What Is the Unnameable

The Wife mentioned the nameless again, but Li Banfeng had no concept of the nameless.

The record player explained, "What is meant by 'unnameable' is that it cannot be known how far or near, how far or how far, how long or short, or how big or small."

Among all techniques, there are aspects that cannot be described.

"My lord's Traceless Steps, yet there is something unspeakable in every step; my lord's hidden beauty in Golden House Hides Beauty carries Unimpeded Travel carries something unspeakable between reality and illusion; my lord's Deep Mansion carries something unspeakable both inside and outside."

After hearing what the record player said, Li Banfeng gained some insight.

The ineffability is the most crucial element of technique, and also the inexplicable aspect of technique.

The Wife continued, "My lord, the Cloud Above Skill requires pushing its inscrutable aspects to the extreme. Just now, that vile woman Hong Ying used a method of Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity, predicting where you were going to strike beforehand, and even moved her ankle ahead of time."

My husband naturally couldn't hit it.

This is the wonder of the Carefree and Unrestrained and Unfettered Technique. Against the Cloud Travel Cultivator, ordinary combat methods are useless; even if she stands still, she cannot be harmed in the slightest.

In other words, even if Hong Ying stood still, the enemy could not hit her with machine gun fire, as she would move the bullets away from where they passed.

The record player continued, "The skill of Carefree and Unrestrained and ease isn't just for defense. At her peak, Hong Ying single-handedly fought three Cloud Arrow Cultivator."

The three were all a hundred paces away from Hong Ying, engaging her in a fierce battle like spinning Hong Ying. Their Arrow Cultivator could transcend illusion and reality, guaranteeing a hit; even the most Carefree and Unrestrained skills couldn't dodge it.

At the time, I thought this girl was doomed to lose. I had planned to use my skills to hold off the three Arrow Cultivators and give Hong Ying a chance to escape.

Unexpectedly, Hong Ying split herself into three and killed all three Arrow Cultivators in a single attack.

Hong Ying hugged the record player and rubbed against it. "Xiao Wan, you still remember such a small thing."

The record player smacked Hong Ying's peach with a stick. "Don't cling to me. I'm talking to my husband about serious matters, not about your kindness."

Li Banfeng found it really strange. "Didn't they say that ordinary methods can't hurt Hong Ying? Your strikes are so precise, you never miss."

The record player chuckled, "My lord, there's a trick to this. When the board is swung, a wind is bound to rise, and the sound of the wind, with its varying pitch and length, will surely confuse this girl's mind."

She couldn't predict when I would strike, nor could she predict whether I would attack from the left or the right, so every time I attacked her...

She couldn't dodge it, but husband, you can't underestimate this technique. Carefree and Unrestrained are the essence of Travel Cultivator.

Li Banfeng carefully considered his Wife's previous description. "At the critical moment of life and death, being able to kill three enemies at once, was that using a clone technique?"

Hong Ying laughed and said, "To call it a clone technique wouldn't be wrong, but it's not that I created a fake body. Rather, I used the Carefree and Unrestrained Technique to separate one of my real bodies."

I killed one Arrow Cultivator with both hands, another with my left kick, and another with my right. Three Arrow Cultivator died just like that. Seventh Son, you still can't learn this technique? Start with the basics first.

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked, "What kind of Daoist sect is Arrow Cultivator?"

Hong Ying said, "I need arrows."

The phonograph slapped Hong Ying: "Your husband is asking you something serious, so don't talk nonsense. Husband, all Arrow Cultivator have practiced bows and crossbows, but it's not just about shooting arrows. There are many techniques in this sect, among which the fundamental principle is to Never Miss Arrow."

What does it mean to Never Miss Arrow?

"Anything that Arrow Cultivator throws will hit its target as long as it's within a certain distance."

Li Banfeng exclaimed with delight, "My Wife, I have the talent for Arrow Cultivator!"

Hong Ying chuckled, "Even though the door and the house are so close together, I've never seen you land a proper place in your life."

The record player smacked Hong Ying again. "Don't talk back to your husband!"

