Stealing the Beams and Replacing the Pillars

Li Banfeng Bastard Slope Teacher Song his back and walked more than 100 li before stopping.

They were hungry and thirsty. Teacher Song drank half a pot of water, coughed a few times, but didn't vomit.

This proves that the medicine has taken effect, and the symptoms are gradually relieving.

Sitting across from Li Banfeng now, Teacher Song felt somewhat ashamed. "There are some things I didn't mean to hide from you; I haven't mentioned them to anyone."

Li Banfeng sighed and said, "I didn't expect this either; you actually have a birthmark on your body."

"That, that, that's not the point," Teacher Song said, worried that Li Banfeng wouldn't be able to accept her identity. "Ban Feng, just ask whatever you want. I'll tell you as much as I can."

Unexpectedly, Li Banfeng didn't ask about his identity; instead, he asked about DaoLao Ghost: "How did you know DaoLao Ghost appeared on Lion Peak Road? Who told you this? Was it Shen Jingye?"

Li Banfeng now needs to find the source of the information. If the source is Shen Jingye, then Shen Jingye must give an explanation.

The answer surprised Li Banfeng.

"My message didn't come from Shen Jingye. The message Shen Jingye received should have come from me. Yesterday afternoon, after we parted ways, I went to the campus supermarket and got a USB drive—"

Teacher Song recounted the events as they unfolded.

Li Banfeng said, "In other words, the information about DaoLao Ghost came from a video sent by He Jiaqing."

Teacher Song nodded. She didn't want to mention He Jiaqing's name, as she was worried that Li Banfeng would react excessively.

Unexpectedly, Li Banfeng remained unusually calm, not asking too many questions about the cause and effect, but only asking about the incident itself, "What is He Jiaqing's purpose in sending this video?"

After a moment's thought, Teacher Song said, "He probably wanted to give me a hint."

What was his purpose in giving you this hint?

"Perhaps he didn't want the situation to escalate, after all, this is a disaster that could threaten the entire Yuezhou."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Under no circumstances would He Jiaqing care about the lives of Outer State. If you really know him, you should know that he won't give you any hints about this matter unless it involves his interests. But what exactly are his interests?"

"It's just ahead," He Jiaqing said to Big Head, pointing to the desolate mountains in the distance. "It's in the desolate mountains where you often cultivate. I've prepared clothes and food. We'll be there soon."

Big Head turned to his wife and said, "Rui Fang, when we get there, let's change into dry clothes."

Miao Ruifang held the child's hand and remained silent for a long time.

Because of Big Head's incident, Miao Ruifang was detained for a long time, and she finally got to see her child today.

This should have been a happy occasion, but who would have thought that they would now be considered fugitives?

They jumped into Peach Blossom Lake and nearly drowned. They barely managed to surface, only to find themselves in a place so dark they couldn't see any light, a place so eerie it made it hard for the mother and son to breathe.

Upon arriving at the cave, the family of three changed their clothes. Miao Ruifang burst into tears. "Zou Guoming, explain yourself clearly. What have I gained from spending my whole life with you?"

"We've been married for so many years, and I have no idea what you've been doing outside. I was arrested without even knowing it, and I've been locked up for so long. I'm a fugitive without even knowing what law I broke. What exactly happened? You have to explain this to me!"

Big Head didn't know what to say.

He Jiaqing advised, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. We'll tell you slowly when we get to Pro State."

"Why should I listen to you? Who are you? Do I even know you?" Miao Ruifang yelled at He Jiaqing.

Big Head was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Ruifang, Jiaqing saved us, otherwise we'd still be locked up inside!"

"Then why don't you tell me why we were locked up! Tell me, tell me the truth!"

The couple were arguing inside the cave when He Jiaqing went outside, unfurled a traditional Chinese ink painting, and dragged a tricycle out of the scroll.

This tricycle is quite large, with a wooden carriage, glass doors, and two rows of seats inside.

He Jiaqing arranged for Big Head's family to sit in the carriage, while he went to the front to ride his bicycle.

