Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Chapter 867 - 509: The Gu Cultivator in the Textile Factory (Part 4)

Li Banfeng didn’t draw a conclusion, letting Dumpling measure at different points six times, with each result around 12 meters, but the final results were all different.

Dumpling insisted that this was due to measurement error. Li Banfeng repeatedly compared the six sets of data and asked Dumpling to move the measuring equipment back to the first point and measure again.

Were it someone else asking her to return to the starting point to re-measure, Dumpling would feel she was being messed with.

But working with Li Qi, there’s no suffering losses, so Dumpling carried the equipment back to the first point.

After the measurement was completed, Dumpling saw the data on the screen: 13.1 meters.

12.3 and 13.1, that gap is quite significant.

Dumpling measured repeatedly, and the reading was consistently 13.1 meters.

Such a precise electronic measuring device couldn’t have such a large error unless the equipment was broken.

Looking at Li Banfeng, Dumpling was unsure how to explain it, but Li Banfeng wasn’t surprised by the result.

Dumpling measured with the equipment, Li Qi measured with his steps; at the same place, measuring again after a while, the distance indeed changed.

The Unnamable!

This was completely consistent with Luo Zhengnan’s experiment results.

Li Banfeng didn’t rush to explain and led Dumpling through the corridor towards Workshop Four.

At the entrance of Workshop Four, Li Banfeng touched his Silk-pulling Earrings.

"Sir, there’s no movement nearby." The Silk-pulling Earrings detected no anomalies.

Insightful Spirit Sound also heard nothing unusual.

If it couldn’t be heard, it could be smelled.

Li Banfeng activated the Hundred Flavors Delicate Skill.

All bugs carry a distinctive scent, even emitting the slightest odor couldn’t escape his nose.

Are there bugs?

There really are.

A few mosquitoes hovered nearby, exuding a pungent fishy smell, no matter how often the ground was cleaned, these things would never become extinct.

Apart from these mosquitoes, Li Banfeng didn’t detect any other insect scents.

If the scent couldn’t be detected, it could be seen.

Leaving Workshop Four and entering Workshop Five, Li Banfeng’s pupils contracted, activating the Golden Gaze Autumn Hair.

Chen Changrui encountered centipedes in Workshop Five. According to his wife’s judgment, the previously appearing meatball was an insect pouch cultivated by a high-level Gu Cultivator.

Considering Chen Changrui’s encounter, Workshop Five should be the place where this Gu Cultivator bred centipedes. The Gu Cultivator used some special means to hide the unformed centipedes, evading Chen Changrui’s sight, and successfully launched a surprise attack on Chen Changrui’s subordinates.

In Puluo State, Pan Dehai and Bei Wushuang are both adept at concealment, yet Li Banfeng could still see them. The nature of this Gu Cultivator is unknown, but likely couldn’t evade Golden Gaze Autumn Hair.

Wandering in Workshop Five for a moment, Li Banfeng didn’t see the Gu Cultivator or any bugs. Passing by a lathe, Li Banfeng stepped on a stone and stumbled.

The Traveling Cultivator Above the Clouds stumbled because he stepped on a stone.

This situation is very unreasonable.

According to the Coachman’s theory of Seek Fortune and Avoid Disaster, encountering abnormal behavior requires vigilance.

Li Banfeng stood in the workshop for a moment, a chill slowly climbing up his spine.

"Go!" Li Banfeng took Dumpling back to Workshop Three, with Dumpling hurrying to pack up the equipment.

Before the equipment could be packed, Li Banfeng shivered, turning back to Dumpling: "Leave the factory area immediately."

Dumpling was unaware of the situation, reminding Li Banfeng: "The measuring device is very expensive, if it’s damaged, we can’t explain it."

"Don’t worry about that, I’ll discuss it with Shen Jingye and have him give an explanation."

"Should we call Director Shen for support?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not for now, you head outside the factory and rendezvous with Light Bulb and the others, wait for my news."

Dumpling didn’t ask further, running to the big willow tree, leaping over the wall.

...

At the foot of the wall, Light Bulb was chatting with Ming Xing: "Do you think Captain Chen can be reinstated?"