Hong Ying rubbed the peach and said, "Forget about Arrow Cultivator, let's focus on learning the techniques first. The key to the techniques is to see each part of the body clearly. Every part is distinct, and you must not confuse them."

The record player slapped Hong Ying more than a dozen times. "All you do is talk about your personal life, can't you think of anything else? Do you think your husband is like you?"

The key to Carefree and Unrestrained technique lies in the ability of different parts of the body to move independently.

Li Banfeng had indeed experienced this feeling. When the cultivation level of House Cultivator surpassed that of Travel Cultivator by two levels, Li Banfeng suffered a backlash from his cultivation and felt as if his limbs were about to separate from his body. That feeling was very similar to Hong Ying's description.

Thinking back to how he felt at the time, Li Banfeng began to carefully study the techniques, Wife held the Gu worm and was still studying it.

"My lord, this insect may not be strong in combat, but it's incredibly resilient. Have those people from the Outer State truly been wiped out?"

"Fire Cultivator and cold repairman have been washing the floor repeatedly; it should be clean by now," Li Banfeng instructed Shen Jingye, emphasizing the need for repeated washing.

"Don't they have explosives? If they detonate them repeatedly, they should be able to blow them all up."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "The explosives won't work."

Why doesn't it work?

"Why—" Li Banfeng suddenly froze.

My Wife's question hit the nail on the head.

The situation was urgent, so Li Banfeng didn't think much about it.

Those were explosives planted by the Dark Star Bureau's professional demolition team. Why didn't they work?

Under what circumstances will explosives malfunction?

Late at night, He Jiaqing quietly entered the He Family.

He Yuxiu had just finished listening to the accountant Sheng Shanzhou accounts. To be honest, this stuff was really hypnotic. After listening to just a couple of sentences, He Yuxiu wanted to sleep.

Holding her eyelids open with her hand, He Yuxiu listened for half an hour. Then she changed into her bathrobe and was about to get into bed when she found someone standing by the bed.

Martial arts practitioners don't have strong perception, but He Yuxiu reached the eighth level, almost the Ninth Layer.

He Yuxiu was startled to find someone standing right next to her without her noticing.

Just as she was about to make a move, she noticed that the man looked familiar. "Jiaqing?"

He Jiaqing smiled at He Yuxiu.

He Yuxiu laughed too, "You little rascal, when did you get back?"

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time. To be honest, He Yuxiu had heard many rumors about He Jiaqing.

There are rumors about Red Lotus, about the Hand and Foot Alliance, and even about He Haiqin, that He Haiqin died at the hands of He Jiaqing.

But that's just how He Yuxiu is. She doesn't care about rumors, and she certainly won't doubt her nephew because of them. She was still very happy to see He Jiaqing.

But He Jiaqing wasn't like that; he was very sensitive to rumors.

He came here to confirm Ye Song Bridge's Red Lotus incident, but when he saw He Yuxiu, he couldn't help but ask another question that had been bothering him.

"Auntie, have you and Li Qi gotten together—"

Palm!

He Jiaqing was kicked out the door by He Yuxiu.

Yan Yulin was sleeping on the third floor, was woken up by the noise. She wanted to go downstairs to check, but then she remembered that He Yuxiu was always in a bad mood when she listened to the accountant's reports, and that she was probably venting her anger right now, so she decided not to go.

He Jiaqing wasn't angry. He stood up gracefully and went back into the bedroom. "Aunt, I'm just reminding you, you two are from different generations, you should know that—"

Chen!

He Jiaqing has been brought up again.

Given He Jiaqing's cultivation level, He Yuxiu couldn't defeat him, but an aunt is an aunt, and she still had to show him basic respect. "Aunt, just tell me the truth, how many times have you two done this?"

Having learned the whole story of the Ye Song Bridge incident, He Jiaqing left the He Family.

Judging from He Yuxiu's description, what she saw at Ye Song Bridge was Mystic Life Crimson Lotus.

This is very confusing.

He Jiaqing, who Outer State, obtained the cultivation level of the Cloud Realm with the help of the Red Lotus. Now he has to face a problem: the Red Lotus he once possessed may not be real.

If the Red Lotus is fake, then is his cultivation real?

