Chapter 544: Maternal Uncle's Face Is Important

"Tell Gao He, we won't waste the two pieces of wood; the cooperation continues..."

On the terrace of Zhulang Pavilion, where the evening breeze blew, Yin Xu reread the letter repeatedly, muttering to herself. Someone had delivered a letter for her to relay to Gao He. She could read it, but its content was truly cryptic. What did "two pieces of wood" mean? Another thing was clear: the sender obviously didn't know that Wang Ping was the real person in charge. Tian Shen, who had delivered the letter, also wore a puzzled expression, pondering its meaning.

After much thought, Yin Xu sent Tian Shen away to his duties. She then returned to her own room, closing the doors and windows tightly. Only after confirming that no one else could mysteriously appear inside did she take out her talisman and send a message to Shi Chun, informing him of the letter's contents.

At this time, Shi Chun had already entered the Divine Mountain's grand formation, tunneling in from underground. He was waiting for complete darkness before surfacing to rendezvous with Wu Jinliang and the others. Upon seeing Yin Xu's message, he immediately knew it was from Granny Qi. He understood why she would do this: Wu Jinliang had escaped, and there was no longer an intermediary. Granny Qi was clearly afraid that her capture would lead to the termination of their cooperation. Captured, with no hostage in hand, yet still expected to cooperate? What kind of cooperation was that? The basis for it was gone; it had become a one-sided concession. Wasn't this essentially giving away the 'Death-Defying Incense' for free? This situation made Shi Chun somewhat doubt himself. Was he truly judging a noble person with a petty mind? Was the Bai clan's true intention genuinely to rescue the Golden Rat clan with all their might? After all, having left the Living Prison, he now knew that 'loyalty and righteousness' did exist, albeit rarely.

Another concern was that if even the Bai clan knew Yin Xu could contact him, how could others not? He then reverted to his old habit of becoming wary, feeling that his dealings with Yin Xu would need to be handled with caution.

He pondered the situation until it was completely dark. Only then did he send a message to Wu Jinliang, surfaced, and stealthily set off. Relying on the risk-avoidance ability of his right eye's special power, he successfully met with Wu Jinliang and his companions, though it took a little longer than expected. This rendezvous greatly excited Chu Jing-tang and the other two. They realized that what Wu He-he had said was true: their leader was indeed formidable. To be able to infiltrate the Divine Mountain, protected by an ancient grand formation, just like that—it was truly astonishing.

Shi Chun paid no mind to their admiring gazes and quickly led them away. Upon reaching the edge of the grand formation at the foot of the mountain, they exited from the same place they had entered. Wu Jinliang's earth-burrowing technique was needed to erase any obvious excavation marks, thereby concealing the truth of their direct entry and exit from the Divine Mountain. Since the intention was to hide the command-arrow artifact from third parties, Shi Chun gave Wu Jinliang a look, and the latter knew exactly how to cooperate. While using the earth-burrowing technique, he would suddenly 'jam' it, briefly burying everyone. Once the light wave from the command arrow activated and enveloped them, he would control the underground space to ensure they couldn't see the enveloping light wave. After exiting, when retrieving the command arrow, the earth-burrowing technique 'jammed' again, burying them momentarily once more. Under the starlit sky, in the Heart-Wrapping Grass forest, the group emerged and quickly slipped away.

Meanwhile, on the mountain, Feng Jue urgently entered the Divine Temple and found the Goddess Feng Qingping. "Aunt, something has gone wrong with the interrogation over there." Seeing his troubled expression, Feng Qingping quickly asked, "What happened?" Feng Jue replied with difficulty, "After Qiu Ben returned, he intensified the interrogation of the Bai clan members. As a result, several couldn't withstand it and died during the process, and a few more, due to severe injuries... were also found dead later." Feng Qingping's face immediately darkened. She realized that the Extreme Fire Sect had become somewhat unrestrained after establishing their connections with the Demon Queen. She promptly asked, "What about Bai Qiru in Dazhi City?" Feng Jue said gravely, "He was also subjected to harsher torture, but Bai Qiru still insists that several of his own shop employees also went missing. He only helped transport the three individuals because Gao He claimed to have a way to rescue Huang Yingying. Aunt, one thing is certain, Qiu Ben's side must have also realized that Bai Qiru doesn't seem to know the identities of Gao He or Wang Ping. He still considers Wu Jinliang the main figure. This means it's highly possible that the people who acted outside Dazhi City were not from the Bai clan."

