Chapter 760: Mochun Pavilion

Li Banfeng wanted to visit the Dark Star Bureau to cross paths with A Yu again.

Having acquired Xiao Qianshou this time, the family's strength had significantly increased. However, his wife was in a deep sleep and not at her best. Moreover, according to the old man, if the family ate here, Lai Wuju would also benefit. If she and A Yu conspired, and his portable residence couldn't withstand them, their situation would become perilous.

What if he didn't bring the little train? Li Banfeng weighed his current combat power and felt it might be overconfident. His techniques had improved significantly, but his cultivation was somewhat lacking. Both House Cultivators and Travel Cultivators at the Cloud Layer Four stage still had considerable room for improvement. To contend with someone like A Yu, he was still a bit outmatched.

He decided to absorb another wave of popularity to see how much his combat power could increase. The popularity from Xiaodu and Boundless City had just been collected and could be nurtured for a while longer. The popularity from Green Water City and Sea Eater Ridge was almost ready to be harvested.

However, Li Banfeng was somewhat uneasy about Iron Gate Fortress. He didn't know if the Siblings Alliance would return.

Shen Jiming, covered in wounds, arrived at Ling's Film Company and stood before Shen Rongqing, pouring out his grievances. "Sister, we suffered a great loss this time. Everyone returned wounded, and one brother from Ghost Hand Gate is still missing. We need an explanation for this."

Shen Rongqing felt that adding false emotional roots to the film was bound to be exposed sooner or later, and being beaten after the exposure was reasonable. But Shen Jiming was her cousin, so she couldn't be too blunt. Besides, Shen Jiming had indeed acted according to He Jiaqing's instructions. "I'll tell Jiaqing about this right away. Brother, go get some money first to treat our men's injuries."

He Jiaqing was discussing matters with Shu Wanjuan in the new territory. With strong support from Neizhou, He Jiaqing was developing land at full speed, having opened up nearly half of the thirteen new plots. Shu Wanjuan was somewhat worried: "New land development has never been so urgent. When Li Qi developed Seven Autumn City back then, things weren't done this quickly."

He Jiaqing replied: "Elder, Li Qi worked alone; how much trouble could he stir? We have the imperial court behind us."

"You scoundrel! Do you truly not know what death means?" Shu Wanjuan gritted his teeth. "Once word leaks out, do you know the consequences?"

He Jiaqing bowed and said, "Elder, please calm your anger. What if word leaks out? You are developing land here with the imperial court's permission, and I am developing land here with the peddler's permission. We are both acting legitimately, so why so many concerns?"

What a rascal! He swaggered about, claiming legitimacy for a stolen territory. He alone caused this situation, yet the rogue felt no remorse, instead resting easy!

Shu Wanjuan's eyes flashed coldly, and for a moment, he harbored a killing intent towards He Jiaqing. His body had largely recovered, and he was confident he could kill He Jiaqing now. The button on He Jiaqing's chest vibrated. He quickly apologized to Shu Wanjuan: "I have some trivial matters to attend to. Please excuse me for a moment."

Shu Wanjuan nodded slightly.

He Jiaqing walked into the woods and clutched the button. Shen Rongqing informed He Jiaqing about Shen Jiming's encounter at Iron Gate Fortress. He Jiaqing's face turned ashen. "Tell them I will handle this matter personally."

He Jiaqing left the woods. On a tree, the characters for "eye" and "ear" appeared.

Shu Wanjuan frowned deeply. Judging by He Jiaqing's expression and tone just now, something serious must have happened. Had the new territory matter been exposed? Was it still possible to silence He Jiaqing now? Who had contacted him just now? How many people knew about this matter now? Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. When He Jiaqing reappeared, Shu Wanjuan's expression immediately returned to normal. "Jiaqing, what happened?"

He Jiaqing smiled easily: "It's a small matter, not worth mentioning. Elder, could you request more manpower from the imperial court? I feel our development is still a bit slow."

"Still slow?" Shu Wanjuan lowered his gaze, looking at He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing truly felt it was slow: "Elder, delays breed trouble. Finishing this matter sooner will benefit us all."

"Alright." Shu Wanjuan nodded slightly.

That night, He Jiaqing returned to the film company, found Shen Jiming, and asked him to recount the entire incident again. After listening, He Jiaqing realized Shen Rongqing hadn't explained things clearly: "At first, I thought a local deity had beaten you, but I didn't expect you were beaten by House Cultivators."

