Outer State Was Too Much Fun

In Fool's City, Sun Tiecheng, holding a teapot, took a sip of tea directly from the spout and sang a few lines of a little tune. " In Ink Fragrance Shop, west of Yangliuqing, there is a beautiful woman named Bai Junying, skilled in painting. This beauty, nineteen years old, her husband studies hard in the south, and now it's almost mid-April—"

The little song was called "Painting Fan Surface". Before Sun Tiecheng could finish singing, the Smiling Ghost King Gui Jianchou arrived. "Lord, I have found out that a giant snail came out from the Soda Kiln. It strung together more than fifty people from Outer State, leaving only the bones and no flesh. It was washed clean and hung in front of the door."

Sun Tiecheng took another sip of tea and asked, "What's the background of those fifty-odd people from Outer State?"

"They're all people with status, on par with the Guanfang Hall. This time, the Outer State will definitely clash, it'll be a dogfight, and who knows how many will die!"

Sun Tiecheng chuckled, "Let's see how much blood will be shed this time."

Ye Jianhuang chimed in, "City Lord, isn't what we're doing a heinous crime?"

Sun Tiecheng glanced at Ye Jianhuang: "Weren't the things you did in Fool's City considered heinous crimes?"

Ye Jianhuang lowered her head and said, "I've changed, haven't I? All these years, I've regretted what I did back then."

I've decided to turn over a new leaf; this is called laying down the butcher's knife and turning back to the right path.

Sun Tiecheng retorted angrily, "You committed countless evil deeds in Fool's City, and now you're telling me to 'lay down the butcher's knife'? Besides, that's not how you use 'lay down the butcher's knife'! The original saying was 'lay down the butcher's knife and be honest and obedient!'"

Ye Jianhuang said, "Let's not use the exact words, let's just get the gist of it."

"Don't give me that nonsense! You've never been to school, yet you pretend to be a scholar!" Sun Tiecheng said angrily to Gui Jianchou, "A'Gui, use family discipline!"

Gui Jianchou pulled out a stick and asked, "Lord, where should I hit?"

City Lord Sun waved his hand dismissively. "Crack the eggs!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Jianhuang turned to run, but Sun Tiecheng shouted angrily, "You can't run! You can't run!"

Ye Jianhuang maintained her running posture, but she really couldn't run anymore.

Gui Jianchou walked over carrying a stick. Ye Jianhuang cried out repeatedly, "Old ghost, we're friends, we're on the same side! You can't do this to me! We still have to—..."

Chen!

Gui Jianchou struck him from below with a stick.

Ye Jianhuang convulsed, then squatted down on the ground with her legs together.

Sun Tiecheng was very satisfied. "See, isn't this what it means to lay down the butcher's knife and become honest and obedient!"

Ye Jianhuang lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes, and sobbed for a long time.

Sun Tiecheng assigned him a task. "Tell the Local Earth God in each area to stay out of trouble and not meddle in things that aren't their business!"

Li Banfeng put on a simple and clean tracksuit, shaved his beard, and tried to make himself look as youthful as possible before returning to Yue Province University.

Yuezhou has changed a lot in the past two years, but Yue Province University seems to have remained largely unchanged.

Just before the start of the new semester, the campus was bustling with activity. As Li Banfeng walked to the east gate of the school, two students came up to sell phone cards. Li Banfeng had done this business before, and the students' calls of "handsome guy" were quite pleasing to the ear, so Li Banfeng actually bought one.

Behind them were stalls selling basins, mosquito nets, thermos flasks, electric kettles, and rechargeable desk lamps.

They all flocked to Li Banfeng to solicit business.

"You dare to sell this rechargeable light for fifteen yuan? Do you think I'm new here?" Li Banfeng was very dissatisfied with the price.

The lamp seller was a college junior who looked Li Banfeng up and down with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Li Banfeng did indeed veer towards naivety, but they shouldn't have treated me like a freshman!

However, upon closer reflection, I realized that I had indeed made a mistake that only freshmen make, such as buying a phone card as soon as I entered the school.

For example, this outfit.

The second-year male student was concerned about appearances and wore some designer brands.

