Three Heads Junction

Three Heads Junction

He Jiaqing reminded Li Banfeng that he had to abide by the rules on the train.

Li Banfeng quickly drew the curtains tight and locked the carriage door.

He took out two cups of instant noodles, filled them with hot water from the tea furnace in the carriage, and ate them.

It seemed to be some kind of brand seared into the soul—in a train, instant noodles became exceptionally delicious.

After eating his fill, Li Banfeng sat in his chair and replied to He Jiaqing: "Tell me now. What exactly is going on?"

He Jiaqing replied, "I'm trapped in Medicine King Gully. When you get to my home, we'll talk face-to-face."

"First tell me where Medicine King Gully is. Is it still in Yue East Province?"

"Not in Yue East Province. It's in Pro State. Without that thing, I can't get away."

"What kind of place is Pro State?"

"Brother, I've overdrawn myself. I can barely hold on. We'll talk when we meet."

"What's in that package?"

"Let me rest for a while first. I'll definitely tell you, but remember this: don't open the package."

He Jiaqing stopped sending messages.

Li Banfeng took the package from his backpack, set it on the dining table, and stared at it quietly for a long while.

To say he wasn't curious would be a lie.

To say he wouldn't open it was impossible.

The key was when to open it.

Li Banfeng was certain that it contained some rare and priceless treasure.

But when he thought of the Big-Eyed Man's call, the man called Team Leader Xiao had mentioned that this thing would kill many people.

Could it be some kind of poison? Or a biochemical weapon, like bacteria or a virus?

He Jiaqing did not send any more messages. He really had overdrawn himself.

Li Banfeng was exhausted too. Back in the dormitory, he had been unable to sleep no matter what, but now that he was in the carriage, drowsiness came crashing over him so swiftly that it was impossible to resist.

He took out his phone and began searching for information on Pro State, Medicine King Gully, and Green Water Bay.

The information on his phone was a mixed bag, impossible to sort through. Li Banfeng searched for a long time but found nothing of value.

The lights in the carriage were dim. Inside the lampshades seemed to be the kind of light bulbs he had rarely seen even as a child, casting a yellow haze that made his eyelids heavy.

The curtains were drawn tightly, without the slightest gap. He could only see the shadows of the scenery outside rolling backward.

The panting of the steam train, the clatter of wheels against rails, and the occasional whistle formed a hypnotic white noise. Li Banfeng unconsciously walked into the bedroom, lay down on the berth, and fell asleep.

He did not remember how long he slept. He had drunk water and gone to the restroom in between, until a violent pounding on the door finally jolted him fully awake.

"Big brother, big brother! Please open the door and let me stay inside for a little while. Just a little while." A woman's voice came from outside the carriage door, urgent, panicked, and choked with tears.

A child was pleading too. "Uncle, please, open the door. Please."

The child began to cry.

Li Banfeng did not open the door.

The train broadcast had said that unless necessary, strangers were not to be allowed into the carriage.

And there was another crucial question.

How did they know he was a big brother? How did that child know he was an uncle?

Since boarding, Li Banfeng had never left the carriage. Aside from the ticket inspector, he had not seen anyone else.

"Big brother, I'm begging you. Let me stay inside for a little while. I'll leave soon!"

"Uncle, open the door..."

Knock, knock, knock!

The pounding grew more frantic, and the crying more pitiful.

Li Banfeng did not respond. At that moment, the steam train was slowing down.

The broadcast sounded. "Dear passengers, Three Heads Junction Station is approaching. Passengers disembarking here, please gather your personal belongings and prepare to get off in advance."

"I'm begging you, big brother! Let my child hide inside for a while. I won't go in!" the woman shrieked herself hoarse outside the door.

What had happened? Why did they have to hide in his carriage?

Li Banfeng went to the door. He had intended to take a look outside through the crack, when he faintly heard a man's voice: "Kick the door down. He's not going to open it!"

Li Banfeng hurriedly backed away from the door and searched around for anything he could use as a weapon.

There were three people outside?

There was even a man!

He had underestimated the dangers on this train.

"Kick it down! If you don't kick it now, it'll be too late!" The man's voice came again.

Did he really dare kick the door down?

I bet he doesn't. Otherwise, he would've done it long ago.

Inside and outside the door, both sides were locked in a standoff.

Hissss—

With a long release of steam, the train came to a stop.

Clatter!

Li Banfeng heard carriage doors opening as the attendant lowered the boarding steps.

"Open the door! Open the door! I fucking told you to open it! Are you opening it or not..." The woman cursed wildly.

The door shook violently. She had started kicking it.

How strange—why was the woman the one kicking the door?

Though he could not see them, he could tell from the rhythm of the sounds that the person cursing and kicking was the same person: that woman!