Shen Jiming lowered his head, feeling ashamed. He thought He Jiaqing was complaining about their incompetence, but He Jiaqing was focused on another issue: "If you were indeed beaten by Song Qianhun, I should seek an explanation from him. But if you were beaten by House Cultivators, that's unusual. How could the House Cultivators of Iron Gate Fortress be so barbaric?"

Shen Rongqing interjected: "We planted emotional roots in them. When the matter was exposed, they naturally sought revenge. You can't call them barbaric, can you?"

"Why not?" He Jiaqing frowned. "I invited them to watch a movie and even paid them, yet they turned around and beat people. Isn't that being unreasonable? When did these House Cultivators become so unreasonable? Rongqing, go investigate if something happened at Iron Gate Fortress."

Shen Rongqing's subordinates included a newspaper office. She checked past newspapers and only found some information: "Iron Gate Fortress once had conflicts with Flying Eagle Mountain, but that was news from two years ago."

He Jiaqing looked displeased: "Flying Eagle Mountain has conflicts with Iron Gate Fortress every year. They extort a lot of money from Iron Gate Fortress annually. Is that considered news?"

Shen Rongqing remained silent. In fact, there was other news in what she found: under the leadership of the fort lord, Iron Gate Fortress had launched a counterattack against Flying Eagle Mountain, which was quite different from Iron Gate Fortress's past actions. However, these pieces of information lacked concrete evidence and were just rumors heard locally. Seeing He Jiaqing's attitude, Shen Rongqing didn't want to explain further.

Whenever He Jiaqing encountered anything unusual, he never took it lightly. The next morning, he went to Lu's Bookstore and asked Manager Lu to help him check for any news about Iron Gate Fortress in newspapers from the past two years. Although He Jiaqing had once raided Lu's Bookstore at night, outwardly, neither of them had ever mentioned it.

Manager Lu seemed troubled: "Young Master He, that's not easy to find. Iron Gate Fortress hasn't appeared much in newspapers."

He Jiaqing smiled: "It's precisely because there's little news that it's easy to find. If I were looking for news about the Paramount Ballroom, who knows how long that would take."

Manager Lu poured tea for He Jiaqing and instructed an assistant to find the newspapers. He Jiaqing glanced at the bookshelf. A book titled "Mochunxuan" caught his attention. "I haven't seen this book before."

Manager Lu smiled: "Young Master He has a keen eye. This is a new book."

"'Mochunxuan'," He Jiaqing stared at the cover. "That's a good name; it smells of fresh ink." Manager Lu nodded repeatedly: "To smell the ink means Young Master has great talent. This book tells of strange tales and anecdotes encountered by a bookstore manager."

He Jiaqing said in surprise: "Could it be written by Manager Lu himself? Then I must buy a set."

Manager Lu shook his head repeatedly: "You're joking, Young Master. Since you like this book, I'll have someone deliver it to you right away."

He Jiaqing said: "I can't take it for free. I'll buy it, and we can settle the book price along with the newspaper fee."

"Thank you, Young Master." As he spoke, Manager Lu walked to a corner of the bookstore and unveiled a curtain. "My humble shop has always been under your patronage, but I have nothing good to offer in return. Please, let me play you a tune."

He Jiaqing thought Manager Lu was going to play music on a phonograph, but when the curtain was pulled back, there was a radio in the corner of the bookstore. In Puluo State, individuals who could receive radio broadcasts were not simple. They were either electric cultivators or possessed magical artifacts related to electric cultivation. Manager Lu was indeed no ordinary person; He Jiaqing knew this well. But today, when he revealed the radio, He Jiaqing didn't understand its meaning.

Turning on the switch, Manager Lu adjusted the knob and quickly tuned into a radio station. "Young Master He, please wait a moment. This station will play a song soon."

A Hui's voice came from the radio: "Winter is approaching, listeners who gather in the mountains. Please hurry and prepare your winter supplies and get ready for the mountains to be sealed by heavy snow. Additionally, here is an important announcement: all listeners who enjoy films, please inform each other. Please, you, your family, and friends, do not watch any film from 'The Blood Blade Detective' series. These films contain emotional cultivation techniques that can severely affect one's mind. Please be vigilant, dear listeners."

After the broadcast, A Hui played a song: "Lovesickness, lovesickness, you are a bottomless pit. Food and drink become distasteful, your pillow turns cold, the more you think, the more it hurts." The song's name was "Lovesickness."