The third-year male student values individuality and has a somewhat artistic temperament.

Senior male students value a certain level of sophistication. In this kind of weather, a basketball jersey, a pair of baggy pants, and a pair of slippers—simple attire—can convey the demeanor of an elder.

Li Banfeng was dressed in a simple and clean tracksuit, looking every bit the freshman.

Not wanting to go empty-handed, Li Banfeng bought a washbasin, a mosquito net, and a pair of slippers and found Teacher Song in the College of Science's office building.

University professors don't have fixed office hours, so it's quite a coincidence that I was able to find Teacher Song.

Teacher Song is a math teacher, Li Banfeng didn't intend to ask a math teacher for advice about dark matter.

He only hoped that Teacher Song could recommend an expert in the field of dark matter.

Unexpectedly, Teacher Song has in-depth research on dark matter, has many scientific research achievements, and has even won international awards.

Li Banfeng did not reveal his identity; he only said that he was a diligent and ambitious student.

Teacher Song enthusiastically explained the latest research findings on dark matter to Li Banfeng. She did not elaborate too much on the complex derivations and calculations, but instead told Li Banfeng the research results in a more direct way.

"Dark matter basically does not interact with electromagnetic fields, nor does it participate in the strong interaction. This used to be an ironclad rule in the field of dark matter research."

However, this ironclad rule may soon be broken. Dark matter hardly interacts with photons, resulting in it emitting almost no light. Nevertheless, some disordered changes still exist, but these changes, due to mutual interference, have become nearly unobservable.

Teacher Song earnestly recounted her research findings, speaking for over three hours straight.

Li Banfeng filled two notebooks with notes. When he finished, he took out a thick wad of banknotes from his pocket and stuffed them into the teacher's hand.

"What are you doing?" Teacher Song frowned slightly, her eyes showing a hint of anger.

Li Banfeng bowed deeply to his teacher. "Thank you, teacher."

Teacher Song handed the banknotes to Li Banfeng and asked, "Which class are you in?"

"I'm from Class 7," Li Banfeng said casually, then turned and left.

He really wanted to tell Teacher Song that he was Li Banfeng.

But doing so will cause a lot of trouble for Teacher Song.

Teacher Song shouted, "At least leave me your contact information!"

Leave your contact information?

She recognized me?

Those who can recognize Li Banfeng are no ordinary people.

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and left Teacher Song a phone number.

This isn't the Dark Star Bureau's phone number; it's a phone card that Li Banfeng bought at the school gate.

Teacher Song looked at the number and dialed it immediately. "Don't lie to me, let me see if I can get through!"

"Wait a minute." Li Banfeng inserted the SIM card into his newly bought phone, and the call went through.

Teacher Song smiled; her dimples were still as beautiful as ever.

Li Banfeng bowed again and silently left the campus.

As soon as he returned to his residence, the projector quickly informed Li Banfeng: "The Dark Star Bureau called and said they have an urgent mission for you."

The call was from Shen Jingye. Li Banfeng dialed back, Shen Jingye was really anxious. "It's a workday today. It's one thing that you're not at your post, but why aren't you answering the phone?"

"Little Shen, watch your attitude."

Reminded by Li Banfeng, Shen Jingye's tone softened considerably. "Director Li, the situation is this: we have established a certain level of contact with Inner State, and on the basis of mutual benefit, we want to further deepen our cooperation with Inner State. Therefore, we need Balance Person to play a positive role in this process—"

Li Banfeng remained silent, but Shen Jingye felt a chill run down his spine through the receiver.

This is Li Banfeng reminding Shen Jingye to get to the point as soon as possible.

"In short, we hope you can go to the Soda Kiln as soon as possible to lay a good foundation for the next round of negotiations."

Li Banfeng asked, "What exactly do you want to discuss with Inner State?"

"The specific details of the negotiations have not yet been determined. The main purpose of these negotiations is to demonstrate our sincerity and expectation for mutual benefit and win-win results."

Shen Jingye knew that Li Banfeng didn't like listening to this nonsense, but he could only continue like this because the Soda Kiln incident was currently under strict secrecy, and even someone of Shen Jingye's level didn't know the exact details.