Ming Xing shook his head: "I think it’s difficult, it’s one thing if something happens occasionally, but now? The Explosives Team just had nine fatalities, and our Public Security Team added two serious injuries, this is obviously giving Bureau Shen a hard time."

"What if Bureau Chief Li is willing to help him?"

Ming Xing thought for a moment: "Bureau Chief Li came late at night, it seems he really wants to help Captain Chen, but I don’t understand, Bureau Chief Li is from Puluo State, why would he help Captain Chen? Are they relatives? Or had any connections before?"

The two squatted at the foot of the wall chatting idly, unaware that Dumpling flew over the wall.

Because Dumpling didn’t fly over at all.

Landing on the ground, Dumpling found herself not outside the textile factory but still in the yard.

However, this courtyard was somewhat different from the large factory yard. Many machines and equipment were missing, and the large factory yard had six workshops, now only one workshop stood alone in the center of the yard.

"Seventh Master..." Dumpling called out softly, not daring to raise her voice too much.

Where is this place?

Dumpling quickly calmed down and began analyzing her position.

She had just reached the wall, where there was a large willow tree, the position was correct.

She jumped from this position, logically, she should have left the factory area, but she hadn’t.

The outside of the wall and the outside of the factory area were different places.

Between the outside of the wall and the outside of the factory area was an invisible space, academically it should be called a Hidden Form Space, or perhaps something even more concealed than a Hidden Form Space.

Is that really the case?

Is the judgment correct?

Dumpling’s thinking remained clear, regardless of the accuracy of the judgement, she needed to make a decision, whether to jump back over the wall immediately or explore this newly emerged factory area.

She hesitated for a moment and decided to jump back over the wall; investigating this unknown space clearly exceeded her current capability.

She turned around, intending to jump over the wall, but found the brick wall densely covered with centipedes.

The centipedes fell from the wall and quickly swarmed onto Dumpling.

Dumpling shook off the centipedes, immediately moving away from the wall, after taking a few steps, a numb itch caught her on the calf, large numbers of centipedes crawled onto her shoes, into her pant legs, and up her leg.

The centipedes here are highly venomous, a bite could be life-threatening.

Dumpling cut open the pant leg with a knife, first shaking off the centipedes, then drew a pen from her bosom and flung the ink out.

The splattered ink turned into large "ten" characters, pinning the centipedes on the ground; Dumpling slipped through the gaps between the words, writing swiftly mid-air to scribe another set of text for a second round of attacks.

After two rounds of the Counting Ink and Seeking Line Skill, many centipedes were killed, allowing Dumpling to gain some time to sprint along the wall, searching for an exit.

After running a dozen steps, the workshop in the center of the yard suddenly shook slightly.

On the workshop, several dozen windows opened simultaneously.

Each window protruded an iron pipe, sticking into the ground, as if two rows of supporting legs were added on both sides of the workshop.

Whoosh! Several dozen iron pipes spewed white mist consecutively, seemingly driven by steam equipment.

Squee squee squee~ Creak!

The iron pipes moved alternately, like dozens of legs, gradually crawling the rectangular workshop towards Dumpling.

Dumpling dared not linger, continuing to sprint along the wall, but had only run a few steps when the crawling workshop blocked her path.

How could this thing crawl so fast?

Dumpling turned to run again, the workshop pursued her, with centipedes large and small following the workshop, surrounding Dumpling, the workshop raised a massive steel pipe, thrusting at Dumpling’s back.

With no path forward or backward, Dumpling prepared to use her Counting Ink and Seeking Line Skill for a desperate fight, then suddenly heard a cracking sound from the wall beside her.

Boom!

A cloud of dust settled, and a gap appeared in the wall.

Path-breaking Technique.

Li Banfeng grabbed Dumpling and brought her back to the previous factory yard.

Through the cracked path on the wall, the centipede-like workshop could still be seen.

Li Banfeng walked to the inside of the wall, asking the centipede workshop: "Are you from Inner State?"

The workshop writhed for a moment, raising half of its body in front of Li Banfeng.

PS: Apparently Inner State has more than just toads and crucian carp.

Thanks to Alliance Hierarch 20190911070228474, for the strong support of Shala.