Ambush

Late at night, Li Banfeng ran wildly along the railway tracks.

He runs faster than a train.

The main reason for taking the train was to cross the border.

Find someone to get you Travel Permit, and you can go straight back and cross the border.

However, the border checkpoints are only open at fixed times and in unpredictable locations, and the identity verification is extremely strict. Li Banfeng was in a hurry to find the key and did not want to waste time on this matter.

The train departs at 5 p. m. Under normal circumstances, it should still be within the territory of Black Stone Slope. Whether it can catch up depends on Li Banfeng's methods.

Previously, Li Banfeng traveled between Green Water City and Black Stone Slope by train. As Travel Cultivator, he was very familiar with the route. After traveling for more than two hours, at ten o'clock, Li Banfeng could vaguely see the train.

As he adjusted his pace and silently recited the incantation, he chased after the train to the back and jumped onto the last carriage.

After boarding the train, Li Banfeng continued reciting the mantra, "Don't meet the train conductor, don't meet the train conductor..."

We were pretty lucky; the train traveled for over an hour before we crossed the Black Stone Slope border without encountering any train conductors.

It was almost midnight, and everyone was still waiting in the Lu Family hall.

Ling Miaoying hadn't ended yet. After finishing their meal, he accompanied the Guanfang Envoy the theater to watch a play.

Tan Fucheng said to Ma Wu, "Fifth Master, it seems there's no chance tonight. If Ling Miaoying takes the Guanfang Envoy to a brothel, we'll be waiting in vain until dawn."

Ma Wu nodded and said, "This matter cannot involve Outer State. As long as the Guanfang Envoy is still in power, they certainly won't dare to take action."

As Tan Fucheng predicted, Ling Miaoying took Guanfang Envoy to see a play, which lasted until 2 a. m., and then they went to Floating Life Book Chamber.

Shuyu was a special place in Pro State. In such places, girls were called "sirs". Tea cost three yuan, wine cost three yuan, and overnight stay also cost three yuan. Therefore, it was also called "Changsan Academy".

The "three dollars" mentioned here refers to three silver dollars. In Pro State, such a fee is far higher than in other places, belonging to the most upscale category.

Ling Miaoying and the Guanfang Envoy entered the brothel; there was truly no chance for them tonight.

But Lu Dongtang was not satisfied and continued to send spies to gather information.

In the Floating Life Book Chamber, Ling Miaoying settled the Guanfang Envoy, changed her clothes, and quietly walked out of the back door of the book house. She then walked through two alleys and entered a small building.

Tu Yinghong waited in the small building. She was dressed in a black Zhongshan suit and a baseball cap, looking like a man.

Upon seeing Ling Miaoying, Tu Yinghong lowered her voice and asked, "The Lu Family has been keeping an eye on you. Are they going to make a move again tonight?"

Ling Miaoying scoffed. "You think I don't know their tricks? As long as the Guanfang Envoy is still around, they can only wait helplessly."

Ma Wu also went to the Lu Family, leaving only Li Qi in Carefree Dock. We must retrieve the items tonight!

I've also prepared two helpers, who are waiting across the street. I'll take them with me later.

Tu Yinghong shook her head and said, "No, we can't let anyone know about the Iron Ruler."

Ling Miaoying nodded. "Then let them provide backup here."

The two left the small building and arrived at Carefree Dock at 3:30 a. m.

The dance hall had long since closed, and most of the attendants had gone to the Lu Family with Ma Wu, leaving only a few gatekeepers at Carefree Dock.

Ling Miaoying found a secluded spot, took out a Music Box, wound it up, and placed it on the ground.

He and Tu Yinghong covered their ears together, and the little figure on the tray turned for a moment as the clockwork turned, Music Box made a sound.

It played a Western tune, not very loud, but it seemed to have a certain spiritual quality as it drifted towards the entrance of Carefree Dock.

The gatekeepers, already feeling tired, heard the Music Box but instead of suspecting anything, they all fell asleep.

Ling Miaoying put away the Music Box, then led Tu Yinghong into Carefree Dock, passed through the dance floor, and went up to the second floor.

He has spies in Carefree Dock who know which room Li Qi usually stays in.

Upon reaching the room door, Ling Miaoying took out a palm-sized projector, placed it against the wall in the corridor, lit the candle inside, wound it up, and turned on the switch. The projector began to run, and Ling Miaoying's image was projected onto the door.

The image shows a key in the hand, which is gently inserted into the lock to open the door.

The image is a physical entity, and it can be opened with a master key.

If the people inside the house become aware of this and hide behind the door to launch a sneak attack, he can only harm the image, but not Ling Miaoying.

The door opened, Ling Miaoying let the image go in to investigate, only to find that there was no one in the room.

He and Tu Yinghong exchanged a glance, and then went into the house together.

Li Qi was indeed not in the room. Ling Miaoying took the projector back from outside the door, closed the door, and searched the room with Tu Yinghong. After searching for a long time, they found neither the Iron Ruler nor the pistol.

Tu Yinghong said, "Did we come to the wrong room? There are hardly any clothes in this room, it doesn't look like anyone lives here regularly."

Ling Miaoying shook her head and said, "The room won't be wrong. I trust my subordinates. I'm just afraid that Li Qi has brought all his things with him."

Tu Yinghong said, "It's fine if he wants to keep it with him. We'll just wait for him here."

Ling Miaoying frowned and said, "Could it be that he also went to the Lu Family? But when will that happen...?"

Ling Miaoying suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence.

His ears perked up, and he said to Tu Yinghong, "There's noise outside!"

Li Banfeng arrived at the entrance of Carefree Dock, panting heavily.

He ran back.

This freight train had a very special route. After leaving the Black Stone Slope border, it passed through the Yellow Earth Bridge area, crossed the Green Water Bay border, and went directly into the Vehicle Depot to unload the train.