Having been confined in the basement for too long, He Jiaqing's thoughts were somewhat unclear.

He rubbed his forehead, feeling frustrated, when he suddenly felt an itch all over his body.

He Jiaqing was startled and heard a familiar voice. "A thief can't be distracted. If you're always so absent-minded, you'll be dead if you blink."

Green Flower!

He Jiaqing turned around, his eyes flashing with cold light, and looked at Green Water Bow.

Green Water Bow laughed, "Now you dare to talk back to me? You pretended to be a cat back then, and I really didn't realize you were a tiger. Tell me first, where did the Sage's Imperial Jade Seal go?"

Dark Star Bureau, office.

Li Banfeng is reviewing the entire operation, and two key elements are pointing the whole incident in the same direction.

First, the signal at the textile factory was extremely poor.

Secondly, the explosives in the textile factory were not working properly.

According to feedback from the demolition team, more than 70% of the explosives failed to detonate.

More than 70%.

In Pro State, the probability of a successful detonation of explosives is around one in three.

In Pro State, radio signals are almost impossible to propagate through normal means.

Why does a textile factory that has been abandoned for many years exhibit characteristics of Pro State?

Li Banfeng called Tangyuan and asked him to find similar cases related to the textile factory. Before the materials were delivered, Li Banfeng received a meeting notice.

Shen Jingye is calling an emergency meeting to focus on issues related to the Ruirong Textile Factory case.

It seems he also realized the seriousness of the problem.

Li Banfeng went to attend the meeting. When he arrived at the entrance, the staff collected his mobile phone first.

It's normal not to bring a cell phone to a confidential meeting, and Li Banfeng doesn't usually use a cell phone.

The palm-sized projector was in Li Banfeng's jacket pocket. When Li Banfeng put his hand into the pocket, the projector automatically handed over Li Banfeng cell phone and satellite phone.

After handing over their phones, they entered the conference room, where the twelve deputy directors sat in their respective seats, some reviewing documents.

Some whispered among themselves, waiting for the meeting to begin.

As is customary, Shen Jingye was the last to enter the room, took the seat of the director, and announced the start of the meeting.

Li Banfeng thought the meeting would focus on the textile factory case.

The meeting did indeed revolve around the textile factory case, but the focus was not on the textile factory or the case itself, but on the nature of the incident and the responsibilities involved.

The overall outcome of the incident was positive; the alien creature was completely eradicated, preventing a greater disaster.

However, there were problems with the course of events. A total of nine members of the demolition team were killed, and responsibility for this must be determined.

When the topic of responsibility came up, all the bureau chiefs fell silent. Shen Jingye, however, was prepared and first asked Director Cao was in charge of the laboratory.

There were worms in the meatballs. Why weren't they detected before? They can't shirk their responsibility.

Director Cao was prepared; he produced three sets of documents. The first was the sampling record, indicating that the sampling was successful.

According to the procedures, they took samples from the meatballs, from the surface to the deeper layers, and the laboratory took samples from all of them.

The second thing is the test records. The test process was fine, the test results were fine, and every step of the necessary experiments was done.

The third document is the re-inspection record. The laboratory sample was still kept. After re-inspection, the results were consistent with the previous ones. The sample contained only filamentous protein, no cellular structure, and no living insects.

Shen Jingye did not discuss this issue further. No matter how valid Director Cao's reasons were, the laboratory could not escape responsibility.

Next, the demolition team bears responsibility. More than 70% of the explosives failed to detonate, so the demolition team itself certainly cannot escape responsibility.

In this matter, Director Yin was in charge of the blasting team, did not offer much explanation. He only emphasized two points: there was no problem with the procurement of explosives, and the quality was also fine and could withstand scrutiny.

Regarding the issues related to on-site use, the primary responsibility lies with the demolition team leader and the team members involved in the operation, a point on which everyone agrees.

With responsibility clearly identified, Director Shen gave a brief summary of the operation and praised the Public Security Team for their performance.

As the meeting was about to end, Li Banfeng interrupted Shen Jingye: "The Public Security Team fought a bloody battle, and all you want to do is offer a few words of praise?"

Shen Jingye emphasized, "We highly recognize the performance of the Public Security Team."

