Chapter 480: Now Where Are You

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Simply based on his shabby and casual attire, the second young miss, Dong Liangyu, concluded that Shi Chun was not the type of person who feigned sophistication to approach her and her sisters. Her assessment of Shi Chun in this manner had no romantic undertones; rather, she saw an advantage in his poverty.

This was because the third sister, Dong Liangying, who worked in the main hall, was overwhelmed. She had to manage the shop, handle accounts, and perform various odd jobs like preparing writing tools and serving tea. The eldest sister, Dong Liangyi, was also busy in the back courtyard, managing the family's daily expenses and provisions. The kitchen alone kept her occupied, so she couldn't attend to the bookstore's affairs. The fourth sibling, Dong Liangze, was responsible for external affairs, so his assistance in the main hall couldn't be consistent. As for their father, though he possessed integrity, he was oblivious to practical matters. To put it bluntly, he concerned himself with no mundane affairs, only reading books, strolling around, visiting friends, and delivering sermons. Since his children were grown, they couldn't force him to work.

Thus, the third sibling in the main hall was genuinely swamped. However, the bookstore's income was very meager, making it hard to afford a regular employee. Even the lowest wage of one or two hundred gold coins per month was a stretch for the bookstore to pay. Given this, Shi Chun's impoverished appearance became an advantage. Moreover, he was educated and polite, clearly not someone who would cause trouble, making him even more suitable.

This was because in the past, well-meaning individuals who offered help had turned out to be interested in the three sisters. Their father, a stickler for etiquette, discovered the person's improper intentions, grabbed a stick, and nearly beat them out. From then on, their father established a rule: being exhausted was a minor matter, but their reputation was paramount, so no one with improper intentions was allowed to enter.

After recognizing Shi Chun's advantages, she explained the situation to her siblings, who all agreed he was suitable. Subsequently, the fourth sibling, Dong Liangze, personally investigated Shi Chun's background. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Shi Chun worked odd jobs at a horse farm outside the city, raising 'Thin-Scaled Colts'. He earned two hundred gold coins a month and lived in a smelly stable. The only benefit the horse farm offered was a relaxed work environment; once tasks were completed, there was nothing else to do, which was fair for the wage.

Dong Liangze returned and explained the situation to his sisters. After discussing it, they thought they had a chance: the man loved to read, and they had many books. Of course, the matter still required their father Dong Wenshu's approval. When they explained the situation, he heard that Shi Chun, despite his meager wage, still often spent money to read books, which was indeed difficult. So, Dong Wenshu, the old stickler, uncharacteristically agreed. However, the siblings all knew that their father's agreement wasn't enough; the individual himself had to agree, especially since the wage they could offer was too low.

Afterwards, Dong Liangze found Shi Chun and offered a monthly wage of fifty gold coins, including food and lodging, free access to the library's books, and no strenuous or tiring work. In fact, Shi Chun had already noticed Dong Liangze when he was being followed, thinking he had some improper intentions, and was secretly observing him in return. He hadn't expected such a proposition: hiring him to do odd jobs at the bookstore? It was just that the wage was a bit too low, only fifty gold coins a month. Of course, he didn't care about the wage now; he was a multi-millionaire. He had emerged from the masses at the bottom and was a recognized figure in the entire cultivation world. He had achieved a rapid social ascent in a very short time. He could buy the horse farm with a snap of his fingers; this wage was truly negligible. So he was very curious: why would they want him at the bookstore?

Dong Liangze's explanations, no matter how he framed them, were useless. When he said they couldn't offer higher wages to anyone else, Shi Chun wouldn't soften in the slightest. 'What does your lack of money have to do with me?' he thought. 'Why should my wage be lowered just because you're broke? What kind of logic is that?'

In the end, it was the phrase 'educated and polite' that resonated with Shi Chun. Shi Chun realized that they were indeed from a scholarly family and had far more discerning judgment than ordinary people. Just imagine, among so many people entering and leaving the bookstore, they could pick him out at a glance, even though he appeared so poor. It seemed his impoverished appearance couldn't conceal his integrity; that was truly good. Therefore, he considered it seriously. He thought, lurking in a bookstore was still lurking, and the bookstore's environment was indeed much better than the horse farm. Plus, it would be more convenient to search for things there later. So he agreed.

