had finally reached Greenwater Bay.

This was home to the largest city in Puluo.

This was the dazzling paradise of indulgence and opulence!

This was... not quite what Li Banfeng had imagined.