Shen Jingye bought Li Qi a train ticket for tonight, hoping he would set off for the Soda Kiln immediately.

Li Banfeng flatly refused. "There's not a single substantial piece of information. What would I do there? Go there to make a fool of myself, or to take the blame?"

Shen Jingye was embarrassed. In the afternoon, he went to Li Banfeng's office again to discuss the departure time.

Li Banfeng was looking at materials related to dark matter, while Shen Jingye kept talking incessantly beside him, without Li Banfeng even looking up.

"Director Li, you need to give us a straight answer on when we're leaving."

Li Banfeng finally looked up and looked at Shen Jingye: "We'll talk about setting off after you've investigated things thoroughly."

Shen Jingye said helplessly, "The matter involves confidential information, and that's all I know for now."

Li Banfeng said earnestly, "It's precisely because there's so little useful information right now that we're sending you to investigate. The purpose of the investigation is for you to find the information, not for the information to come to you. This is a task assigned to you by the bureau, and you need to raise your awareness of this."

Shen Jingye took out a small notebook and wrote down every single word very carefully.

But no matter how carefully he remembered, it was useless. Relying on Shen Jingye, it would be difficult to find out the cause and effect of the matter. Li Banfeng contacted Ma Wu and asked about the situation of the Soda Kiln.

Xu Shouming blocked the news, and Ma Wu hadn't heard anything about the Soda Kiln's problems, but he could tell that this was no ordinary matter.

"Seventh Brother, don't rush back. If you come back, you'll be completely involved. I'll go check out the Soda Kiln first."

Ma Wu went to the Soda Kiln, while Li Banfeng lingered there, Shen Jingye no matter how much Shen Jingye urged him. Cui Tike had identified the operators of the Tuberose Newspaper Office, which was easy to find out—the core members of the Tuberose Newspaper Office.

Everyone calls the Night Boss "Seventh Master".

Based on this, Green Water Bow confirmed one thing: Li Qi appeared to have a grudge against He Jiaqing, but in reality, the two were secretly looking out for and protecting each other.

He even made a bold conjecture that the emperor and the Imperial Jade Seal were both in Li Qi's hands.

"Li Qi became Balance Person, and he's in Outer State," Green Water Bow took half a cake from his Beggar Bowl and chewed a couple of bites. "Do you know how he's doing in that Outer State?"

Cui Tike chuckled dryly, "Grandmaster, you don't mean for me to go to Outer State to investigate this matter, do you?"

Green Water Bow looked at Cui Tike and said, "Are you suggesting I go by myself? I've given you so much cultivation; don't you think you should do something for me?"

Cui Tike agreed, obtained Travel Permit and bought a train ticket that same day, and prepared to travel to Outer State.

He was packing his bags when a man covered in bandages entered his room.

Cui Tike stared at the man, looking him up and down. "I never expected you to last so long. Your life is far more tenacious than I imagined."

He Jiaqing adjusted the bandages on his face so he could speak, "Even the most tenacious life has its limits. I've come here to seek an opportunity to cooperate with you."

"Excuse my bluntness," Cui Tike, dabbing some pus from He Jiaqing's face and tasting it. "Your condition is very poor; the chances of saving this body are extremely slim."

He Jiaqing did not deny his situation. "That's why I really need your help."

Cui Tike folded a tie and put it in his suitcase. "I appreciate your honesty, but any cooperation is based on value. What value do you have to me now?"

He Jiaqing was also prepared. "That depends on your definition of value. I have many valuable magical treasures and Spiritual Object, as well as many assets with more tangible value."

Cui Tike shook his head slightly. "I'm not interested in your assets. It's not that I don't like money, it's just that I'm unlikely to get them. Even if you convert all your assets into real money, you'll definitely find a way to prevent me from getting them."

As for your magical artifacts and Spiritual Object, I am indeed very interested, but compared to your life, their value is not equal.

"And I have an even better idea. I can immediately summon the Grandmaster back, have him kill you, and then find a way to take your magical treasures, Spiritual Object, and assets. What do you think of this approach?"

He Jiaqing blinked and said, "I don't think you should be such a heartless person."

Cui Tike smiled. "My feelings depend on your worth."