This tricycle was a fine product made by a mechanic, and He Jiaqing also possessed cultivation at the Cloud Realm. Once he started pedaling, the tricycle could run faster than a car.

Miao Ruifang didn't know how the car worked and was terrified while sitting in it, but Big Head's son, Zou Xiaohao, seemed quite interested.

He leaned out of the car window and exclaimed, "Uncle, you ride that bike really fast!"

He Jiaqing chuckled, "Once we get past this hill, it'll be flat ground, and I can ride even faster then."

Zou Xiaohao wanted to chat with He Jiaqing for a bit more, but Miao Ruifang pulled him back. "Don't talk to him!"

Zou Xiaohao retorted, "What's wrong with saying a few words?"

Miao Ruifang retorted angrily, "You still have the mind to chatter like this? You'll have nowhere to live and no school to attend. You'll live in constant fear with your father, constantly on the run, do you understand that?"

Zou Xiaohao was indeed more optimistic than Miao Ruifang: "Mom, you don't need to scare me. There will definitely be a place to stay. My dad won't let us suffer."

As for my studies, I don't feel any regret. My teachers and classmates didn't like me either, and studying was never very interesting to begin with.

"Why don't you ask others why they don't like you? It's all because your dad caused trouble!"

Big Head was unhappy and turned to He Jiaqing, saying, "Jiaqing, you take a break, I'll pedal."

He Jiaqing shook his head and said, "You're not cut out for this door. You can't keep up with me as fast as I can. Just stay home and be with your wife and kids."

The family sat in the car, occasionally arguing, and after traveling for half a day, they arrived at Iron Gate Fort.

Thirty miles from the exit of Xindi, He Jiaqing told everyone, "Get ready to go into the water."

Miao Ruifang got angry. "Go into the water again? If you want to go in, you go in. My child and I are definitely not going in. We can't swim, and we don't want to drown here."

"When are you going to stop making a scene?" Big Head was about to lose his temper, unable to contain himself any longer.

"Who's causing trouble? Why don't you tell us how you caused trouble? How did you end up like this in our family?"

Someone shouted from outside the window, "Yes, just how did they cause such a mess!"

Big Head said to his wife, "I heard you complain when we were at a disadvantage, but why didn't you say anything when we were benefiting?"

Another person came in through the window. "Yeah, why didn't you say anything when you were taking advantage!"

Miao Ruifang became even angrier. "What advantage have I gained? Zou Guoming, explain yourself clearly! I've suffered so much grievance with you, what advantage have I gained from you?!"

A woman entered through the window, glaring at Zou Guoming and demanding, "Explain yourself! What exactly did she do to you?"

Big Head said, "Why do you think the hotel insists on making you the lobby manager? How do you think you got your degree from a prestigious university? Do you think there's some free lunch waiting for you?"

An old man sighed from outside the window, "It's not easy for these men to work so hard out there!"

The old man's voice was quite loud, which slightly distracted Big Head and his wife who were engrossed in their argument.

They glanced out the window and saw dozens of men, women, and children running alongside the train. Miao Ruifang was frightened and whispered, "Who are all these people?"

The fact that the tricycle could run as fast as a car was beyond Miao Ruifang's comprehension, but since Big Head was sitting on the vehicle, Miao Ruifang could sit still as well.

Now another group of people arrived outside, moving just as fast as the tricycle. Miao Ruifang became uneasy, and Big Head was also unsure of what to do; he felt that these people were not normal.

"Jiaqing, what's going on?"

He Jiaqing said, "They must have encountered some kind of repair."

Miao Ruifang asked in a low voice, "What is a demonic cultivator?"

Big Head wrapped several strands of wire around the car door. "He's a psychic."

"W-What is a psychic?"

"Don't you read novels all the time? Haven't you heard of spirit communication?" Big Head didn't have time to explain. He could sense that the Ghost Servant outside the tricycle were no less powerful than him.

The daughter-in-law, holding her son, asked, "What you just said, was it a ghost?"

Big Head nodded.

"Chirp~"

The wife screamed, and the Ghost Servant outside the vehicle thought that Sheng Xiu had made a move. They were on guard at first, and then began to attack the tricycle.

