Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

"Husband, all you need to do is push this Phonograph, place the previous record on it, and walk around your territory for a bit; you can get rid of all the hooks. But after playing one song, the Phonograph needs to rest for three days. If you want to get rid of more hooks, you'll need to move faster."

"Move faster? That's... quite difficult!"

Li Banfeng initially wanted to say it was easy, but he promptly swallowed his words.

Using a record on the Phonograph to directly eliminate an enemy was one of her special Techniques.

Yet, Li Banfeng still hadn't figured out the principle behind this special Technique.

"Wife, what is the mystery behind your special Technique? Can you tell me?"

"Oh, Husband, we're a married couple; we should have no secrets. The trick lies in engraving a good record, tracing the hooks back, and then firmly stabbing the other party."

"Did you stab him to death?"

"Let Little Servant smell it first." The Phonograph needle traveled over the record, and after a moment, it sang, "One is dead, another is still alive."

"You can smell that?"

"There's a smell of blood on the record."

Li Banfeng held the record and sniffed it for a long time but couldn't pick up any scent.

"Wife, if we want to use this Technique again, how long must we wait?"

"Little Servant needs some time to recover. In the past, when Little Servant's physique was sound, two or three months would have been enough. But now it's hard to say—it will depend on Husband's methods."

Depend on my methods? Li Banfeng was taken aback. Could it be that Wife needs me the most? Would taking good care of her speed up the Technique's recovery? Weren't my previous methods sufficient? Should I learn some special skills from Ma Wu? Like perhaps heating the oil a bit more?

"Wife, the methods you're talking about are..." Li Banfeng asked nervously.

"Oh, Husband, you need to buy groceries! Little Servant recovers faster when she eats well."

"Alright."

"Husband, what's with you? Why do you sound so listless?"

"I'm fine, really... Wife, please teach me that Technique."

"Husband, don't be in a hurry. You can't learn this Technique yet. When your cultivation level is high enough, it won't be too late for Little Servant to teach you."

"One is dead, another is still alive." Who is the one that's still alive?

At the Yuezhou Sanatorium, medical personnel crowded the ward.

Bloodstains were found on He Jiaqing's hospital bed, but the origin of the blood was unknown.

The Dark Star Bureau had received the news and asked Big Head to take a look.

Big Head inquired with the attending Physician, who replied, "He Jiaqing's vital signs were abnormal last night, and there were bloodstains on the bed, but the cause is unclear."

"You said his vital signs were abnormal. Could the medical equipment have been interfered with?"

"I cannot rule out that possibility, but I have confidence in the reliability of our equipment."

Big Head nodded. "I'll report this situation to the bureau."

After the medical staff dispersed, Big Head stayed in the ward for a while.

He Jiaqing, who had been comatose on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes and rolled his eyeballs in the direction of the park.

Big Head did not make a sound and silently left the hospital.

Late at night, Big Head arrived at Flower Lake Park, walked behind the Western-style building, and approached the weeping woman step by step.

The ground sank, and Big Head dove into the water.

He didn't head to the bottom of the lake but confirmed the direction and swam southward.

Fighters (Martial Cultivators) possess astonishingly strong physiques. He quickly made it to shore and sat by the bank, gasping for breath.

This wasn't the first time he had come ashore, as He Jiaqing had taught him how before.

Sitting by the bank, he surveyed his surroundings, which were enveloped in darkness and desolation.

In the distance, there was a flickering bonfire. Big Head headed towards the light.

He Jiaqing sat beside the fire, smiling. "Thank you for helping to cover for me today."

Big Head shook his head. "I'm afraid it won't be enough to cover for you. The hospital called the bureau and informed Captain Chen about your condition. He's been keeping an eye on you for a long time and might send a Doctor to examine you."

"A Doctor? Are you referring to a Medicine Cultivator? What cultivation level?"

"Considering how seriously they're taking this, I estimate the person they send won't be below the Sixth Layer."

"I'm not afraid of the Sixth Layer."

"You should still be cautious. I'm worried that Doctor might bring a Prohibited Item."

