Chapter 308: Chapter 210 Platform Miaoying_2
He Jiaqing liked film cameras and enjoyed watching old movies shot on film.
Once, Li Banfeng watched a movie with him and even specifically asked, "Why do these old films always have some black lines and white dots?"
He Jiaqing gave him a special lesson. "That’s due to the wear and tear of the film and oxidation. Movie film runs at twenty-four frames per second, and when projected onto the screen, these blemishes turn into spots and fine lines. In the early days of film movies, this phenomenon was very common."
Film movies!
Li Banfeng’s head throbbed as a series of thoughts surfaced in his mind. Lu Xiaolan went looking for trouble with Zhengjing Village. A traitor emerged from Zhengjing Village. The traitor was the Phonograph. There was a hook on the Phonograph. The Ling Family. The Ling Family’s Ling Miaoying specialized in films!
Li Banfeng controlled his body and didn’t make any rash reactions.
He had fallen into a trap. This platform is fake! The train is also fake! Even the station staff are fake!
The station staff said to Li Banfeng, "Sir, you are in carriage three. Please board the train as soon as possible."
Li Banfeng looked down at his shoes and handed his suitcase to the station staff. "Could you hold this for me? My shoelace has come undone."
The station staff took the suitcase. Li Banfeng crouched down, suddenly pulling out a Sickle and slashing towards the staff member’s ankle.
This was one of Li Banfeng’s killing moves, impossible for ordinary people to avoid.
But the station staff simply lifted his foot and easily dodged it.
He reacted so quickly? And he moved so fast? This wasn’t about speed or reaction time. It was anticipation.
The moment Li Banfeng drew his blade, it made a sound that was heard by the station staff.
This station staff was none other than Ling Miaoying, a Seventh Layer Peeping Cultivation.
If he had wanted to kill Li Banfeng, Li Banfeng would have been dead long ago. But He Jiaqing’s orders were to capture him alive. To be safe, Ling Miaoying planned to put Li Banfeng on the train first.
His methods were just like the plan against Lu Dongjun. He lured Li Banfeng to a deserted platform and tricked him onto a specially made train. This fake train, a prop for Ling Miaoying’s films, was also a high-level Magical Treasure, filled with mechanisms and heavy sealing. With Li Banfeng’s cultivation level, once he was on the train, he shouldn’t even think about escaping.
However, Li Banfeng unexpectedly noticed something was amiss. He refused to get on the train, so they had to change tactics.
Ling Miaoying had prepared thoroughly. Even if Li Banfeng didn’t board the train, he had other contingencies, including Magical Treasures on the platform.
But before Ling Miaoying could make a move, the suitcase suddenly shattered, and a Tang Sword burst out from it, slashing towards Ling Miaoying’s face.
Li Banfeng didn’t need a suitcase; he had a Portable Residence and never carried luggage when he went out. The purpose of the suitcase was to divert attention, first to make Li Banfeng look like a normal traveler, and second to serve as a sneak attack at a critical moment.
Ling Miaoying dodged in panic, receiving a cut on his face from the Tang Sword. Lucky for him, his high cultivation level allowed him to hear the sound from inside the suitcase in advance. Otherwise, had he dodged a moment slower, half of his face would have been cut off by the Tang Sword.
The Tang Sword swept across, aiming for Ling Miaoying’s neck. The sword connected, but Ling Miaoying’s form shattered, and he suddenly vanished.
What’s happening here? Is it the Short Step technique? And what’s this about his form shattering?
Li Banfeng didn’t have time to think further. He retrieved the Tang Sword and immediately ran towards the platform exit.
After just two steps, Ling Miaoying suddenly appeared in front of him.
He’s so fast? Is he really a Traveling Cultivator?
Since the platform exit was blocked, Li Banfeng turned and ran towards the railway tracks. He reached the front of the steam locomotive, jumped off the platform, and landed on the wooden railroad ties.
Ling Miaoying reappeared in front of Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng forcefully stamped his foot, and a pebble underneath the tie crushed under his step.
Third Layer Technique of Traveling Cultivation: Trample Over Thousands of Rivers.
The shattered pebbles, like bullets, struck Ling Miaoying’s body, but Ling Miaoying was unscathed.
Even if he had a strong body and could withstand it, would his clothes also be that strong? After a shower of pebbles, not even a tear was left? The only reasonable explanation was that the opponent was too fast, had dodged all the pebbles, and had moved beyond Li Banfeng’s field of vision. A Seventh Layer Peeping Cultivator who also practices Dual Cultivation as a Traveling Cultivator, and his Traveling Cultivator cultivation level is even higher than mine?
Li Banfeng felt somewhat desperate. If the opponent was a high-level Traveling Cultivator, he had no chance of escaping.
