Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1229 595: Second War (Part 4)

The Old Man was right to remind me, I need to think of a more secure way to hide the lab.

What other way is there?

Array!

Set up a Three Gate Three Open Array in front of the lab door?

Firstly, the duration of this array is extremely limited.

Secondly, if someone passes the lab door, they'll be sent away immediately, clearly signaling to others there's something good here.

This array won't work, I need to learn a new one.

Li Banfeng went to the Ninth Room, it was a complete mess inside.

"What happened here?"

Miss Jiufang said coquettishly, "Junior Brother, I was having a nice chat with Sister Red Lotus, and she suddenly wanted to spar with me,

thinking I've stayed here so long without exercising my muscles, I exchanged a few moves with her, but she was too harsh and injured me."

Red Lotus angrily said, "Where are you hurt? Show me!"

Miss Jiufang felt wronged, "This house is my flesh, see that wall, that's my back, see that brick, that's my bone, see that table, that's my arm."

"Nonsense!" Red Lotus gritted her teeth, "That table was just bought, did you not have arms before?"

Miss Jiufang sighed, "Junior Brother, you heard it, she's so unreasonable, I speak nicely to her but she starts arguing with me."

Red Lotus shouted angrily, "Who wants to talk to you? I just want peace and quiet living here, who can stand you babbling all day long?"

Miss Jiufang snorted, "Oh, my mouth is on me, I don't need to eat, what can it do besides talk? Why shouldn't I talk?"

Red Lotus was close to exploding with anger, Li Banfeng moved her to the eighth room.

Returning to the Ninth Room, Miss Jiufang was still unhappy, "Junior Brother, she's the only one keeping me company, and you moved her away, are you trying to suffocate me?"

Li Banfeng said, "I'm here to keep you company, I've been practicing arrays recently, I'm quite skilled with the Three Gate Three Open Array now."

"Junior Brother, learning one is enough, you're thinking of using this as an excuse to get food from me again?"

Li Banfeng pulled up a chair, sat in the middle of the room, and patiently explained, "Jiuer..."

"Call me Senior Sister! What's 'Jiuer'? Those who don't know might think I'm your little wife."

"Ninth Senior Sister, us disciples from the Taoist Sect left in the world, only I'm left. The Taoist Sect's arrays are unique skills, if they're not passed down to me, who else could they be passed to?"

"Junior Brother, passing them to you isn't impossible, but if I teach you true skills, the saying 'starving the master' could come true. If I teach you everything, one day you might turn against me, thinking I'm useless, and with one 'Ironclad Evidence as Firm as a Mountain' move, make me vanish without a trace, where could I plead my case?"

"The past incidents are over, Senior Sister still holds a grudge?"

"Honestly, I am a petty person, this is something I'll probably never forget my whole life."

"You were the one who acted against my wife first, you were the one in the wrong, right?"

"Exactly, your wife is your family, why should I, an outsider, get involved? Why don't you ask her to teach you arrays?"

"Ninth Senior Sister," Li Banfeng sighed softly, "To be honest, I value my dignity, I really don't want to get tangled up here, but what other choice do I have?

In order to protect Fool's City, I don't know how many people I've offended, now hiding outside here and there, I struggle to even keep my own home safe,

I hope to set up an array at my door, hoping to fend off any enemy for a while, but when I ask Senior Sister for guidance on a couple of moves, she just won't agree,

If she doesn't agree, fine, pretend I never mentioned it, no one feels for me saying more, I'll just find a way myself."

Li Banfeng stood up to leave, an invisible hand patted his back, gently urging him to sit back down.

"Junior Brother, what's with the seriousness, I was joking. You want to learn some techniques, I'll teach you."

"Does Senior Sister truly wish to teach?"

"You use 'Sour and Bitter' so well, how could I bear not teaching you."

She saw through him.

It's fine even if she did, as long as she's willing to teach.

"Ninth Senior Sister, I want to learn the array of 'tight and loose together'."