And wherever he was, Wu Jinliang was almost certainly there. Wu Jinliang, who was listening in, was surprised to hear about this. 'Can one really be hired just by visiting a bookstore to read?' he thought. 'And the refined demeanor that our boss has practiced countless times, they actually perceived it as educated and polite! How blind must everyone at this bookstore be!' He also didn't want to stay in the smelly horse farm – he even made people cover their noses at brothels – so he came forward and asked if the bookstore needed more people.

How could they possibly need more? Not only had this big fellow not been vetted and didn't meet their standards, but the bookstore genuinely couldn't afford another wage. Dong Liangze naturally politely declined.

And so, Shi Chun resigned from his job at the horse farm and moved to live at the bookstore. Dong Liangze was quite kind; he even helped Shi Chun settle some wages with the horse farm. It was clear that the bookstore owner had a good reputation in Dazhi City, enough to make the horse farm show some respect. The horse farm had not been so accommodating originally; they were wealthy, powerful, and quite fierce. Wu Jinliang had already declared, 'Just wait!'

The results proved that the bookstore siblings' judgment was quite good. Shi Chun carried out his tasks simply and effectively, and his words and actions showed an easygoing magnanimity. If a fellow reader was in a bad mood and muttered a few complaints or curses, he would simply smile it off. When he encountered attractive female readers, he merely appreciated them, with no intention of romantic pursuit. Towards the three sisters of the bookstore, he showed no inappropriate or presumptuous behavior whatsoever. Even the owner, Dong Wenshu, could sense this, which made him very relieved and satisfied.

In reality, Shi Chun was well aware that both the bookstore and Dazhi City were merely temporary stops for him. He didn't want to leave behind any exploitable weaknesses, which was for his own good as well as for the family's. This family was too weak to withstand the storms that surrounded him. Regarding female beauty, saying he looked down on the three sisters might sound unpleasant, but Xiang Lan'er's beauty certainly surpassed theirs. And Dong Wenshu's character was very clear: he would never allow his daughters to casually associate with any man. If they were to be together, it had to be for life, legitimate, and with a proper marriage.

Shi Chun's eating habits with them were also simple; he would eat whatever the Dong family ate, only taking a little, claiming to have a small appetite. The Dong family was naturally happy that it saved them money. Little did they know, as soon as he turned around, Shi Chun might use a parent-child talisman to contact Wu Jinliang to prepare some good food for him. In a way, or for him, the Dong family's food standards were indeed not high, truly a bit economical. The Dong family also noticed that Shi Chun barely cultivated. He worked during the day, would go out for a stroll after closing, and would immediately fall into a deep sleep upon lying down. This way, the Dong family understood how he could manage on a wage of fifty sandalwood gold coins; this fellow simply had no expenses.

And such a life passed in just over a year. The entire Dong family became very familiar with him, and even knew his family background clearly. The family background arranged by Young Master Nan was so well-crafted that it couldn't be uncovered without a certain level of deep investigation.

Oh, Shi Chun's current alias was Wang Ping, and Wu Jinliang's alias was Gao He, names changed from 'Wang Qiang' and 'Gao Sheng'. Being out and about and having a reputation, they naturally couldn't use their real names while in hiding. When it came to aliases, they spontaneously thought of the names they had used during the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Conference. After a lighthearted discussion, Shi Chun casually changed his to 'Wang Ping,' and Wu Jinliang considered it for a moment before changing his to 'Gao He.' After changing them, Wu Jinliang suddenly asked, 'Spring, if Mu Lanqing knows we changed these names again, she won't be angry, will she?' Shi Chun replied, 'Are you sick, or am I? Why would we tell her this?' This time, when they came out of hiding, they didn't tell Feng Chi or Xiang Lan'er where they were going. The reason didn't need to be stated: it was because Xiang Lan'er herself had wanted to go...

Some male regulars at the bookstore envied Shi Chun for having the opportunity to associate with the three beautiful sisters. Occasionally, someone would tease or mock him, asking if he intended to become a live-in son-in-law. Shi Chun just smiled it off, deeming it not worth bothering with. If, by bad luck, the other party encountered him later, it wouldn't be too late to make them change their tune.