He Jiaqing remained silent for a long time, and because his face was covered in bandages, Cui Tike could not see his expression.

"Actually, I didn't want to come to you. I wanted to see an old friend," He Jiaqing began. "I haven't seen that old friend in a long time. Did you kill him?"

"Are you talking about my senior brother Wan Jinxian?" Cui Tike frowned slightly. "I'm also very worried about my senior brother's whereabouts. If you try to frame me for this, it's tantamount to trampling on the little friendship we have left."

He Jiaqing coughed twice, a large amount of pus blocking his trachea, making it difficult for him to breathe. "I didn't say that Lao Wan's death was related to you. I was just thinking, Lao Wan is already gone. If we lose another Green Water Bow, there will only be one Disease Cultivator left in this world. Would that further enhance our friendship?"

Cui Tike closed his suitcase, but with so much luggage, the lock wouldn't close. "Does this assumption even make sense? If you could really kill him, you wouldn't have made yourself look so pathetic."

He Jiaqing helped Cui Tike weigh down the box. "But we share the same goal. I must eliminate Green Water Bow. This goal is related to my life, and I will do my best."

If you can help me control the lesions a little, I can provide more value in this collaboration.

With more value, our friendship will deepen—such a smooth and logical argument shouldn't be hard for you to refuse.

Cui Tike successfully fastened the clasp, straightened up, and clapped his hands. "The logic is impeccable, but I refuse to cooperate with you because I am unwilling to cooperate with others, and I am unwilling to place my hopes on others."

He Jiaqing looked at Cui Tike and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, you collaborated with Li Qi at the Ink Fragrance Shop. Is he an exception?"

Cui Tike nodded. "That's right, he's an exception."

He Jiaqing then asked, "If he's also willing to join, would you consider a collaboration between us?"

Cui Tike looked at He Jiaqing expressionlessly. "I'll say it again, don't make those meaningless assumptions."

He Jiaqing left Boundless Hospital.

Not long after he left, Green Water Bow appeared at the hospital entrance.

He Jiaqing came to Boundless Hospital and met with Cui Tike, but Cui Tike didn't tell Green Water Bow.

Green Water Bow was at a loss for words to comment on this outcome.

Consider the seemingly unclear purpose yet tacit understanding between Cui Tike and Li Qi.

I sent Qixiu Dogtail Grass to ambush Li Qi, and had Cui Tike keep watch. As a result, Cui Tike said that Dogtail Grass was dead, and the identity of the person who killed Dogtail Grass was unknown.

I sent Cui Tike to the Ink Fragrance Shop to inquire about the Local Earth God's condition. Cui Tike said the Local Earth God was in bad shape. In the end, we didn't see the Local Earth God, but we encountered the Inner State people. We fought a fierce battle, but gained nothing, and I was even injured.

I later heard that Li Qi was also at the Ink Fragrance Shop at the time. Is he involved in this?

I asked Cui Tike to go to Sage Peak with him. I don't know where Cui Tike went for the first half of the journey, and I didn't see Cui Tike make a move for the second half either.

He didn't help me at all, but later I heard that Li Qi sent all those scoundrels from Bastard Slope to Yellow Earth Bridge. Did Cui Tike go and help him?

After that, Wan Puxian went to Yellow Earth Bridge and disappeared without a trace. Could he also be one of Li Qi's men?

As he thought about it, Green Water Bow suddenly smiled.

Am I surrounded by Li Qi's people?

Shouldn't we go to the hospital right now and kill Cui Tike?

After much deliberation, Green Water Bow did not kill Cui Tike.

If you always think the worst of everything, even if you're not a bad person, you'll still seem like one.

If Cui Tike is truly Li Qi's man, killing him would only mean Li Qi has lost a pawn.

If Cui Tike wasn't one of Li Qi's men, killing him would be a huge loss for Green Water Bow.

Green Water Bow picked up a handful of soil from the ground and smelled it. This was He Jiaqing's footprint, and there was some pus here.

Green Water Bow disappeared from sight and continued to track He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing traveled north to Guangming Town.