Some opened the car doors, some smashed the windows, and some even used weapons to jam the wheels.

After a group of people had been struggling for a while, the tricycle was completely unharmed. An older Ghost Servant sensed that something was wrong.

No matter how sturdy the tricycle was, given their cultivation level, after smashing it for so long, it couldn't possibly be completely undamaged.

The old man glanced into the distance and vaguely saw another tricycle speeding away to the east.

"Stealing the beams and replacing the pillars!" the old man shouted. "You've got the wrong place! The real car is over there!"

A group of Ghost Servant rushed toward the tricycle to the east, which had been speeding forward.

The Ghost Servant surrounded the tricycle on the east side, but after a long time, they still couldn't break it.

The old man shouted, "He switched them back again!"

The Ghost Servant split into two groups, each taking a tricycle, and both tricycles stopped.

A Ghost Servant stepped forward, grabbed He Jiaqing, dragged him off the car, and punched and kicked him.

He Jiaqing was not to be outdone, parrying and retaliating at the same time.

After a brief struggle, both tricycles were scattered on the ground, turning into two piles of stones.

He Jiaqing, who was originally fighting fiercely, turned into a piece of wood.

In the distance, a carriage was still speeding along, having already distanced itself from the group of Ghost Servant.

Another carriage?

Where did this carriage come from?

The Ghost Servant wanted to give chase, but Song Qianhun called out, "Let him go!"

Upon hearing Song Qianhun's voice, the Ghost Servant all retreated.

Song Qianhun chased after Li Banfeng all the way and had just reached Iron Gate Fort. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be running so slowly, but unfortunately, both of his Travel Cultivator treasures were broken.

A dozen or so Travel Cultivator Ghost Servant carrying Song Qianhun ran away, but unexpectedly, they encountered a patch of Grinning Locust halfway there.

This is a type of Wandering Monster from the new land, resembling a locust tree, with cracks in its bark and serrated buds inside.

From a distance, it looks like a huge mouth full of dental protrusions on the tree bark.

The Grinning Locust affine, roam in groups, ranging from dozens to thousands, exploring the new land. They do not prey on people.

It doesn't eat wild beasts, but only the souls of the dead, making it a natural nemesis of demonic cultivators.

Today, Song Qianhun was unlucky. He came across a patch of Grinning Locust with more than 20,000 trees that blocked the road, leaving him nowhere to go around!

The dice cup then mocked Song Qianhun: "Didn't they say that you never lose when you gamble big? Was your daughter's betting big or small? You've really lost out this time!"

Song Qianhun had no idea where these locust trees came from. The Ghost Servant were so frightened they couldn't move. Song Qianhun took matters into his own hands and fought the group of Grinning Locust for several hours before finally driving the Wandering Monster away.

This delay meant that when he arrived at Iron Gate Fort, he happened to run into He Jiaqing.

This new land is a secret passage connecting Pro State and Outer State, and it holds extremely special significance for Song Qianhun.

Song Qianhun always thought that only she knew, but later she found out that Li Qi also knew.

Li Qi is one of our own, so it's not a big deal that he already knows. But I didn't expect that a few more people would find out now.

This matter cannot be let go easily. If there is enough time, he and He Jiaqing should have a good fight.

But time was short, and Song Qianhun was still worried about his daughter's safety. Seeing He Jiaqing run away, he had no intention of chasing after him and quickly jumped into the lake to continue his journey.

He Jiaqing wasn't in a hurry. He would wait until Song Qianhun had been gone for a while before taking Big Head's family into the water.

Zou Xiaohao asked Miao Ruifang, "Mom, are you coming with us, or staying here by yourself?"

Having just witnessed a ghost, she dared not remain here.

Miao Ruifang kicked Zou Xiaohao, put on her diving gear, and quickly followed Big Head into the water.

After leaving Peach Blossom Lake and arriving at Iron Gate Fort, He Jiaqing unrolled the scroll, took out the tricycle, and carried his family to the Train Station after several transfers.

Big Head asked nervously, "Jia Qing, given my condition, is it really suitable for me to take the train?"

