Dancing Through the Snow

Li Banfeng boarded a special train the next day and arrived at the Dark Star Bureau on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

Upon entering the office, Li Banfeng called Director Shen: "Little Shen, come to my office." This time, Shen Jingye had no complaints, because Li Banfeng's rank had changed, and he was now a whole level higher than him.

Upon Shen Jingye: "Director Li, I don't know how to repay your life-saving grace. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know."

The life-saving grace he referred to was the arrangements Li Qi made after he left Gourd Village. These arrangements provided him with a plausible explanation, allowing him to retain his position and avoid further investigation.

Li Banfeng smiled and said, "Who saved you? It was Director Shen who fought bravely and escaped from the Dark Dimension Space on his own." Shen Jingye sighed and said, "That's how things are resolved. I'm fine now, but the Dark Star Bureau is about to be wiped out."

"What happened to the Dark Star Bureau?" The Dark Star Bureau has been very efficient in handling cases lately, and was even commended not long ago. Shen Jingye explained, "The higher-ups have established the Outer Bright Bureau, which will soon replace all the work of the Dark Star Bureau."

"What exactly is the Outer Bright Bureau?"

Shen Jingye repeated the full name, "External Civilization Investigation and Research Bureau".

Upon hearing the name, Li Banfeng felt it sounded familiar, "What's the difference between this and the Dark Matter Research Lab and the Dark Star Special Operations Team? Isn't this just another pointless exercise?" Shen Jingye sighed, "Essentially, there's no difference. This represents the higher-ups' determination to replace the Dark Star Bureau with another agency."

"Why must we replace the Dark Star Bureau?"

"The main reason is the time factor. The Dark Star Bureau has been established for too long, and it has too many interactions with Pro State and Inner State, as well as with Dark Energy organizations at home and abroad. Many forces have already infiltrated the Dark Star Bureau."

Li Banfeng thought this was normal, "The Dark Star Bureau studies Dark Energy and dark matter. How could things related to Dark Energy not permeate the Dark Star Bureau? If they didn't permeate at all, wouldn't the Dark Star Bureau be an outsider? How can an outsider carry out their work?"

Furthermore, if we're talking about the duration, the Guanfang Hall) existed even longer, and its infiltration was more severe. Why not establish a separate organization to replace the Guanfang Hall?

Shen Jingye said, "One of the main reasons for replacing the Dark Star Bureau is that we don't want the Dark Star Bureau to become the Guanfang Hall. The Guanfang Hall has indeed been infiltrated too severely, to the point that many tasks can only be completed by the Guanfang Hall. It is not only irreplaceable, but also impossible for outsiders to handle."

Several times, the higher-ups sent inexperienced people to try and replace Liao Zihui, but the results weren't very good, as you know.

Li Banfeng was well aware that Xia Shumin, the biggest novice, was ultimately sent away by Chu Er because of a series of inappropriate actions.

But Li Banfeng didn't understand one thing. "Why must laymen interfere in the affairs of experts? Wouldn't it be better to let professionals do what they're good at?"

Shen Jingye shrugged, some things couldn't be said anymore, "In short, the Outer Bright Bureau has been established, and the work that originally belonged to the Public Security Team has been taken over by them. There is still a lot of work to be transferred to them."

Moreover, the higher-ups have already assigned you a position in the Outer Bright Bureau. They've made you the Supervisory Director of the Outer Bright Bureau, with a rank and benefits one level higher than the Director. Li Qi has a new position.

"What's the difference between this and now? Isn't this just messing with me? Are they worried that if I stay in the Dark Star Bureau too long, I'll infiltrate it? They keep moving me around, making sure I don't have any of their own people under my command, right?"

Shen Jingye nodded awkwardly; Li Banfeng was mostly right.

Li Banfeng leaned back in his chair, turning left and right several times. "After the establishment of the Outer Bright Bureau, what will happen to the personnel of the Dark Star Bureau?" Shen Jingye replied, "That depends on where you go."

"What does my destination have to do with them?"