Li Banfeng said, "Since you've agreed, then show us something tangible. Are you offering money or a promotion?"

Shen Jingye frowned slightly. "We achieved some results in this operation, but we can't cover up the problems. It's inappropriate to talk about achievements before clarifying the problems, isn't it?"

Li Banfeng said, "Some issues have been clarified, while others are impossible to explain clearly because the problem lies with you!"

Shen Jingye glared at him and said, "Director Li, you need to be responsible for your words. What exactly is the problem with me?"

"You are the commander-in-chief of the operation, and you decided on the on-site demolition plan. Have you thought about the consequences after the demolition?"

Now that the demolition has failed, you're blaming the demolition team. But if the demolition had succeeded and the worms were scattered everywhere and out of control, who would you have blamed then?

If the worms spread in Yuezhou City, who will bear the responsibility?

Shen Jingye shook his head and said, "These assumptions you made are completely invalid—"

"What's wrong with that?" Li Banfeng produced Shen Jingye's battle plan. "These aren't hypotheticals; this is your written battle plan, in black and white. Your desired outcome is to fry the meatballs to pieces. If that outcome isn't possible, what's the point of writing these plans? Are you just spouting nonsense?"

Shen Jingye remained silent. Everyone understood some of these principles, but no one dared to say them out loud.

Li Banfeng scanned the crowd and said, "When something goes wrong, you first shift the blame to the dead, but you never mention the contributions of the living. From beginning to end, you only think about how to shift the blame. Who gave you this bad habit?"

The demolition team carried out the demolition mission on site without error; they bear no responsibility. They died in the line of duty.

They must be treated fairly; the Public Security Team deserves immense credit and must be properly rewarded!

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.

Shen Jingye, his face covered in sweat, remained silent for a moment before speaking, "The main purpose of this meeting is to define responsibilities; everything else—"

"The battle plan is right here, and the responsibility rests entirely on your shoulders. Hasn't everything been clearly defined?"

Shen Jingye shuddered, feeling as if those words had pierced his chest.

That one sentence alone deeply shocked Li Banfeng.

Where does the penetrating power come from?

Upon closer analysis, the evidence likely stems from two sources: firstly, the overwhelming evidence of the Fool Cultivation Skill, and secondly, the Shut-in Cultivation Technique in a secluded, Deep Mansion.

The Fool Cultivation Skill deepened the psychological shock, the Sound Cultivation Technique deepened the sensory shock, and Hong Ying's imposing aura further intensified the mental pressure on everyone.

How could these two techniques appear in the same sentence at the same time, and be connected so smoothly?

Shen Jingye was breathless. He was certain that Li Banfeng had used a technique, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Under the oppressive pressure, Shen Jingye slowly spoke, "I bear responsibility for this matter—"

Li Banfeng looked at his secretary and said, "Write this down. The responsibility lies entirely with Director Shen!"

Shen Jingye did not argue, and continued, "Regarding rewards and job transfers, there must be corresponding procedures."

This statement implies that a promotion is basically impossible.

Shen Jingye continued, "Each position has a fixed salary, which is also clearly stipulated in the system."

This means that a raise is also out of the question.

Shen Jingye continued, "According to the performance appraisal management method, the Public Security Team as a whole can be awarded a merit once, and the bonus will be distributed according to the system."

Li Banfeng immediately instructed his secretary to check the regulations. After reviewing the regulations, Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead; the bonus amounts...

It's far too limited.

Shen Jingye said, "Material rewards are always a supplementary means; what we value is spiritual encouragement."

Li Banfeng's eyes lit up; he saw a special provision in the system: "For those with Dark Energy User have made meritorious contributions..."

Their levels can be promoted according to the established procedures; this is also a form of reward.

Shen Jingye shook his head and said, "We do not adopt this form of reward in principle."

"Why not?" Li Banfeng frowned. "What principles are you basing this on?"

"The main principle we're adhering to is to be extremely cautious with Dark Energy," Shen Jingye glanced at his watch. "We still have a lot of work to do, so we'll adjourn the meeting here for today."