He entered Xindi from Guangming Town and walked until dawn, reaching Carefree Plains. After walking for most of the day in Carefree Plains, he entered Xindi again. At dusk, he walked out of Xindi and arrived at Iron Gate Fort He Jiaqing.

After Iron Gate Fort, going down to the lake, and then entering a new area, He Jiaqing trekked for a whole day before finally arriving at Flower Lake Park.

He came to Yuezhou seeking help from Li Banfeng, as only through Li Banfeng could he gain Cui Tike's trust.

How can I persuade Li Banfeng? How can I get him to join this collaboration?

He Jiaqing couldn't think of a reason to speak.

Perhaps someone can lend him a hand.

He pulled up his coat collar to cover the bandages on his face as he walked toward Yue Province University.

Several hours later, in the lake of Flower Lake Park, a drop of pus mixed with blood was trembling gently.

More and more pus gathered together, forming a viscous floating mass on the lake surface.

As the floating debris gathered, a face covered in pustules emerged.

"This is Outer State." The face on the lake opened its eyes and looked around at its surroundings.

The floating objects gradually coalesced into a human shape, transforming into a tattered Green Water Bow.

Green Water Bow climbed onto the lake shore and took a few steps along the edge when he suddenly heard someone call out from behind, "Where did you come from? What are you doing here?"

Green Water Bow turned around and saw a man walking over.

"I asked you what you do for a living? Can't you hear me?" the man shouted.

Green Water Bow shook the bowl in his hand. "I'm a beggar."

"Who let you into this park? Get out of here right now!" The man stepped forward and shoved Green Water Bow, sending it sprawling.

Green Flower stared blankly at the man. "You pushed me?"

The man glared at Green Flower: "So what if I pushed you?"

Green Flower had a martial arts background, and he was pushed by Green Flower Boy because he was caught off guard.

This man seems to be someone of high status. If we consider the context of Pro State, he should be someone from the Guanfang Hall, right?

"The higher-ups are coming to inspect right away, and here comes a beggar! Isn't this going to make things worse? Where are the security guards? How did they let him in?" The man looked around but didn't see any security guards. He only saw Green Water Bow standing there in a daze.

"Aren't you leaving yet?" The man stepped forward and tried to push Green Water Bow again, but this time he couldn't get the strength to push it.

His hands felt numb and weak.

It really went limp; from the elbow down, most of the forearm drooped down, as if it had no bones.

"Ugh, gurgling—" The man opened his mouth, trying to call for help, but his voice was choked by pus and blood, and his jaw drooped down, unable to close.

His face instantly collapsed, his head drooped to his chest like a fleshy ball, and all sorts of viscous liquids flowed from his mouth and nose.

It wasn't just his face that was collapsing; the lesions were frantically eating away at his bones, creating countless holes, making them loose and brittle, until they turned into a pile of powder.

The lesions in the powder will continue to corrode his body until it turns into a pus-filled mess.

Corroded by pus and blood, the clothes turned into a sticky substance, which seeped into the soil along with the pus.

Green Water Bow ignored the pus and blood on the ground, picked up his Beggar Bowl, and continued to stroll through the park.

Once outside the park, Green Water Bow glanced at the traffic and pedestrians along the roadside and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "There are so many people from Outer State! More than in Green Water City! I could kill as many as I wanted, there's no way..."

Bang!

A man shoved Green Water Bow from behind, and then gave Green Water Bow a wing kick.

"Who gave you permission to beg here? Get out of here right now! Or we'll arrest you right now!"

Did you push me again?

Green Flower turned around. Behind her stood a man and a woman. They didn't look very old, but they seemed to be of high status.

The balloon vendors, sausage vendors, and cotton candy vendors were all afraid of them.

The man stood with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and shouting angrily, "I'm asking you a question! Who told you to beg here? You look a bit like a police officer, but police officers aren't this arrogant."

It's also possible that she comes from a wealthy family.

Green Water Bow asked with a smile, "Which Lineage are you from?"

The man was taken aback, then raised his eyebrows and said, "Why are you asking this? Is it any of your business?"

Green Water Bow exclaimed, "People from Outer State are truly remarkable. In my hometown, there are very few who would dare to push me."

"How could I push you—" Before he could finish speaking, the man began to cough repeatedly.