"It's a very big deal. If you go directly to the Bureau of the Outer Bright Bureau and give up your position in the Dark Star Bureau, the Dark Star Bureau will be disbanded within one to two years. I will be transferred to another place to retire, and all the personnel of the Dark Star Bureau will be reassigned to other institutions to do idle jobs."

"A sinecure?" Li Banfeng frowned. "Tangyuan, Light Bulb, Chuunibyou, Mijian, Begonia —these young people have just started to show some promise, and you're already giving them sinecure jobs? What hope do they have for the rest of their lives?"

Shen Jingye sighed, "After all, they're being reassigned. It's good enough they have a place to go; they certainly can't expect to be given important positions." "What about the Outer Bright Bureau? Don't they need manpower?"

"The higher-ups have made it clear that the Outer Bright Bureau does not need personnel who have been infiltrated. You know about the Star case; he's young and a typical infiltrator."

Our investigation revealed that the Star's parents were Dark Energy User and members of the dark energy organization in the Lafusha Country. Before he joined the company, his parents had pulled some strings, which resulted in our background check being inadequate.

He infiltrated the Dark Star Bureau and committed many harmful and destructive acts. This has provided ammunition for his infiltration, and almost everyone in the Dark Star Bureau, including myself, has been labeled as such. We will no longer be given important positions in any organization, let alone be able to enter a core institution like the Outer Bright Bureau.

Li Banfeng asked, "What if I don't give up my position as deputy director of the Dark Star Bureau?"

Shen Jingye saw a glimmer of hope. "If you retain your position in the Dark Star Bureau, and concurrently serve as the Deputy Director of the Dark Star Bureau while taking over as the Supervisory Director of the Outer Bright Bureau, with your current influence, the Dark Star Bureau's organization will be preserved."

Although they may only be doing some auxiliary work for the Outer Bright Bureau in the future, at least these people in the bureau can stay. Within the Dark Star Bureau, they can still see hope for promotion and a way out.

This was what Shen Jingye wanted Li Banfeng's help with; even if it was just a nominal position, he hoped to retain the Dark Star Bureau. Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and said, "What if I only retain my position in the Dark Star Bureau and refuse the position in the Outer Bright Bureau?"

Shen Jingye was taken aback. "Then, then the situation is special, and your future will..."

"My future?" Li Banfeng laughed. "What about my future? Do you think I care?"

Shen Jingye momentarily forgot Li Qi's stance, but upon further reflection, he still felt it wouldn't work. "Director Li, what you're doing is putting the higher-ups in a difficult position..."

Li Banfeng laughed and said, "They're used to making things difficult for others, so this time we'll make things difficult for them a bit and tell them that I only work for the Dark Star Bureau, and that my work on balancing Pro State and Inner State will also remain with the Dark Star Bureau."

"If the Outer Bright Bureau absolutely must intervene, then for all matters involving the Balance Person, let them handle each matter on a case-by-case basis. First, send a letter, then send someone in person, and then discuss the relevant work." That afternoon, Shen Jingye relayed Li Qi's attitude to his superiors.

The higher-ups immediately organized a meeting and specifically invited Li Qi to attend. Li Qi did not go; he had important official business to attend to.

He invited Tang Changfa, Yan Hong'er, and Yan Cuier to his home for hot pot.

Although it was still the New Year holiday, the Black Market was already open, and Tang Changfa started a new business, making a considerable amount of money, but he didn't really want to continue this business.

"Shopkeeper, those Western gadgets have been selling like hotcakes lately. Before the New Year, I bought several sets of books about Western black magic. Each set cost me ten thousand, and I resold them for three hundred thousand!"

Li Banfeng laughed, "You're just asking for trouble. Aren't you afraid of ruining your own reputation by lying like this?"

Tang Changfa Li Banfeng a cup of wine. "Shopkeeper, I'm not lying. These books are genuine. Yan Hong is familiar with them; she's mastered quite a few spells using them!" Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Hong Er, what have you mastered?"

Yan Hong prepared the dipping sauce for Li Banfeng, and the saucer disappeared from Yan Hong hand, reappearing in front of Li Banfeng. Teleportation!