This formation is great, just like the array in Fool's City, the entrance can only be found at a specific speed, too fast won't work, too slow won't either, it's perfect for use in a laboratory.

Miss Jiufang pondered for a moment: "Junior Brother, this won't work, it's not that I'm stalling, but you haven't learned the precise control of the pacing yet."

"How can I not learn it? I'm pretty good at managing the pace between fast and slow."

"What are you managing? Just look at the matter of Sour and Bitter, you keep charging headlong, not considering whether I can handle it or not, what kind of precise pacing is there in this?

Your mind is too impatient, this formation really doesn't suit you, listen to me, change it to another one."

What should we change it to?

"Then learn the Chaotic Flower Dazzling Array." Sun Tiecheng used this formation, just by sticking two branches in the ground, he could help Li Banfeng conceal the Buried Deed's location. Though it seemed perfunctory, it was quite effective; Bridge Yesong's Contract Book never had issues.

Yet Miss Jiu still didn't want to teach: "Junior Brother, I've told you, the Chaotic Flower Dazzling Array requires solid skills; you can't truly learn it in less than a decade."

Li Banfeng was displeased: "Not teaching this, nor that, what can I learn then?"

"Oh, Junior Brother, are you upset again? Fine, I'll teach you the Chaotic Flower Dazzling Array, do you remember how Sun Tiecheng arranged the formation?"

"He just took two branches and inserted them..."

"The key to inserting these two branches is choosing the correct position, using the proper depth and force to tear open an indescribable gap, releasing an indescribable power from the gap to confuse others' vision,

So there are three crucial points in the formation: position, depth, force. Junior Brother, you should find a thing, try inserting it."

Li Banfeng brought two wooden sticks over: "Where to insert?"

"Here."

A flowerpot was placed in front of Li Banfeng, holding a blooming rose.

Even without sunlight for years in the Portable Residence, this flower still bloomed. These were seeds bought from Zhang Wanlong; his crops could grow in New Land without sunlight.

Miss Jiu used a brush dipped in vermillion, marking two spots in the flowerpot's soil: "I've chosen the position for you, manage the depth and force, I'll close my eyes; once inserted, let me know,

if the array succeeds, when I open my eyes, I shouldn't see the rose."

Grasp the depth and force.

She didn't clarify what rules to follow in managing them.

Li Banfeng could only explore by feel, trying several times, but the rose stayed visible. Miss Jiu marked the sticks again: "I've even set the depth for you, just manage the force, try once more."

With position and depth set, only managing the force shouldn't be difficult.

After several tries, Miss Jiu urged: "Done yet?"

Li Banfeng felt he was close: "You can open your eyes and take a look, sister."

For a moment, the room was silent, Li Banfeng asked: "Sister, can you see it?"

Miss Jiu's tone turned icy: "Do you think I'm blind? This big rose is right there? I've taught you for all this time, what have you learned?"

Saying Li Banfeng was impatient, but Senior Sister's temper wasn't that great either.

Having learned for a day without progress, hearing his Senior Sister's nagging to an unbearable extent, Li Banfeng went to the laboratory.

His wife's mood wasn't great either; she encountered some trouble, with several experiments she couldn't proceed with: "Husband, you must allow Little Servant to stay a few more days, if Little Servant doesn't thoroughly understand this matter, her heart will remain uneasy."

Since his wife requested, Li Banfeng naturally agreed; for safety's sake, he left his Tang Sword and Old Teapot in the laboratory, to protect her together.

Li Banfeng returned to the Outside Provinces again, going to the Dark Star Bureau.

He called Shen Jingye to the office, pouring Shen Jingye a cup of tea specifically.

Shen Jingye didn't dare to drink: "Chief Li, what is it you need with me?"

Li Banfeng sincerely asked: "Little Shen, exactly how many archive rooms do we have in the Dark Star Bureau?"

Shen Jingye felt somewhat awkward: "Chief Li, this is confidential, you're asking me so directly?"

Li Banfeng brought the teacup to Shen Jingye's hand: "Aren't we all sincere friends?"

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