Li Banfeng didn't even wait for the Vehicle Depot. After crossing the border of Green Water Bay, he immediately jumped off the train and ran towards Green Water City. After running for more than two hours, he entered the city and arrived at Carefree Dock.

My legs are about to break from running.

The Train Grandpa always looked down on the Carriage Driver's gait, but if it weren't for the Carriage Driver's gait, Li Banfeng wouldn't have such good stamina.

Pushing open the door, Li Banfeng strode into the dance hall.

The gatekeepers were all asleep. Didn't Li Banfeng see them?

I saw it.

He didn't pay attention.

It's perfectly normal for the gatekeeper to take a nap at night.

Halfway up the stairs, the Thread-Pulling Earring suddenly issued a warning. "Sir, there's someone in your room."

The Thread-Pulling Earring were far inferior in quality to Ling Miaoying's; only at this close distance could she barely hear Tu Yinghong's breathing.

"How many people?"

"One."

Those who spy on others have ways to conceal their presence. The Thread-Pulling Earring could barely detect Lu Xiaolan's location in the new land, but in Carefree Dock, it could not sense Ling Miaoying at all.

Li Banfeng continued upstairs without stopping.

Ling Miaoying took out a spool about the size of a thumb from her bosom, pulled out a thread from the spool, hung it on a corner of the door frame, and wrapped the other end of the thread around a table leg.

Throughout the entire process, Ling Miaoying remained completely silent.

The silk thread was so fine that it was hard to see. If Li Banfeng pushed the door open and walked straight in, his head would be cut in half by the silk thread.

Ling Miaoying and Tu Yinghong stood by the wall, quietly waiting for Li Banfeng to open the door.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, and they were already at the door.

Ling Miaoying and Tu Yinghong were both ready to take action.

They didn't want to kill Li Qi immediately unless absolutely necessary; they would first try to force him to reveal the whereabouts of the Iron Ruler and the pistol.

Tu Yinghong carries more than a dozen weapons with her, enough to make Li Qi wish he were dead within minutes.

Unexpectedly, Li Qi did not open the door; his footsteps went deeper into the corridor.

What's going on?

Splash, splash, so stubborn~

It seems he opened another door.

Tu Yinghong looked at Ling Miaoying.

Ling Miaoying frowned slightly, realizing that she might have really gone to the wrong room.

Was the spy mistaken, or did I go to the wrong place?

Or perhaps the person outside the door isn't Li Qi at all.

There was no way to verify it at the moment, so Ling Miaoying gestured to Tu Yinghong not to move. He could remain silent, but Tu Yinghong could not.

Ling Miaoying gently pushed open the door and walked alone into the depths of the corridor.

Based on the sounds he had just heard, the person must have gone into the room at the end of the corridor.

Ling Miaoying quietly arrived at the door, placed the projector on the ground, and let the image go to open the door.

The video showed the door being opened with a master key, and Li Banfeng was waiting inside.

The images were so realistic that Li Banfeng couldn't see any flaws and thought it really was Ling Miaoying had entered the room.

He raised his pistol and fired the first shot.

Click!

The pistol didn't fire; in Pro State, gunpowder is unreliable.

But Ling Miaoying heard this sound.

That's the sound of a hammer striking.

Ling Miaoying was all too familiar with that sound; it was the unique clanging sound of his pistol.

Li Qi was inside the house; his judgment was correct.

Since the first bullet failed to fire, Li Qi should have fired a second shot.

The second shot could only hit the image, and would definitely not hurt Ling Miaoying.

Ling Miaoying smiled, preparing to let the images engage in combat first, and then call on Tu Yinghong to completely subdue Li Qi.

The moment the thought formed, a howl suddenly came from inside the house:

"Whoosh~ Yaya yaya!"

He did not fire a second shot.

To deal with the others, Li Banfeng would definitely fire a second shot.

Li Banfeng had other ways to deal with Ling Miaoying.

Ling Miaoying was a cultivator who had been peeping into the inner chambers. Li Banfeng used the Deep Mansion Technique and mobilized part of his Wife's power to make her howl.

This howling can damage the hearing of others, and is especially harmful to those who spy.

This tactic had been proven effective against Lu Xiaolan, so Li Banfeng was naturally confident.

This was actually verified on Ling Miaowen, but Li Banfeng was unaware of it.

Hearing the howl, Ling Miaoying blurred, she covered her ears, and blood flowed down.

The bleeding from his ear is nothing to worry about. Li Banfeng's voice is not as good as his Wife's, and he didn't have a chance to sing a complete song, so it won't seriously injure Ling Miaoying.

But blurred vision is a real problem.

Before Li Banfeng could distinguish between the real and fake images, he drew his Tang Blade Tang Blade slashed directly at the image of Ling Miaoying, severing its head in one blow.

"Every Strike Takes a Head!" Tang Blade was feeling triumphant when Li Banfeng rushed out of the room to see if Ling Miaoying had any more help.

He then saw Ling Miaoying squatting outside the door.

How can there be two Ling Miaoying?

Was the previous one fake?

Is this true?

Are they really lying in ambush here?

Li Banfeng's hair stood on end, and his pupils contracted violently under extreme tension.

He used his toes to move his ankles, his ankles to move his calves, and his calves to move his thighs, using the special footwork taught to him by the Train Grandpa, to quickly adjust his position and avoid Ling Miaoying's ambush.

Li Banfeng was extremely fast, Ling Miaoying was blurred due to her injury, so she did not see Li Banfeng's figure.

Thump!

A stumble.

Li Banfeng's legs were weak and he almost fell.

Pfft!

A muffled thud.

Ling Miaoying bled profusely; her stomach burst.

PS: It took a lot of energy to use this technique the first time.