Ling Miaoying smiled slightly. It seemed he was not in a rush to attack, waiting for Li Banfeng to give up resisting on his own.
The Silk-pulling Earrings suddenly reminded him, "Master, he makes no sound of footsteps."
No sound of footsteps?
Regardless of how fast a Traveling Cultivator moves, the sound of footsteps is unavoidable. Although the Silk-pulling Earrings were not of a high level, she had also eaten the flesh of the Insect Leader, so she should have experienced the expected growth and wouldn’t miss the sound of footsteps.
He is not a Traveling Cultivator. This is still a movie! What he saw was very likely an image of Ling Miaoying.
With this realization, Li Banfeng was no longer panicked and charged straight at Ling Miaoying.
Ling Miaoying’s body rapidly extended in all directions, becoming three walls—one in front, one to the left, and one to the right—blocking Li Banfeng’s path.
Li Banfeng didn’t care what his opponent turned into; he swung his Tang Sword directly upward to chop.
If the opponent is really Ling Miaoying, then I’ll chop him to death. If it’s just an image, then I’ll rush through.
CLANG!
The Tang Sword struck the wall, sending sparks flying.
Li Banfeng was stunned.
This wall is real!
After striking three times with the Tang Sword, it retracted back into Li Banfeng’s pocket.
Ling Miaoying laughed. "You think a movie must be fake?"
In a corner of the platform, there was a Projector. This was Ling Miaoying’s Magical Treasure, from which parts of the projection could transform into common, real objects.
Li Banfeng was in a dire situation.
In front, on the left, and on the right were walls, with a locomotive to his back.
According to Ling Miaoying’s conjecture, Li Banfeng’s only escape was to climb onto the train. The train was full of traps, and once Li Banfeng climbed onto it, he would be immediately ensnared.
Unexpectedly, Li Banfeng charged head-on at the wall.
Using his Fourth Layer Traveling Cultivator technique, Unimpeded, Li Banfeng passed through the wall and sprinted ahead along the railway track.
Fourth Layer Technique? Ling Miaoying frowned. He Jiaqing had said this friend’s cultivation level would not exceed the Third Layer, but it seemed his estimation was incorrect.
No matter. Ling Miaoying was prepared and immediately gave chase.
Li Banfeng heard footsteps closing in—this was indeed Ling Miaoying’s true form.
We’re matching speed. Why can he catch up to me?
It was because Ling Miaoying’s shoes were special. They were among his props, a Spiritual Object that granted incredible speed.
In the blink of an eye, the two had run more than a hundred meters along the track, leaving the control range of the Projector. The originally bright tracks lost their disguise and appeared rusted and decayed; it was an abandoned railway.
Next to the abandoned tracks, a new, active railway line appeared.
A coal-laden train was heading straight at them, a train truly in operation.
Ling Miaoying’s brows furrowed deeply; he was worried that Li Banfeng would jump onto this train.
I can’t hesitate; I have to go for the kill. As long as Li Banfeng is left with enough breath to reveal Red Lotus’s whereabouts, it’s acceptable even if he’s permanently disabled.
Ling Miaoying pulled out a pistol from his chest. This pistol was also a Spiritual Object; as long as the gunpowder ignited, the bullet was certain to hit its target with immense power. Just one bullet could leave Li Banfeng disabled, losing his ability to move for life.
The only flaw of this gun was its loud report. On the railway, Ling Miaoying did not want to make such a big commotion, as the railways were under the control of the Outside Provinces. He didn’t want to offend the Border Defense Envoy over this. He had intended to capture Li Banfeng silently, but now he couldn’t afford to worry too much.
CLICK!
The first bullet misfired.
The train roared by, passing right beside them.
Ling Miaoying was about to fire the second shot when he saw Li Banfeng’s figure vanish.
Where did he go? Did he jump on the train?
Ling Miaoying immediately halted, watching the train whiz by. He did not see Li Banfeng’s figure, nor did he hear any sound from him. But he had heard the sound of metal colliding.
It seems Li Qi threw something onto the train.
Ling Miaoying prepared to jump onto the train to inspect closely when he saw a man in uniform standing at the edge of a carriage, looking at him coldly.
A train attendant.
Ling Miaoying furrowed his brows and took a few steps back, away from the railway track.
Under any circumstances, do not provoke train attendants—this was an iron rule of survival in Puluo State.
The train attendant inspected the carriages and, finding nothing unusual, returned to his rest area, brewed a cup of tea, and continued reading his newspaper.
He did not notice that in one of the coal-laden carriages, an extra key had appeared.
「Sixteen hours later.」
Li Banfeng appeared in the carriage and picked up the key.
PS: Coal-laden train carriages are open-topped.