Fugitives don't travel by train.

Even Miao Ruifang found it unbelievable.

He Jiaqing laughed and said, "Don't worry, we have legal status."

Looking at the Steam Train, He Ruifang recalled her childhood memories, "What era is this? There are still these kinds of vehicles. What a lousy place this is, so backward!"

Big Head frowned and said, "Can you please say less? Are you hoping someone will come and arrest us?"

Once on the train, He Jiaqing had a separate carriage, Big Head had a separate carriage, and Miao Ruifang and Zou Xiaohao shared a carriage.

Miao Ruifang had never experienced such treatment before, having a private room on the train.

"Well, at least we can rest for a while." The mother and daughter were exhausted and went to sleep on their bunks.

Surprisingly, Miao Ruifang stopped complaining. He Jiaqing went to Big Head's carriage to discuss their next steps. "When we get to Green Water City, help me manage some business and some people."

Big Head felt uneasy. "Jia Qing, I don't know much about business. Green Water City is too conspicuous. In my current situation, I'm afraid it will cause you trouble."

He Jiaqing shook his head and said, "Who would cause you trouble? Liao Zihui? He doesn't have time for that! This is Pro State, and the rules are different from Outer State."

You've been to Pro State, so you should know some things. You can learn business things slowly; you'll pick it up soon. I've told you before, we brothers should live decently and with dignity.

"I ran into He Jiaqing."

Song Qianhun hurried along the way and finally met Li Banfeng and Teacher Song halfway there. She learned that her daughter was alright.

Song Qianhun finally felt relieved and began to recount what she had seen and heard on the road.

Li Banfeng asked, "Brother, are you really sure that's He Jiaqing?"

Song Qianhun said, "I have cooperated with the Dark Star Bureau many times. I met He Jiaqing while he was hospitalized, posing as He Jiaqing Kang Zhenchang. I certainly wouldn't mistake him."

This kid is a thief cultivator, with very high cultivation and skillful moves; he doesn't seem like someone his age at all.

Teacher Song lowered her head and remained silent. She had once trusted He Jiaqing completely, but now, thinking back on it, she felt increasingly regretful.

Li Banfeng was more concerned about the family in the tricycle. "What are their identities? Why did He Jiaqing bring them to Pro State?"

Song Qianhun didn't know Big Head, so he naturally couldn't answer that question.

Li Banfeng handed Teacher Song over to Song Qianhun, asking her to rest in Pro State for two days.

He returned to Yuezhou alone, went to the Dark Star Bureau, and called Shen Jingye to his office, "Little Shen, I investigated and found that the situation on Lion Peak Road should be an isolated case. That unidentified creature should not be DaoLao Ghost, and there are currently no signs of a large-scale DaoLao Ghost invasion."

"Good, good news." Shen Jingye looked dazed; the news brought by Li Banfeng didn't seem that important.

Li Banfeng looked closely at Shen Jingye: "Little Shen, did you understand what I said? I said the matter of DaoLao Ghost is basically resolved."

"Great, that's wonderful."

"Don't just say it's good; don't you need to submit a report to your superiors?"

"Yes, we definitely need to submit a report. I'll ask my secretary to submit it later—" Shen Jingye's voice trailed off.

"Little Shen, is something wrong?" It was rare for Li Banfeng to show concern for him.

In front of others, Shen Jingye must remain calm and composed, and not let anyone see the slightest hint of frustration or dejection.

Upon seeing Li Qi, Shen Jingye suddenly couldn't hold back anymore.

He and Li Qi weren't that close, and they even had quite a few conflicts. But for some reason, perhaps as Du Wenming said, he was somewhat dependent on Li Qi. He took a deep breath and poured out all his pent-up frustrations. "The Dark Star Bureau has been robbed! They stole Zou Guoming, along with twenty-three Dark Energy Carrier and over two hundred classified documents. What are we going to do?!"

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "When was the thief here?"

"It was the day we went to Lion Peak Road that the thief broke in while the station was empty, and he made off with so much stuff."

I've thought it through. He Jiaqing must have done this. I'll contact Liao Zihui right away, and I'll go to Pro State to find him. I'll fight him to the death.