After circling the hall and refilling everyone's tea, he paused as he passed the 'Bounty Wall Questions' section and looked at the bounty questions listed there. This wall was also a source of amusement in the bookstore; people would pose questions to test others, with the bounty amount indicated next to each question—a little gambling for fun. Shi Chun was particularly interested in two of the questions. One was: Where is the ancient 'Divine Bird Mountain' now? The second was: Where is the ancient 'Golden Palace Mountain' now? The bounty for both questions was fifty coins, which was half a sandalwood gold coin.

Shi Chun had posed the questions and arranged for someone to put up the bounties. The bounty amount for such a small bookstore amusement shouldn't be too high. Searching for 'Divine Bird Mountain' was naturally to find the Soul Reversal Tree. As for tracing 'Golden Palace Mountain,' it was due to the last wish of the desiccated corpse in the secret cave, encountered when he was trapped in the secret realm during the Heavenly Rain Meteorite Conference. The demon cultivator named Jin Zhan had left behind a 'Big Dipper Demon Scroll,' asking for it to be handed over to his descendants, promising a generous reward.

He didn't really count on that so-called generous reward. Re-entering the Western Extremity Secret Realm was something he dared not do with his current strength; last time he barely escaped, so it was better not to covet the treasures within. Therefore, he hadn't decided whether to hand over that demon scroll yet; he needed to see what kind of situation his descendants were in and if they were worthy of receiving it. His arrival in Jukuzhou coincidentally matched the place mentioned in Jin Zhan's will, so he wanted to look for it while he was here.

There was no other way; the place 'Golden Palace Mountain' only existed in ancient texts. Records indeed mentioned a person named 'Jin Zhan,' but because of the immense passage of time, he was only briefly mentioned, stating that his magic power was formidable and he perished in a battle with the Demonic Patriarch in ancient times. There were no detailed records in the texts they could find about how formidable his magic power truly was. However, many texts recorded and proved that the Demonic Patriarch was the top master of the Six Realms at that time, and his formidable reputation spread far and wide to this day. How many people died at the Demonic Patriarch's hands then; not a single word could be found in history, all vanished into the dust of time. Yet Shi Chun happened to know that Jin Zhan hadn't died at the Demonic Patriarch's hands at all and had survived a battle with him. So this 'Big Dipper Demon Scroll' was likely no ordinary item. Precisely because of this, he couldn't hand it over easily. And who knew if Jin Zhan's descendants even still existed.

Yet, no one in historical records specifically documented the historical changes of 'Golden Palace Mountain.' Just like 'Divine Bird Mountain,' this place name couldn't be found anywhere in Jukuzhou. Even Young Master Nan, who was helping, was puzzled why all the place names he asked for help in researching were untraceable. Since there were many well-read scholars in this bookstore, and they all happened to be from Jukuzhou, Shi Chun decided to try a desperate remedy. Since he was idle anyway, he put up bounties on the question wall. However, the result was still the same: these two questions had been up for days, yet remained unsolved. This made him feel a little melancholic. 'A bunch of useless idiots,' he thought, 'their books might as well have been read into a dog's belly.' Not a single one was useful, and he had already flipped through nearly half of the books here.

Putting down the teapot, he walked to the main entrance and leaned against the doorframe, watching the bustling street with people coming and going, his mind wandering. Sometimes he thought that now that he was wealthy, living a quiet, beautiful, and peaceful life wouldn't be bad at all. But he still had his own dreams after all; the haunting figure that lingered in his thoughts would often appear in his mind.

Before his eyes, the bustling crowds represented the prosperity of this place, which was demon territory. In Xiniu Hezhou, any city was generally a place where immortals and mortals coexisted. Most had rules: demon cultivators who couldn't assume human form were not allowed to enter the city without permission, and once outside their homes, they were not allowed to casually reveal their true forms on the streets. Without these rules, everyone might as well continue digging holes in the mountains. Why bother undertaking grand construction projects to build cities and towns? In the demon territory, humans were surprisingly more numerous. To achieve godhood or immortality and experience the ultimate, it was ultimately the delicate refinement brought about by human focus that was best.

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