At first, they thought he was just choking on the wind. The woman next to him didn't take it seriously and kept urging Green Water Bow to leave as soon as possible.

The man coughed more and more violently, his body trembled uncontrollably, and he was about to fall, but he still couldn't stop.

The woman stepped forward to help him up and saw that the man's face was bluish-purple, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was still coughing. She didn't know what to do.

Green Water Bow turned and walked away, laughing as he went, "This place is nice, the people are interesting, and there aren't any Peddler."

"After I become Li Qi, I'll have a few more days of fun."

Ma Wu arrived at the Soda Kiln, he first rented a house to stay in, and then gathered a group of friends to inquire about the situation.

The Azure Cloud Society and the Hundred Flowers Gate had a dispute that resulted in a death. This was the only major incident that happened at the Soda Kiln recently.

But this matter shouldn't warrant the intervention of the Balance Person.

Ma Wu went to ask Yan Song'an, the Guanfang Envoy of the Soda Kiln, Yan Song'an was evasive and refused to tell him.

The less he said, the more serious the situation seemed. Under these circumstances, Ma Wu certainly couldn't let Li Qi come to the Soda Kiln.

As evening fell, Ma Wu was pondering what other channels he could use to gather information when he suddenly received a report from a messenger that the Guanfang Envoy, Yan Song'an, was requesting an audience.

Ma Wu quickly ushered Yan Song'an into the main hall. "Brother Yan, I came to see you during the day, but you gave me a bunch of empty promises. Then you came to visit me alone at night. What's the meaning of this?"

"I just want to find a suitable place to talk to you." Yan Song'an looked around and felt that the living room was not a suitable place.

Ma Wu invited Yan Song'an into the study. Yan Song'an lowered his voice and said, "Something did happen at the Soda Kiln. I don't know exactly how serious it is, but I do know a little about where it happened."

Yan Song'an told Ma Wu the location of the Abandoned Factory.

Ma Wu hesitated. He wanted to go and see, but he didn't know if he could go to this place.

If we tell Seventh Brother about this place, it will be difficult for Seventh Brother to make a decision.

But if he were to force his way into this place, he would have to carefully consider his own strength.

Ma Wu is currently a fourth-level Joy Cultivator, accompanied by several guards whose cultivation levels are all at the fifth or sixth level.

Dealing with small fry is no problem, but even the Guanfang Envoy) didn't know the inside story of this matter, so the person in the Abandoned Factory must be no small fry.

Ma Wu pondered for half the night, and around 2 a. m., he suddenly smelled a fragrance.

It smells like rouge. Whose is this?

Aqin is asleep, Huo Ling is asleep too. They don't use this kind of rouge.

No, this isn't rouge, it's body fragrance.

Ma Wu quickly got up and hugged the woman behind him.

The woman nestled in Ma Wu and said reproachfully, "Fifth Son, you're so heartless; you've forgotten about me."

Ma Wu kissed Feng Daiku's cheek and said softly, "It was my fault, and I should be punished properly."

Feng Daiku to the Soda Kiln.

As Ma Wu worked, he thought: Feng Daiku is the Local Earth God of Belt Ridge. She just came to Soda Kiln like this. Should we just leave the Local Earth God of Soda Kiln alone?

Feng Daiku patted Ma Wu's cheek with a bitter smile, "Why did you stop? Is something on your mind?"

Ma Wu shook his head and said, "It's been so long, I'd like to savor the memories."

"What are you reminiscing about?" Feng Daiku. "Could it have tasted different? Tell me quickly, what's on your mind?" Ma Wu was about to tell him in detail when Feng Daiku patted Ma Wu's cheek again, "Why did you stop again?"

"You're deliberately testing me." Ma Wu didn't stop, and recounted the whole story in a steady voice.

Feng Daiku wiped the sweat from Ma Wu's face and asked softly, "Fifth Son, do you really want to go?"

Ma Wu nodded. "I really want to go and see."

Feng Daiku switched places with Ma Wu, and hooked Ma Wu's nose, saying, "Since you want to go, I'll go with you."

PS: Is Feng Daiku really that heartbroken for Ma Wu?