Chapter 47: Yellow Words

"Are you here to buy books or just to read, young master?"

As he entered the bookstore, a young girl approached him. She looked seventeen or eighteen, with a pure and quite captivating face. Though slightly less striking than Teacher Shen Biru, she was still undoubtedly a rare beauty.

"Do you have... martial artist level six cultivation manuals here?" Zhang Xuan stated his purpose.

"Martial artist level six cultivation techniques? Young master, you must be joking," the girl replied, shaking her head. "Each one of those is incredibly valuable. A small business like ours isn't authorized to sell them. We do have a few introductory cultivation methods, though..." Her bookstore primarily stocked humanities, geography, and celebrity biographies. Cultivation techniques were considered secrets among cultivators; they weren't something one could casually browse or purchase.

"Then... do you know anywhere they are sold?" Seeing his hopes dashed, Zhang Xuan sighed and looked at her expectantly.

"Sold?" The girl shook her head. "Cultivation techniques of that caliber are never sold; there aren't any for sale in the entire Tianxuan Royal City. However... some powerful individuals have extensive collections in their homes. If you have a good connection, you might be able to view them there!"

"View? Even just being able to view them would be great!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. With his Heaven's Path Library, he didn't need to buy anything. Simply browsing such books would automatically generate the information he needed.

"Do you happen to know of any senior who has such books in their home and allows others to view them?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Allows others to view?" The girl furrowed her brow, about to shake her head, but then something came to mind. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and she smiled. "I do know someone, but he's known for being quite eccentric! If he's in a good mood, you could take every book from his house and he wouldn't mind. If he's in a bad mood, forget about looking at books; he won't even let you through the door..."

"Such a person exists?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Then, might I trouble you to point me in the direction of this senior's residence?"

"I don't have much business right now anyway; I can take you there directly!" The girl smiled.

"Thank you for your trouble!" He hadn't expected the girl to be so considerate as to offer to take him herself, and he nodded with a touch of gratitude.

The girl led the way, and they both headed out. Through their conversation, Zhang Xuan learned that the girl's name was Huang Yu, and she owned the bookstore. From its appearance, it seemed she hadn't been open for long, perhaps only a few tens of days.

"Does the person you mentioned have many books at home?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask after they had walked for a while.

"Of course! He's a renowned scholar throughout the entire kingdom, and Emperor Shen Zhui's former teacher!" Huang Yu said with an admiring expression. "Someone who has free access to the royal library—do you think his personal collection wouldn't be extensive?"

"Emperor Shen Zhui's teacher? The former Imperial Tutor?" Zhang Xuan gasped in astonishment. The King of Tianxuan Kingdom was named Shen Zhui. No one knew his exact strength, only that he was the kingdom's most powerful individual, unrivaled by anyone. To be a teacher to such a figure required meticulous selection through multiple rigorous stages. Even the dean of their Hongtian Academy might not qualify!

"He was his calligraphy and painting teacher, not his cultivation teacher. Even so, he's incredibly influential and deeply respected by His Majesty!" Huang Yu's expression turned serious as she cautioned, "Old Mr. Lu Chen is always refined and particular about rules. He absolutely despises juniors speaking carelessly. Once we arrive, it's best if you don't speak unless necessary. Otherwise, you'll have no chance of borrowing books from him!"

"Understood," Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Also, I have other business there, so you'll have to handle the book request yourself. Don't let it interfere with what I need to do!" Huang Yu added, rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you!" Zhang Xuan smiled slightly, understanding her intention. He was already grateful that she was willing to take him. Whether he succeeded in borrowing the books depended on his own ability; if not, there was nothing to be done. After all, he was a teacher; he couldn't possibly embarrass a young girl.

"The old gentleman prefers obedient juniors. Whatever he says, just nod and agree. You know scholars like him can be quite conservative, and some of his ideas might be out of touch with younger generations, but just don't let it bother you!" Huang Yu advised again.

The two continued walking, soon leaving the commercial district behind. They navigated a series of winding alleys until they arrived in front of a residence.