Listening to the song, veins throbbed on He Jiaqing's forehead. He knew A Hui was Teacher Song, and he understood that Teacher Song had some prejudices against him. But he truly hadn't expected her to publicly sabotage him on the radio. Teacher Song had to clarify this matter. Past rights and wrongs didn't matter, but everyone was working for the Siblings Alliance now, and her actions amounted to betraying their brethren. She had to provide an explanation!

Manager Lu lightly tapped the table along with the music: "Young Master He, isn't this tune good?"

He Jiaqing nodded slightly: "It's very pleasant. Do you have a record of this song?"

"Yes, I'll give you one."

He Jiaqing shook his head: "I certainly can't take it for free. I'll buy it. You can take your time finding the newspapers, and then send them all to me."

When he had raided the bookstore at night, He Jiaqing thought he had made an enemy of Manager Lu. Now that something had happened, he hadn't expected Manager Lu to still be willing to give him a warning. Leaving the bookstore, He Jiaqing's expression was grave as he returned to the film company. He didn't notice a familiar person near the bookstore.

Shu Wanjuan looked at Lu's Bookstore, and the corner of his right eyebrow lifted slightly.

At 9:30 PM, Manager Lu was preparing to close the shop when an old man, dressed in a cyan-blue long gown, wrapped in a purple scarf, and wearing round-rimmed glasses, entered the bookstore. The weather was very cold, and his glasses had fogged up. The old man took them off and wiped them. His clothes were old, faded from washing, and patched in many places, suggesting a humble life. However, he was impeccably clean, his hair neatly combed, and he carried the unique elegance of a scholar.

"Sir, are you here to buy books?" Even though it was almost closing time, Manager Lu wouldn't refuse such a customer.

The old man blushed: "I'm here to — sell books."

Yu Yaoming came down from the second floor and watched the old man for a moment. The old man's face turned even redder. Manager Lu waved his hand, signaling the assistant to escort Yu Yaoming back to the second floor.

Yu Yaoming asked the assistant, "Who is that person?"

The assistant said, "Someone selling books."

"Can't I even look?"

The assistant explained: "This old gentleman is clearly a scholar. A scholar wouldn't part with his books unless he was truly desperate. Our boss wants to save him some face. If you keep staring, how uncomfortable will the old gentleman feel?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Yaoming felt somewhat ashamed. He was an academic and respected scholars. He had indeed been a bit impolite just now, but he presumed Manager Lu wouldn't slight the old gentleman.

The old man took out a copy of "Qingyu Poetry Collection" and handed it to Manager Lu. "Qingyu Poetry Collection" was one of Puluo State's earliest poetry collections, featuring many masterpieces by poets. The copy in the old man's hand wasn't very well preserved, with many folded pages and torn corners. However, this version was rare, being the first edition of the poetry collection. The first edition prioritized quantity over quality, collecting all poems and essays of some renown in Puluo State at the time, regardless of their merit. Later generations, during the process of compilation, removed some so-called "dross" according to their own cognitive standards, leading to a decreasing number of poems. The versions currently available on the market contain less than half the poems of the initial edition, which ironically increased the value of the first edition.

Manager Lu looked at the volume of poetry and asked, "Old Sir, is this the only volume?"

The old man lowered his head and said, "I have all thirty-six volumes, but..." Manager Lu knew the old man was reluctant to sell: "For this one volume, I'll give five silver dollars. If you sell the entire set, I'll give three hundred silver dollars."

The old man raised his head, his eyes red, and asked, "Is that true?"

Manager Lu took out five silver dollars and placed them in the old man's hand. The old man pursed his lips and said, "The remaining thirty-five volumes are at my house. I'll take you to get them—" As he spoke, the old man trembled, half from emotion, half from heartache.

Manager Lu said, "Are you sure you've thought this through?"

"I—I've thought it through!"

Manager Lu personally followed the old man home. The old man lived in Yuanzhu Lane in the southern part of Green Water City, an old district with relatively dilapidated houses. He had a small courtyard and two bungalows. The signs of repairs and patches on the house were even more numerous than those on the old man's clothes. But stepping inside, it was a completely different scene. The room was meticulously clean, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on both walls, neatly filled with various books.

Manager Lu's eyes widened. These were all excellent books. A complete set of "New Tales of Falling Flowers," the unrevised "Records of Shattered Glass," the first edition of "New Lyrics in Green Robes," and even Manager Lu's own "Embroidered Frost Collection," which he hadn't revised a single stroke of in his early years, were all on the shelves.