"A Prohibited Item? Isn't that just a Magical Treasure? It also depends on the level of the Magical Treasure."

"The level won't be low. In any case, be extra careful."

He Jiaqing sighed. "It seems I really do need to fall ill."

Big Head was silent for a long time before advising He Jiaqing, "You should go back to Puluo State. It's not a solution to keep hiding this."

He Jiaqing shook his head. "I can't leave yet. I still have unfinished business."

"What business?"

"I want to help those who deserve dignity live with it. People like you."

"I'm doing fine," Big Head said, looking down. "The Bureau treats me well. I'm a special case, and they've never discriminated against me."

"Why would they discriminate against you?"

"I'm different, not normal. I've accidentally killed someone in the line of duty before. It wasn't intentional, but I can't control myself. People like me are like that—a hidden danger, a scourge, a threat to this world. People like me should be eliminated. But the Bureau didn't abandon me; they didn't give up on me. They gave me a way out. What more could I ask for?"

He Jiaqing frowned. "Is that what the Bureau taught you?"

Big Head looked at He Jiaqing. "Isn't that right?"

"No!" He Jiaqing shook his head. "You're not a scourge, not a hidden danger, nor a threat. You are one of this world's elite. Your inability to control your strength is because your talent is too great, and it hasn't been properly cultivated and guided. You deserve proper respect and dignity. You don't need anyone to charitably give you a way out. That's what I'm here to do."

Big Head said nothing.

He Jiaqing smiled. "You look so haggard. You haven't been sleeping well these past two days, have you?"

"My wife's workplace is a bit far, so I have to get up early every day to drive her to work."

After a moment of thought, He Jiaqing said, "I heard that hotel will be allocating dormitories in a couple of days. They're very close to the hotel. Have your wife pick a good one."

Big Head's eyes lit up. "How big is the dormitory?"

"Around 120 square meters, three bedrooms and a living room. You should all move there. Your child hasn't finished elementary school yet, but I hear the elementary school nearby is quite good too."

Big Head's expression dimmed again. "My child's school district... isn't over there..."

"The hotel will sort out the school district. If they can handle it for middle school, elementary school will be even easier," He Jiaqing said, standing up. "Come on, let's take a walk around. I'm not too familiar with this area either."

Dormitories allocated—three bedrooms and a living room. Even the elementary school placement settled. Big Head wasn't a fool. He knew He Jiaqing was helping him.

He looked up at He Jiaqing. "I... I can't take any more... I owe you too much."

"Don't talk about debts. We're Brothers; there's no need for such talk between us," He Jiaqing said, pulling Big Head up. "I consider you a Brother, and I just want to see you live with dignity."

Brother... At Big Head's age, the word felt somewhat foreign to him.

"That's, um, I..."

He Jiaqing pointed to his own ear. "Could you speak up a bit from now on? I've gone completely deaf in one ear. It's permanent and can't be restored."

After arranging Ling Miaowen's funeral affairs, Ling Miaosheng returned to the Phonograph Shop. With a feather duster in hand, he began cleaning each Phonograph, one by one.

He had already received some news: his Phonograph Shop would struggle to attract business from now on, and before long, the Lu Family would likely come knocking.

"Second Brother, how do you plan to handle what's coming next?" His third brother, Ling Miaoying, arrived.

"My plans?" Ling Miaosheng snorted coldly. "Does it matter what I plan? When have you and Eldest Brother ever consulted me in your dealings?"

"Well, aren't we asking you now? With Eldest Brother gone, our Ling Family is doomed to suffer."

Ling Miaosheng sighed. "I told you not to hang hooks on my Phonographs, but you wouldn't listen. Now my business is completely ruined. What's wrong with conducting business honestly? What exactly did you hope to achieve by causing all this trouble?"

Ling Miaoying's expression darkened. "Second Brother, speak with some Conscience! If we Brothers had always been 'honest,' we would have starved to death on the streets long ago! Eldest Brother is gone, and it'll be our turn soon. If you want to remain 'honest,' we can just wait here to die. If you come to your senses, find me at the main residence!"

P.S. Ling Miaosheng had met Li Banfeng.