Yan Hong said, "Shopkeeper, this isn't magic tricks or illusions; it's legitimate magic I learned from a book of dark magic." Li Banfeng asked Yan Hong'er, "Which school of magic does this belong to?"

Yan Hong was truly stumped by the question, "Shopkeeper, these Western things don't follow any particular path. Aside from our own family's foolish cultivation, I haven't practiced anything else." Tang Changfa: "Shopkeeper, see? This is the real thing, and anyone can practice it."

"Not everyone can practice this, right?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "Without any Dao Affinity, you definitely can't learn it."

"Learning just this one spell won't require much Dao Affinity!" Tang Changfa waved his hand and said, "There are plenty of medicine sellers on the Black Market. Spend a little money to buy some high-quality medicine, and accumulate a month's worth of Dao Affinity, and that'll be enough to learn this technique."

Compared to the Daoist schools of Pro State, the barrier to entry for Western magic is much lower. So why are these genuine books of magic circulating on the Black Market at such a low price? "Ten thousand a book, where did you get them from?"

Yan Cuier said, "They came from the Hundred Demons Workshop. You may not have heard of the Hundred Demons Workshop. The people here study everything. Today they write a talisman, tomorrow they draw a spell, and the day after tomorrow they make a voodoo doll. They know a little bit about all kinds of methods from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign."

However, the entry requirements for the Hundred Demons Workshop are quite high. They have rules that magic cannot be used casually, and a strict character assessment is required before Hundred Demons Workshop. Some people have reportedly been assessed for over a decade without becoming official members.

Li Banfeng looked at the Western magic book that Tang Changfa had brought. "Why would such a disciplined organization sell real magic textbooks?" Tang Changfa said, "I heard that some external bureau is investigating Hundred Demons Workshop and has already arrested quite a few people there."

These books are now incriminating evidence against them. It's unsafe for them to keep them, but they can't bear to destroy them, so they simply sold them cheaply on the Black Market. I think we shouldn't sell these books anymore; selling them might harm people.

Yan Hong'er shook her head and said, "I don't think so. A kitchen knife can be used to kill people, so does that mean we can't sell kitchen knives?" Yan Cuier nodded, "That's true. Besides, if we don't sell them, other shops will, won't they? Isn't that how business is done?"

Li Banfeng glanced at the magic books. "Don't rush to sell these books. Learn them slowly, and we'll talk about it after you've mastered them."

"Whatever Hundred Demons Workshop asks you to sell, you should accept it. Invest more capital and don't let other businesses steal your business. Don't worry about losing money; just tell me if you need funds." Tang Changfa and said, "It seems like no one is competing with us for business..."

"Of course we have them!" Yan Hong said. "The Lu Family Bookstore also buys these books, and they always offer higher prices than us." (Lu Family Bookstore)

Boss Lu also studies Western cultivation methods. What is he studying this for?

After writing all night, Boss Lu stretched and blew out the oil lamp.

He stopped writing a sequel to "Embroidered Frost Collection" because he didn't want to be bound by his previous writing ideas. He started a new book called "Chun Yuan Ye Hua" (Spring Garden Night Talks). The writing style still needs polishing, but he was very satisfied with the story structure.

Originally planning to take a nap, Boss Lu looked out the window and saw that the east was already turning white, and it was almost dawn. So he simply opened the door and started his business.

Early in the morning, there weren't many people in the bookstore, and the owner didn't expect many customers. He picked up a copy of "Jade Fragrance Records" and started writing comments as he read. A woman in her early thirties, wearing a blue down jacket, sunglasses, and a mask, with her curly hair loose, entered the bookstore.

Boss Lu recognized the woman. She introduced herself as Liu Cuishan, a member of Hundred Demons Workshop. She had sold many books here, all of them high-quality and genuine.

Boss Lu poured the woman a cup of tea. "Are you here to buy or sell books today?"

Liu Cuishan's cheeks flushed slightly, seemingly a little ashamed. "I'm here to sell something today, but not books, is that alright?" Boss Lu pondered for a moment and said, "Tell me first, what kind of things are they?"

The woman took out a Magic Box, a prop often used by magicians. Inside the box were various hidden compartments and many mirrors at different angles, creating visual traps.