Director Li, I understand your eagerness to provide more encouragement and support to the Public Security Team. However, nothing can be accomplished overnight. The reward scheme for the Public Security Team requires further analysis and discussion.

After saying that, Shen Jingye didn't adjourn the meeting, but walked directly to the door of the conference room, indicating that he didn't want to give Li Banfeng another chance to speak.

Seeing Shen Jingye stand up, the other bureau chiefs also stood up, preparing to leave.

Li Banfeng watched quietly as Shen Jingye walked to the door, and then watched quietly as Shen Jingye walked back through the back door of the conference room.

Shen Jingye got lost and couldn't find his way out of the meeting room.

To be precise, the place Shen Jingye just walked through wasn't a door; the projector had silently changed the layout of the conference room.

After circling around a few times, Shen Jingye sat back down in his seat and quietly watched Li Qi.

The other bureau chiefs also sat back down, some pretending to organize their notes, others pretending to look through documents.

They could vaguely sense that Director Shen was about to explode with anger and completely break ties with this new Balance Person.

Shen Jingye sat silently for a moment, then smiled at Li Qi and said, "Director Li, are you aware that there are cameras in the meeting room? Are you aware that our meeting will be recorded? Are you aware that your current irrational behavior will cause many problems?"

Li Banfeng suddenly realized. "So this meeting was recorded? Should I release the contents? Or maybe I should show it to the Public Security Team and the demolition team first?"

Shen Jingye's veins throbbed, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "How long are you going to keep bothering me?"

Li Banfeng glanced at his watch. "Nothing can be accomplished in one go. I understand your eagerness to leave the meeting room, but how exactly to leave is a question that needs further analysis and discussion."

Some people wanted to make a phone call, but their phones weren't with them; all the phones had been taken away by staff before they entered the venue.

Some people wanted to call out to the staff outside, but after looking at Li Qi, they didn't dare to speak.

The discussion lasted from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM, and a result was reached.

The result was that not having food to eat was bearable, but not having a toilet to use was unbearable.

After in-depth research and discussion, the definition of responsibility and the reward scheme have been finalized.

The demolition team bears no responsibility; the Public Security Team is rewarded with Harmonizing Agent.

Li Banfeng had seen the concept of Harmonizing Agent in relevant materials; this was equivalent to the elixir of immortality in Pro State.

Li Banfeng agreed to the meeting's outcome, and Shen Jingye finally managed to leave the meeting room.

Deputy Director Wang followed behind Director Shen and asked in a low voice, "Should we bring security personnel when we hold meetings with Director Li in the future?"

Shen Jingye nodded and said, "It's time to think about it."

The Public Security Team distributed the Harmonizing Agent, and Chen Changrui knew that Li Banfeng had helped them obtain it.

"Director Li, I really have to thank you for this, our team members—"

Chen Changrui sincerely expressed his gratitude, while Li Banfeng carefully examined the distribution list.

All Public Security Team received Harmonizing Agent, including those who did not participate in the fighting at all.

According to Tangyuan's explanation, if the algorithm used in Pro State were adopted, each person would receive roughly the same amount of Harmonizing Agent as one Snake Spot Pill.

Tangyuan, He Bensheng, and others contributed significantly and were given an extra day's worth of the Harmonizing Agent.

The distribution plan was personally formulated by Shen Jingye, and the team had no choice but to strictly implement it.

Li Banfeng smiled wryly, but Chen Changrui didn't think it was too little, "I think this is the key to improving abilities. With this encouragement, I believe all team members will be greatly inspired."

I believe that some people and some things will not change because of changes in the environment, and I believe I am not mistaken.

This was a real test of Director Li. Chen Changrui believed that he was the same Li Banfeng who had left Yuezhou two years ago. Li Qi put down the form, looked at Chen Changrui and said, "I think you need to change. You should fight for more for the Public Security Team. This is your duty as the Team Leader."

Chen Changrui was a little surprised. He wanted to give Li Banfeng some guidance as an elder, but he didn't expect that Li Banfeng didn't need his guidance.

Back at his lodgings, Li Banfeng received a call from Luo ZhengNan; the key to the new location had been made.

It's called a key, but it's not shaped like a key; it's shaped like a voltage tester.