The old man lowered his head and said, "You are a book lover. Take whichever book you like and have a look."

Manager Lu was somewhat excited. He reached for "New Lyrics in Green Robes" and asked, "Are all these books for sale?"

The old man nodded and said, "As long as the price is right, they're all for sale."

Manager Lu withdrew his hand and turned to look at the old man. The old man smiled: "If you feel you haven't brought enough money, just take them back and read them first. No payment is fine; consider it a gift from me."

Manager Lu frowned: "Master, I fear I cannot accept such a generous gift."

The old man pulled up a chair and sat in front of Manager Lu: "We've been master and disciple for so many years, and I haven't given you anything decent. Consider this roomful of books a small token of my regard as your master."

Manager Lu's face turned ashen. The old man before him was his mentor, Shu Wanjuan.

"Wencheng, I didn't expect that after all these years, you still love reading so much. You haven't forgotten your roots in the Daoist sect."

Manager Lu said, "Master overpraises me. I didn't expect Master would also use such deceptive tricks, and more skillfully than even a play cultivator."

From the moment the old man entered, Manager Lu had sensed his unusual demeanor. But Shu Wanjuan knew Manager Lu's nature, his love for books, and his respect for scholars, so he disguised himself as a down-and-out scholar and lured Manager Lu out of the bookstore. Shu Wanjuan truly wasn't confident of taking action within Lu's Bookstore. Now that they were in this house, things were much better.

"Wencheng, I don't want to make things difficult for you today. I just want to ask you one thing: what did He Jiaqing want when he came to see you earlier today?"

Manager Lu said, "He came to buy some newspapers, a set of books, and a record. There was nothing else."

Shu Wanjuan shook his head: "You shouldn't lie to your master."

"I'm not lying. You can bring He Jiaqing here for a confrontation."

Shu Wanjuan reached out, and a copy of "Embroidered Frost Collection" flew from the bookshelf. He opened a page and gently traced the words upon it: "Wencheng, in terms of cultivation, you are the highest among my disciples. In terms of character, you are the worst among my students. Whenever I see these foul words you've written, I feel a prickling sensation and can't swallow food. I constantly wonder why such a disgrace emerged from my lineage."

Every word struck Manager Lu's heart, yet he wasn't angered. Instead, he actively requested punishment: "My character is indeed corrupt; I shouldn't remain your disciple, Master. Please consider me no longer your disciple. Everything I do from now on will have nothing to do with you."

Shu Wanjuan flicked his finger, and the words on the book transformed into solid objects, one by one, encircling Manager Lu: "To speak such words, I ask you, where is your conscience? If I hadn't taught you everything I know, how would you have achieved your current cultivation? Just because I was your master, do you know how much reputation I've lost?"

Manager Lu smiled: "Master exaggerates. Since the day you defected to Neizhou, Master, you've already lost your reputation."

Upon hearing this, Shu Wanjuan's face darkened. His fingers trembled, and a flurry of characters surged towards Manager Lu. The character for "knife" carried a blade, the character for "fire" blazed with flames, and two characters for "poison" spewed smoke in all directions, surrounding Manager Lu as each unleashed its abilities.

Manager Lu took out a book from his pocket, which was the unfinished sixth volume manuscript of "Mochunxuan." Manager Lu turned to a blank page and collected all the surrounding characters.

Shu Wanjuan nodded slightly: "You've made some progress. Your talent in the Daoist sect is indeed rare."

"Thank you for the praise, Master. If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."

As Manager Lu tried to leave, thirty-five copies of "Qingyu Poetry Collection" flew from the bookshelf, blocking his path.

"You want to leave before buying the books? Can you even escape?" Shu Wanjuan wasn't boasting; he possessed the technique of Heavenly Harmony, where every character could serve as his weapon or his substitute. An entire room full of books had been trained by Shu Wanjuan, leaving Manager Lu with almost no chance of escape.

"Must Master take this disciple's life?" Manager Lu held the manuscript, his fingertips rapidly turning pages.

"Not necessarily," Shu Wanjuan said, letting the thirty-five copies of "Qingyu Poetry Collection" return to the bookshelf. "Tell me about the dealings between you and He Jiaqing, and I'll let you go immediately."

"There have never been any dealings between us. If Master doesn't believe me, this disciple has nothing more to say."

Shu Wanjuan sighed: "Let's put that aside for now. I'll ask you again, is the Imperial Seal in your possession?"