Most people wouldn't even glance at this thing; it's a professional tool and doesn't have much value in itself.

Boss Lu was an expert; he knew this thing was a rare and precious Spiritual Object.

"The items are good. If you're not in a hurry to sell them, you can consign them with me for a while." The woman shook her head and said, "We can't wait; we need the money right now."

Boss Lu frowned slightly. "If you're in a hurry to sell, I can't offer a very high price."

Liu Cuishan nodded and said, "I trust you. I'll take whatever you give me."

Boss Lu examined the Magic Box carefully again. "I'll make a bid..." This sound was drawn out, making Liu Cuishan's heart jump.

Boss Lu's heart was also pounding; he sensed a signal he was about to forget. "Five hundred thousand," Boss Lu offered.

Liu Cuishan nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I can accept this price, shall we make a deal?" Boss Lu nodded and told his employee to pay Liu Cuishan.

What Liu Cuishan appreciated most was this: when doing business with Boss Lu, she always paid in cash. Five hundred thousand yuan in cash filled a bag, and Liu Cuishan thanked him repeatedly. Boss Lu then served her tea and saw her out.

Although he was very anxious, he didn't neglect his manners at all. After seeing Liu Cuishan off, Boss Lu went upstairs to the second floor and told Yu Yaoming, "Du Wenming is out." Yu Yaoming was surprised. "When did he come out?"

"I sensed it just now."

Yu Yaoming beamed with delight. "See? I wasn't exaggerating. As long as he can find the exit, the people will definitely get out. Let's go ask him now how he found the exit..."

Boss Lu remained expressionless, and Yu Yaoming suddenly felt a chill; he stopped speaking.

"You are in a dangerous situation right now. Du Wenming is likely to retaliate against you. Do not leave the bookstore during this time." Boss Lu closed the door on the second floor, went downstairs to the lobby, walked around the second and first rows of bookshelves twice, then stamped a document with the Imperial Jade Seal and stuffed it under the door of the bookstore.

Stepping out of the bookstore, Boss Lu arrived at the Passion Fruit Road in the Soda Kiln area.

They traveled quickly, passing through the town, until they reached Sugar Orange Village. After walking more than 20 li east of the village, Boss Lu arrived at Sugar Orange Mountain.

After crossing Sugar Orange Mountain, you'll reach the border between Soda Kiln and Black Stone Slope. Du Wenming was sent into the wormhole at Black Stone Slope, so if he can find the exit, he should come out from the Soda Kiln side.

According to Boss Lu's senses, Du Wenming was still near the boundary.

At the Sugar Orange Mountain lay a dense forest, with a boundary line more than half a meter wide running through it, where not a blade of grass grew. Boss Lu walked around the boundary for a while, a few snowflakes fluttering down from the trees, Boss Lu stopped. He took out a copy of "Spring Garden Night Talks" from his pocket and gently tore off a page.

The pages of the book flew into the air with the cold wind, slowly breaking as they scraped against the branches.

The torn scraps of paper fluttered in the cold wind for a moment, then, wrapped in the snow on the ground and trees, they transformed into one beautiful woman after another dressed in white gauze.

Hundreds of beauties, each wielding a long sword, stood on high alert amidst the heavy snow. Suddenly, one of the beauties drew her sword. Boss Lu thought she was fighting an enemy, but instead, he saw the woman spinning around and dancing.

"Your skills have improved!" Boss Lu praised.

This beautiful woman was formed from a page of a book. To be precise, she wasn't even a complete page of a book, but just a fragment. Her spirituality was very limited, yet even with that limited spirituality, she was still able to fall for Du Wenming's Dance Cultivator technique, which shows that Du Wenming's technique had changed a lot.

The beautiful woman glided forward a step, bumping into another beautiful woman, who then began to dance. In less than a minute, the women, one after another, surrounded Boss Lu, all dancing. Could their techniques really be passed on spontaneously?

Like an epidemic, can they be contagious? That would be Heavenly Union Skill.

Boss Lu wiggled his toes; even he felt an urge to dance.

A group of women raised their longswords and stabbed at Boss Lu.