"Little Shen, calm down. Um, Little Shen, don't cry. Wait for me to close the door."

"Little Shen, control your temper! Don't bang on the table, you've broken it!"

The major incident at the Dark Star Bureau has put Shen Jingye in an extremely unfavorable position.

There's no chance of a promotion.

The punishment is inevitable.

Whether he can keep his current position depends on his fate.

Now Li Banfeng has a complete understanding of what happened. He Jiaqing first placed something in the He Sheng Community on Lion Peak Road, something whose origin is unknown, but which looks a lot like DaoLao Ghost.

Then he sent a video to Teacher Song, showing that DaoLao Ghost had invaded Yuezhou.

Teacher Song handed the video over to the Dark Star Bureau. The Dark Star Bureau verified that it was correct and organized all combat personnel to go to the construction site to lure the enemy away. He Jiaqing took the opportunity to rescue Zou Guoming's family, and also stole a ticket from the Dark Star Bureau before heading to Pro State.

What exactly did he place in He Sheng Community?

Teacher Song possessed cultivation at the Cloud Realm level. Although he was ill at the time, he was still ambushed by that thing, which shows that this thing was quite unusual.

This thing not only possessed extraordinary combat power, but also concealed its malice before making another move, leaving Li Banfeng completely unaware.

A puppet? A machine? Or perhaps one of He Jiaqing's accomplices?

Unfortunately, Shen Jingye had already burned the creature's body. If he could have brought it home, his family would probably have liked it.

At Green Water City Station, He Jiaqing hired a rickshaw to take Big Head's family to a mansion on Fruit Abundance Road.

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Miao Ruifang looked at the Western-style building in front of her and felt that the architecture was a bit rustic, but the surrounding environment was not bad.

She asked Big Head, "Which room are we staying in?"

Big Head smiled but didn't say anything; he had been to Pro State before.

He Jiaqing said from the side, "Sister-in-law, this house belongs to you all."

Miao Ruifang pursed her lips, hesitant to walk into the courtyard.

Big Head took her hand and led her across the courtyard into the hall.

Looking up, Miao Ruifang walked around the hall, then lowered her voice and said, "Such a big place, but there's nothing nice about it. It's even inconvenient to clean—..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the butler came over. "Madam, the bedroom has been cleaned and tidied up. Would you like to come and take a look?"

Zou Xiaohao laughed and said, "Mom, you don't need to clean."

Miao Ruifang fell silent.

The butler then said to Zou Xiaohao, "Young Master, the tutor we hired for you will arrive at six o'clock tomorrow morning. The textbooks are in your bedroom."

Zou Xiaohao stopped laughing.

He Jiaqing smiled and said, "I've booked a table of wine at the Thousand Delights Pavilion. It will be delivered to your home in a bit. Sister-in-law, let's have a couple of drinks. I'll apologize to you in person."

On the train, Li Banfeng and Liao Zihui chatted idly, while Shen Jingye sat silently to the side, lost in thought.

The punishment has been handed down, the matter is over, the job is kept, and the promotion is off the table.

Some people have spoken out in defense of Shen Jingye, saying that the situation was urgent at the time, and Shen Jingye did his best to deal with the DaoLao Ghost incident and achieved good results. The Dark Star Bureau was attacked under such circumstances, and the responsibility cannot be entirely placed on Shen Jingye.

However, the impact of this incident was too severe, and it was already a stroke of luck for Shen Jingye to keep his job.

Li Banfeng also received a message that the 13,000 people had been counted and were in Three Heads Junction, ready to depart.

The fact that Outer State fulfilled its promise so quickly is closely related to the incident on Lion Peak Road. From the perspective of the higher-ups, it was Li Qi who eliminated the threat of DaoLao Ghost through investigation, and they can naturally understand the importance of this matter.

When the train arrived at Green Water City, Liao Zihui said to Shen Jingye, "Old Shen, I invited you to dinner before, but you wouldn't accept. I'm inviting you again today. You can't refuse me, can you?"