Manager Lu shook his head: "This disciple once went to Sage Peak to attempt to seize the Imperial Seal, but failed to acquire it."

"Then tell me, who acquired it?"

"This disciple truly does not know."

"Wencheng, you truly don't know—you don't know what's good for you!"

Shu Wanjuan waved his hand, and thousands of books on the shelves simultaneously unfolded, with countless characters surging out. Manager Lu's figure was engulfed by the characters, numbering no less than ten million. With just a single manuscript, he had no way to resist. According to Shu Wanjuan's calculations, Manager Lu would turn to ashes in less than ten seconds. However, he didn't want Manager Lu's life; he still wanted to extract a lot of information from him.

Just as five seconds passed, Shu Wanjuan made the characters return to their original positions, and he suddenly stood up. He didn't see Manager Lu, but he saw a house over three feet tall appear in the room. On its front door hung a plaque with four characters: Lu's Bookstore. How could his bookstore be here? Shu Wanjuan was surprised for a moment, then understood the reason. "Mochunxuan" was Manager Lu's new work, chronicling the experiences of a bookstore manager. The book contained extensive descriptions of the bookstore, and Manager Lu had used these textual descriptions to construct a Lu's Bookstore. Once inside Lu's Bookstore, Manager Lu's whereabouts would be difficult to track; he could quickly move from one bookstore to another.

Shu Wanjuan wanted to enter the three-foot-tall bookstore to pursue Manager Lu, but he was unwilling to take the risk. Inside Lu's Bookstore, anyone confronting Manager Lu risked suffering a disadvantage. However, Shu Wanjuan didn't want Manager Lu to escape just like that. He beckoned for a brush, lifted it, and with a flourish, wrote over a hundred characters for "chaos." These "chaos" characters quickly permeated the three-foot-tall bookstore. Watching the bookstore twist and deform, Shu Wanjuan smiled.

In Yuanzhu Lane, Manager Lu, who had intended to return to Yaowanggou Bookstore, suddenly appeared in a deep alley. His path for teleporting between bookstores had been disrupted, and Manager Lu had gone in the wrong direction. Manager Lu pulled out an inkstone from his sleeve, flicked the ink out of it, leaving a trail of ink on the ground that stretched across the buildings in the deep alley and extended to the Fortune Avenue to the east. Following the ink trail, he could have returned to his bookstore within ten steps, but unexpectedly, after only two steps, Shu Wanjuan had already appeared nearby.

Manager Lu clutched the manuscript, contemplating a countermeasure. It was impossible to construct another bookstore; there weren't enough characters in the book. What other way was there to escape? Manager Lu looked at a three-story Western-style house by the roadside. Its design was unique and had a distinct scholarly atmosphere. And by hanging a plaque on this three-story house, it might barely serve as a bookstore.

Manager Lu splattered the ink from his inkstone into the courtyard, and his figure, following the ink, arrived at the entrance of the Western-style building. He raised his brush, intending to paint a plaque on the eaves in front of the door, when a large splash of ink struck, painting the plaque Manager Lu was drawing completely black. Black was fine, black background with white characters would also work! Manager Lu dipped his brush in white paint, intending to directly write the signboard over the ink. As soon as he wrote the character "Lu," the black ink immediately covered the white character. After several failed attempts, Manager Lu was once again surrounded, engulfed in layers upon layers of characters.

A cluster of characters transformed into Shu Wanjuan himself, who said to Manager Lu, "Wencheng, considering our teacher-student relationship, I'll give you one more chance. What exactly are you—"

Shu Wanjuan suddenly scattered into a pile of ink. A cluster of characters, a dozen meters away, re-formed into Shu Wanjuan. He looked towards the spot where he had just been, and saw Li Qi, dressed in a suit and wearing a top hat, glaring furiously. The reason Shu Wanjuan had dispersed just now was that Li Qi had kicked him.

Shu Wanjuan was startled. Li Qi was involved too? Did he also know about the new territory? Were Li Qi, He Jiaqing, and Zhou Wencheng all accomplices? Manager Lu was also wondering to himself, what was Li Qi doing here? It couldn't be for the Imperial Seal, could it?

Li Banfeng gritted his teeth, looking back and forth between the two people in front of him. What are they doing, running to my house in the middle of the night, defacing it with their scribbles?

PS: Li Qi has a dark-dimensional space in Yuanzhu Lane, where the deeds of Green Water City are buried. See Chapter 525 for details.