These women were summoned by Boss Lu from the words in the book, and now, under the control of Dance Cultivator, they have actually started to attack Boss Lu.

Boss Lu stood still, reopening "Spring Garden Night Talks." All the women who approached him transformed back into scraps of paper, piecing themselves together to form a page in the book. Deep in the woods, Du Wenming frowned slightly, his expression tinged with resentment, yet he still offered a word of praise, "Inkwell Scholar, what skill!"

Boss Lu patted the snow off the tree and smiled slightly, "Mr. Lu, I truly admire you. After so many days, you have actually managed to step out of that predicament. Let's not dwell on the misunderstandings from before. Come with me to the study and we can discuss important matters together."

Du Wenming sneered, "You threw me into the wormhole just to use me as a guinea pig, didn't you? And now you're talking about discussing important matters? You're incredibly hypocritical." Boss Lu nodded and smiled, "You have a point. Let's be sincere then. Come back to the study with me, and I'll spare your life. What do you say?" Du Wenming frowned, "If I don't go to the study, you're going to kill me?"

Boss Lu didn't deny it. "I don't want to reveal the secret of the boundary." Du Wenming sighed and said, "You're ruthless!"

Boss Lu shook his head. "You can't blame me for being ruthless. You attacked me first. This feud started the day you trespassed into my bookstore." Du Wenming looked at Boss Lu, slid to his side, and started dancing with Boss Lu.

Boss Lu offered almost no resistance, following Du Wenming as he twisted his waist and kicked his legs, jumping around quite skillfully.

Du Wenming began to perform his most familiar Puppet Dance, and Boss Lu's body, like a puppet, became stiff, his joints tight, and his movements difficult. Du Wenming shuddered, as if all his joints had dislocated.

Boss Lu shuddered; his joint was indeed dislocated, and he collapsed to the ground.

Du Wenming smiled, picked up Boss Lu, and brought him to the boundary line. "You used me as a guinea pig back then, today I'll let you taste the flavor of the boundary." Just as he was about to throw Boss Lu onto the boundary line, he suddenly felt that Boss Lu in his hand had become lighter.

In the blink of an eye, Boss Lu had turned into a large pile of shredded paper, flying everywhere. This was not Boss Lu.

Where is the real Boss Lu?

Du Wenming was startled. He heard Boss Lu's voice. "It's good that you've come this far. You have nowhere to escape now." The flying scraps of paper transformed into three walls, surrounding Du Wenming from three sides.

Every wall was covered with dense writing. Each character held a weapon in their hand.

The character for "emotion" transforms the heart radical into a long halberd, and the character for "trust" transforms the single-person radical into an iron spear. Countless characters are ready to strike at any moment. Boss Lu gives a final warning. "Come back to the bookstore with me, and I'll spare your life."

Du Wenming looked back.

There was one side behind them that wasn't surrounded; that side was the boundary.

Boss Lu smiled and said, "If you really have that kind of backbone, then just crash into the boundary line and die. I'll still respect you as a real man!" Du Wenming gritted his teeth, turned around and jumped, and actually crashed into the boundary line.

As the scraps of paper settled, Boss Lu reappeared, only to find Du Wenming completely vanished, leaving behind only a cloud of dust. Was he dead?

No. He's still alive.

Boss Lu carefully sensed the markings on Du Wenming's body. The signals had disappeared, but soon reappeared. Boss Lu looked across the boundary and saw a figure, with stiff steps, silently disappear into the dense forest.

Did Du Wenming cross the line?

Boss Lu was very surprised. He hadn't expected Du Wenming to be able to voluntarily cross the boundary and leave so quickly. He had actually mastered the method of crossing the boundary without the aid of any equipment.

Where is he going? What does he plan to do? Boss Lu was starting to regret his decision.

I shouldn't have been so lenient just now; I was too eager to spare their lives.

But then I thought about it again, and it wasn't wrong to do so. Du Wenming was a person worth keeping.

On Chu Yaoqian's territory, He Jiaqing secretly observed the Three-Headed People who were clearing land. "Li Qi only gave you a thousand men?"