2

Shen Jingye stood up and said, "Aren't you insulting me? General Envoy Liao of me; when have I ever dared to disrespect you?"

After saying that, Shen Jingye got out of the car with Liao Zihui.

For some reason, after this incident, Shen Jingye became more carefree.

Liao Zihui said to Li Banfeng, "Brother, Director Shen has given you face, you should do him the honor too!"

Li Qi smiled and said, "General Envoy Liao, I really have urgent business to attend to. Once I'm done, I'll treat you to a meal at Carefree Dock."

Let's entertain you two again.

Li Banfeng did have something to do; he still needed to send out these 10,000 Three-Headed People.

Five thousand were given to Ma Wu, and five thousand to Chu Er, and they were each sent to their respective territories to begin land reclamation.

At the Thousand Delights Pavilion, Liao Zihui and Shen Jingye were drinking in a private room. Shen Jingye was crying his heart out, one glass of wine after another.

"Tell me, over the years, have I ever wronged Zou Guoming? Even knowing he was in trouble, I never convicted him. I even wanted to protect him, but he ran off with He Jiaqing and betrayed me!"

Liao Zihui sighed, "Zou Guoming, Big Head Zou, I remember him. When he came to Pro State for further studies, I paid special attention to him. He was capable and steady."

He's been working at the Dark Star Bureau for about ten years, hasn't he? I heard he's achieved quite a bit. What's his position now?

What position?

He's not even a team leader.

Shen Jingye Orthodox God and said, "Promotions shouldn't be based solely on work performance; we need to consider all factors. Besides, he can't compromise his integrity and principles just because of his position!"

Liao Zihui sighed, "Forget it, let's not think about these things anymore. Staying in the Dark Star Bureau is fine too. We'll just do our jobs conscientiously and responsibly. It's the same no matter where we are, right?"

Shen Jingye glared at Liao Zihui: "How many years have I waited for this opportunity? How many years have I worked at the Dark Star Bureau? Are you trying to give me this nonsense?"

Liao Zihui chuckled and poured Shen Jingye a glass of wine, "Drink up, Lao Shen, you should! You really should!"

Shen Jingye picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp. "Old Liao, where exactly is Zou Guoming? You have to help me find him."

I have to find him no matter what!

Liao Zihui shook his head. "Pro State is so big, where am I supposed to find it?"

Zou Guoming is easy to find; he's also in the Thousand Delights Pavilion, just upstairs.

Sitting across the table was Tie Hongjian, the Gang Leader of the Iron Origin Gang. The Iron Origin Gang was a small gang that had recently caused He Jiaqing a lot of trouble in business.

Zou Guoming had his men bring a box of silver dollars to Tie Hongjian: "Gang Leader Tie, my businesses are all small-scale operations. Please be magnanimous and let them off the hook."

Tie Hongjian opened the box and looked at the number of silver dollars. "Is this all? Are you trying to appease a beggar? I'm only doing you this favor, what are my brothers supposed to eat?"

Zou Guoming frowned slightly. "So you're not agreeing?"

Tie Hongjian put the silver dollars aside, drew a dagger from his waist, and skillfully twirled it in his hand. "It's not that I can't agree, but if you give me an extra three hundred silver dollars every month, we can discuss it."

"Three hundred, isn't that a bit too much?" Zou Guoming picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of pork rib.

Tie Hongjian laughed and said, "You can't even come up with three hundred silver dollars, and you still want to do business in Green Water City? Are you kidding me?"

"That's true." Zou Guoming nodded, then flicked his chopsticks, sending a spare rib flying that embedded itself in Tie Hongjian's eye socket. Tie Hongjian clutched his eye, wailing, "What are you trying to do? My brothers are all here!"

Five or six people were standing behind him, about to make a move, when Zou Guoming waved his hand, and the chopsticks flew out, passing directly through Tie Hongjian's head.

A commotion erupted in the private room. Shen Jingye, downstairs, was startled and asked, "What's all the noise upstairs?"

Liao Zihui laughed and said, "There's plenty of commotion in Pro State. We'll just eat our food and not worry about it."

P. S.: Where is Teacher Song's other birthmark?