Luo ZhengNan arrived at Flower Lake Park with the key and first demonstrated how to use it.

He pressed his thumb against the end of the test pen and slowly ran the screwdriver-shaped tip across the ground until the pen lit up, thus locating the keyhole.

This process was simple for Luo ZhengNan because he could sense the direction of the entrance.

But this was difficult for Li Banfeng. He didn't have the natural talent for Electric Cultivator and could only rely on a voltage tester to probe little by little.

After testing for more than ten minutes, the test pen finally lit up. Luo ZhengNan asked Li Banfeng to insert the test pen into the soil and start it spinning.

"Don't rush, turn it slowly. As long as the test pen gets brighter and brighter, it means you're turning it in the right direction."

After spinning around for nearly three times, the flat ground began to blur, and Li Banfeng and Luo ZhengNan fell into the lake.

The method of using the test pen is the same below the lake water: find a suitable location in the silt at the bottom of the lake, rotate the test pen, and open the next entrance.

Upon entering the new location, Li Banfeng studied the test pen for a moment and asked Lao Luo, "I'll just memorize the location of the keyhole so I don't have to repeatedly probe on the ground."

Lao Luo shook his head and said, "I've tried it, but it doesn't work. The position is different every time."

Li Banfeng couldn't understand. "The entrance to the new land is different every time. Is this a characteristic of the new land in Outer State?"

Luo ZhengNan explained, "Seventh Master, actually, the new entrance to Pro State is different every time."

Li Banfeng laughed and said, "How could that be? I often go in and out of Xindi, and the entrance to Xindi is always the same."

Luo ZhengNan said, "Seventh Master, that's because you didn't look carefully enough. Not only you, but out of ten thousand people, perhaps not even one person could see the change."

"Take the new entrance to Blue Poplar Village for example. Even if you only go an hour apart, it will have changed since then."

"What changes?" Li Banfeng had no recollection of them.

But this wasn't something he came up with from memory; Luo ZhengNan measured it bit by bit with a ruler.

"Seventh Master, do you remember the many shacks at the entrance to the new site in Blue Poplar Village?"

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "I remember. In Blue Poplar Village, people who were so poor that they had nowhere to live would stay in shacks. The closer the shacks were to the new land, the easier they were to find, as there were fewer people scrambling for them."

"The shack closest to the new land is thirty-two feet from the entrance. Ordinary people dare not live there, lest they be attacked by Strange Monsters."

Once, I entered the new land at eight o'clock. I started from the shack and measured the distance towards the entrance of the new land; it was thirty-two feet and six inches.

"I'll go into the new area again at 8:30 and measure the distance from the shack to the entrance again. The distance is 31 feet and 3 inches, exactly 1 foot and 3 inches shorter."

"So much difference?" Li Banfeng thought for a moment and said, "Lao Luo, is there a measurement error? Besides, what place are you considering as the entrance to the new site? Do you have an accurate location?"

"Of course," Lao Luo said. "Seventh Master, my Daoist sect is special. I can truly sense the boundary between the new land and the Proper Land, and I will never be wrong."

The shack remained stationary, but the boundary line was constantly shifting; sometimes it changed length, sometimes it swayed left and right, resulting in different measurements each time.

I can't explain the pattern here, nor can I explain the reasons, but this change is undeniably real.

It's hard to say how long or short it will last, or how far it will go.

After a moment's thought, Li Banfeng said, "Shouldn't it be called 'unnameable'?"

Luo ZhengNan nodded and said, "I think it's the same as what some Daoist sects call 'the nameless'."

Li Banfeng stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Luo ZhengNan didn't speak; he knew he shouldn't disturb Li Banfeng at this time.

He didn't want to bother them, but he did anyway. His head spun for a moment as a phone call came in.

Luo ZhengNan took the antenna out of his pocket, plugged it into the top of his head, and answered the phone.

After the call ended, Luo ZhengNan said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, Fifth Master sent word that Qin Tianjiu has been found."

Li Banfeng asked, "Is he still alive?"

"They're still alive for now," Luo ZhengNan said gravely, "But it's hard to say how long they can hold on."