The door shook violently, ready to be kicked open at any moment.

Li Banfeng readied the spicy strips and the thermos from the carriage. They were the only two weapons handy enough to use.

His neck felt a little itchy.

Li Banfeng had no free hand to scratch it!

No, this was too much. It itched unbearably.

Why did it have to be at a time like this?

Li Banfeng set down the thermos and scratched his neck hard twice, then immediately picked the thermos back up.

Bang! Bang!

The carriage door was about to be kicked open when another voice came from outside. "You've arrived at your station. Please get off immediately."

It was the attendant's voice!

The attendant was warning the woman that she had reached her stop.

Li Banfeng relaxed slightly. He put down the thermos and scratched his neck several more times.

The woman screamed, "I'm not getting off! I'll find a way to pay for the ticket later. I can't get off at Three Heads Junction. The Peddler has already left. I have to get off at the next station. I have to go to Sea Eat Ridge!"

What Peddler?

The Peddler had left, so why did she have to go to Sea Eat Ridge?

Li Banfeng was still completely baffled when he heard a burst of scuffling and shoving outside the carriage.

The woman shouted, "I'm not getting off!"

The child shouted, "Not getting off!"

The man shouted, "We'll pay for the tickets in a moment!"

The woman, child, and man all shouted at once. The sounds of scuffling and collisions never ceased, but the voices grew farther and farther away. It seemed they had fought with the attendant all the way off the train.

Not long after, the attendant pulled back the boarding steps and shut the carriage door.

Li Banfeng returned to his chair, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and scratched his neck as he pieced together what had happened.

The three of them had wanted to enter his carriage to dodge the fare.

If he had let them in, they probably would have occupied the carriage. And that would have been the least of it.

They dared kick down doors, dared fight the attendant, and did not have money for tickets. Once inside, they would surely have robbed him.

If he could not beat them, his money, instant noodles, spicy strips, potato chips, and He Jiaqing's treasure probably would all have been lost.

The rest was negotiable, but the instant noodles absolutely could not be taken. Without instant noodles, how was he supposed to survive this journey?

Sitting by the window, Li Banfeng took several gulps of water to calm himself.

Huff, huff—

After stopping for more than ten minutes, the steam train started moving again.

His neck was growing itchier and itchier. It felt like a rash had broken out!

Li Banfeng took out his phone, intending to check the time, when he suddenly heard something slapping against the window.

Who was hitting the window?

Was it those three people from before?

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dull thuds came one after another.

The train was picking up speed, yet the slapping never stopped.

Was this person chasing the train and slapping his window?

How fast did he have to run?

Li Banfeng was horrified and did not dare remain seated by the window.

He wanted to lift the curtain and look, but remembering the broadcast's warning, he did not rashly reach for it.

The train passed a streetlamp. Under its light, the figure outside was cast onto the curtain.

Li Banfeng saw broad palms, powerful arms, a broad chest, and shoulders even broader than that chest.

Upon those broad shoulders were three heads. Though they flashed past in an instant, Li Banfeng was certain he had not seen wrong.

Was this the person who had kicked the carriage door earlier?

It had to be!

Li Banfeng had thought there were three people outside the door, but in truth there had only been one—a person with three heads!

The conversation he had heard earlier had been spoken in turns by that one person's three heads.

This place was called Three Heads Junction.

Did this Three-Headed Person have some inevitable connection to Three Heads Junction?

The train passed a row of streetlamps, and the Three-Headed Person's figure flashed repeatedly across the curtain.

One hand gripped the outer edge of the train window. His body was already hanging in midair, while his other hand kept slapping the window.

The window glass seemed ready to crack at any moment.

Li Banfeng picked up the spicy strips and thermos again, preparing for a fight.

Suddenly, a pole extended down from the roof. It jabbed more than a dozen times in rapid succession, knocking the Three-Headed Person off the train window.

It was the attendant.

The attendant poked the Three-Headed Person off the train, withdrew the pole, then calmly jumped down to the connection between the carriages and returned inside.

Li Banfeng stood in the center of the carriage, not daring to get too close to either the door or the window.

Screeeech—

The broadcast sounded again. "Dear passengers, welcome aboard the 1160 Train. Passengers who have boarded, please do not move around at will..."

His neck was getting itchier and itchier. Li Banfeng scratched it a few times and discovered he had already broken the skin and drawn blood.

What was going on?

Why was only his neck so itchy?

Am I going to grow two more heads too?

What if they really grow out?

"Then let them grow! How lonely it is to be alone!"

"We'll always be by your side. We can keep you company and talk with you!"

Li Banfeng seemed to hear two people speaking right beside his ears!

PS: Four updates today. There will be another at midnight.

(End of this chapter)