"This is old Mr. Lu Chen's residence!" Huang Yu said, pointing ahead.

Zhang Xuan looked up. The residence before them was not as luxurious or expansive as he had imagined. It had a very ordinary entrance, lacking even a nameplate. If the girl hadn't led him there, he might have mistaken it for a common dwelling. This was... where the Imperial Tutor lived? It was almost unbelievable.

"Old Mr. Lu Chen has lived frugally his entire life," Huang Yu explained, sensing his confusion. "Emperor Shen Zhui offered to rebuild his residence several times, but he always firmly refused."

Zhang Xuan nodded, his heart filling with solemn respect. Despite such a high status, to live with integrity, without extravagance or pretense—this old gentleman truly seemed to be a person of remarkable character.

*Clip-clop, clip-clop!* Just as he was about to knock, a carriage came galloping down the alley, its horse hooves echoing clearly.

*Screech!* The carriage halted beside them, and a young man lifted the curtain and stepped out. He was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth dressed in white, with a slender build and a face as refined as jade. He exuded an air of superiority, clearly a wealthy young master.

"Xiao Yu? You're here too!" Upon seeing Huang Yu, the young man in white brightened and immediately adopted an ingratiating manner.

"My name is Huang Yu. Don't be so mushy; we're not that familiar with each other!" Huang Yu pouted, clearly disgusted.

"Given our families' relationship, calling you Xiao Yu is perfectly fine. Besides, didn't I always call you that when we were children? So, are you also here to visit old Mr. Lu Chen today?" The young man in white chuckled softly, flicking his sleeve in a confident gesture. "Heh heh, don't even bother thinking about that item; it's definitely going to be mine!"

"It's not decided yet whose it will be! I just hope you don't cry when the time comes!" Huang Yu retorted, not backing down.

"We'll see about that!" The young man in white chuckled lightly, then finally noticed Zhang Xuan and frowned. "Who is this? Xiao Yu, why would you bring an outsider here...?"

"Who I bring is none of your business!" Huang Yu retorted, giving him no respect whatsoever.

"Hmph, kid, no matter who you are, I advise you to stay away from Xiao Yu. She's not someone a nobody like you can meddle with!" The young man in white narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan was speechless. He couldn't believe he was being threatened simply for trying to borrow a book. Zhang Xuan felt utterly helpless. As he'd say in his previous life, this was truly unbelievable! Huang Yu had merely brought him along. What connection did he have with her? Was this really necessary?

Feeling irritated by the threat, he stretched and waved a hand dismissively. "You certainly involve yourself in a lot. Don't trouble yourself worrying about me!"

"Very well. I hope you don't regret those words!" The young man in white raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes, unable to believe that a nobody he'd never seen before dared to speak to him that way. Ignoring them, he strode to the courtyard gate and raised a hand to knock.

"Why are you so reckless...?" As the young man knocked, Huang Yu's slightly anxious voice transmitted directly into Zhang Xuan's ear.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Xuan asked, looking confused.

"Do you even know who he is, daring to speak to him like that?" Huang Yu asked, feeling helpless at his utterly clueless expression. She truly wondered if he was incredibly brave or simply lacked common sense.

"Who cares who he is..." Zhang Xuan dismissed with a wave of his hand. "What does his identity have to do with me?"

"You..." Seeing the young man's demeanor, Huang Yu genuinely wondered if she had brought an idiot. His eyes clearly showed complete indifference, utterly unconcerned about the other person's status. With no other choice, she reluctantly introduced, "He's Bai Xun, the only son of the King of Zhennan!"

The King of Zhennan was known as the Tianxuan Kingdom's most influential official, second only to Emperor Shen Zhui himself. Offending his only son was practically inviting trouble throughout the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. She had expected him to panic and ask her how to resolve the situation once he knew the young man's identity. Instead, Zhang Xuan simply stared back at her blankly, a puzzled expression in his eyes. "The King of Zhennan... who's that?"