Chu Yaoqian nodded. "He gave Dou Jiyan two thousand, but only gave me one thousand. I guess he still holds a grudge about what happened with He Yuxiu."

He Jiaqing wholeheartedly agreed, "He is indeed a vengeful person. You may not know, but these Three-Headed People are not only skilled at reclaiming wasteland, but they are also very excellent warriors."

Chu Yaoqian said, "I've heard that when Seven Autumn City was first built, the Three-Headed People helped Li Qi defeat Chu Shaoqiang. They were physically strong, but they had no cultivation at all. Even though they were just White Lamb, they were still very good at fighting."

He Jiaqing shook his head. "Far more than that. I obtained a top-secret document in Outer State. Entry Medicine Powder from that Outer State, something called Guiding Agent, which could allow the Three-Headed People to acquire Daoist knowledge and cultivation."

"With this Guiding Agent, they can be trained into formidable warriors. These thousand Three-Headed People can defeat dozens of Cloud Above Cultivators, or even more." "Dozens?" Chu Yaoqian was very surprised.

He Jiaqing further explained, "The prerequisite is sufficient training and the development of appropriate tactics, which is a very complex process."

Chu Yaoqian didn't quite understand the process, but she knew the ownership of these Three-Headed People: "I signed a contract with Li Qi, and these Three-Headed People are still his men, just lent to me." He Jiaqing smiled, "The hearts of the people cannot be determined by a single Paper Contract. These Three-Headed People have suffered a lot. As long as we treat them sincerely, they will definitely not let us down."

A group of Three-Headed People were ready to clear the land, and the examination was about to begin.

He Jiaqing reminded Chu Yaoqian: "Control the pace of land reclamation appropriately, and try not to provoke Inner State."

Chu Yaoqian was also worried about this matter. "I have half of the contract left in Inner State. Sooner or later they will come after me about this."

"I had already thought of this. There is a plague in Inner State right now, and some things are inconvenient to handle. After a while, I will find a way to bring your contract out of Inner State."

A tiger with deer antlers came to the edge of the Land Block, ready to begin its examination.

His gait was very strange, hesitant with each step, as if there was something wrong with his joints, his body tensing and relaxing, as if he were trying to keep up with some peculiar rhythm. Seeing this, Chu Yaoqian said, "What kind of trick is this tiger up to? He's a master at testing people; he's probably trying to use an illusion to deceive us."

After observing for a moment, He Jiaqing said, "Let the tiger leave here."

Chu Yaoqian said, "This is a test. He's Strange Monsters; if I stop him, it'll be against the rules." "He's been hit by a technique!"

As they were talking, the tiger walked over to a rabbit.

The rabbit didn't run away, but like the tiger, it moved closer to the Land Block with strange steps.

"This is Dance Cultivator!" Chu Yaoqian exclaimed in surprise. She herself was Dance Cultivator and could see traces of techniques in the tiger and rabbit dances, but she had never seen such Dance Steps before.

She also uses Peaceful and Prosperous Song and Dance to create a festive atmosphere and can get those around her dancing.

She had never seen a tiger Peaceful and Prosperous Song and Dance could make rabbits dance along with it before.

"Let me try to see if I can resolve this..." Before Chu Yaoqian could finish speaking, He Jiaqing suddenly appeared behind the tiger and threw out two nails from a distance of more than ten meters.

One of the nails went into the tiger's body, and the other went into the rabbit's body.

Tigers and rabbits are Strange Monsters from the new land, possessing exceptionally strong physiques; two nails are insufficient to kill them. He Jiaqing's index and middle fingers twitched, making a pincer-like gesture.

The two nails had been replaced by two thick tree branches, each over a meter long. The tiger and rabbit were impaled by the branches and died instantly. The Three-Headed People were stunned by this scene. They didn't recognize He Jiaqing, nor did they know what had happened to the tiger and rabbit.

He Jiaqing walked deeper into the forest and met Du Wenming under a willow tree.

Du Wenming leaned against a willow tree, hands in his pockets. "Want to do business? I have a great deal to offer." PS: Du Wenming is about to stir up a storm!