At this point, their side already knew the identities of Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. They had the Demon Queen to thank for this. Previously, the Phoenix clan had been unaware because the Extreme Fire Sect refused to disclose the information. It was only when the Extreme Fire Sect Master and the Phoenix Clan Head went to meet the Demon Queen that, under her questioning about why they were pursuing these individuals so relentlessly, Sect Master Su Qiao had no choice but to reveal the truth, disclosing Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's identities as members of the Bright Mountain Sect. First, Shi Chun's group had killed Extreme Fire Sect disciples in the Divine Fire Domain and seized the sect's artifacts. Second, Shi Chun had swindled them out of a large sum of money without providing the desired secret method for finding divine fire. The Extreme Fire Sect suspected Shi Chun was hiding further secrets. When they accidentally learned that Shi Chun had secretly come to this area, they naturally wanted to get there first and put more pressure on him. Furthermore, the loss of the Extreme Fire Sect's prized treasure, the 'Great Sun Golden Ring,' forced them to fully pursue the existing clues. The obsession of artifact-forging sects with divine fire was understandable to both the Demon Queen and the Phoenix clan. As the pillar of the demon realm's artifact-forging power, the stronger their forging abilities, the better they could serve the royal court. As the Demon Queen of Xiniu Hezhou, even if she didn't actively support it, she couldn't well obstruct it. Precisely for this reason, the Demon Queen had turned a blind eye to the matter. However, what they didn't know was that while the Extreme Fire Sect revealed mostly truth, they concealed the most crucial secret—the part concerning Situ Gu and Zhen'er. Some core secrets had to be held tightly and not disclosed. Yet, their phrasing had already implicitly covered it, so even if it were exposed later, it couldn't be considered a concealment.

For the Phoenix clan, however, Shi Chun or no Shi Chun, they simply didn't care, as they held him in low regard. Currently, for Feng Qingping, regardless of whether the people who acted outside Dazhi City were from the Bai clan, the Extreme Fire Sect could not be so reckless as to simply kill Bai clan members one by one. Was this how interrogations were conducted? Word of this would damage the Phoenix clan's reputation, as the Bai clan had been loyal to them for so many years. She immediately left the Divine Temple and went directly to the interrogation site to speak with Qiu Ben.

The communication did not go well. Not only did Qiu Ben refuse to admit to excessive torture, but he also felt that perhaps the deaths had been too easy, only stating that he would be "a bit more careful" going forward. That was all.

Feng Qingping had just emerged from the interrogation site, her face dark, when she encountered Feng Jue, who was hurrying to report. "Aunt, news from Jiehai indicates a skirmish has occurred. Someone used a powerful treasure, and according to survivors' descriptions, it appears to be the 'Great Sun Golden Ring' lost by the Extreme Fire Sect." Feng Qingping pursed her lips and tilted her head slightly backward. "Tell them to investigate it themselves. Also, notify Dazhi City not to let those mad dogs from the Extreme Fire Sect mess with Bai Qiru anymore. Bai Qiru's parents died serving our Phoenix clan. If Bai Qiru also mysteriously disappears and we can't find any evidence, we won't be able to account for it to Granny Qi." With that, she turned and left.

Suddenly, the turbulent Dazhi City and Yaoshan City seemed to fall silent once more. Shi Chun's group also appeared to have vanished into thin air, with only the Extreme Fire Sect still holding onto their prisoners in the jail, refusing to let go. Meanwhile, the business at Chaoyue Pavilion seemed to be booming.

It was unclear whether the refined scholars who frequented the place came to read books or to admire the beauty. Miss Dong Liangying's usual spot had been taken. A woman in red now sat behind the counter, collecting money and keeping accounts. The woman in red was supposed to replace the general help, but it seemed she didn't know what her duties were. Upon seeing Dong Liangying's work behind the counter, she actively went over to take it on, saying, "From now on, this job is mine." As she was a relative of a prominent figure, what could Dong Liangying say? She honestly gave up her seat.

The woman in red found a comfortable chair from somewhere and placed it behind the counter, allowing her to sit, lie back, or recline. With her arm propping up her head, she would squint her eyes, listening to the scholars discuss all sorts of topics, from heaven to earth. Sometimes she drank tea, other times she let the scent of wine waft through the library, drinking alone. Drinking alcohol during the library's open hours... this was unheard of. Dong Wenshu and the others saw it but forcibly maintained their silence.

This act started a trend of bringing alcohol to the library. Some offered the woman in red wine, claiming it was excellent, and invited her to drink with them. She would merely smile faintly and shake her head, remaining silent. Some dashing and elegant scholars would lean across the counter, either showcasing their literary talent or politely striking up a conversation. The woman in red would only offer a slight smile, never speaking, like a mute. When someone asked about prices, she would simply point to the clearly marked price board, instructing them to look for themselves.

However, the romantic inclinations of scholars were always varied. Gradually, some began to send letters to the woman in red, using elaborate prose to express their admiration. The woman in red, however, read them with apparent enjoyment but never responded. After a silent chuckle, she would again prop her head with one arm, eyes squinted as if drifting into a pleasant dream, slowly swirling a wine bottle in her hand.

She clearly gave the impression of not taking her duties seriously, yet her allure captivated the scholars. Dong Liangying, who did the odd jobs, often noticed people holding books, glancing at the woman in red, and then becoming lost in thought. Nevertheless, the library's business had indeed improved significantly, leaving Dong Liangying quite tired from her chores.

Because of this, one evening during dinner, the woman in red ventured to ask Dong Liangze, "What are you running around outside for all day?" Dong Wenshu, speaking for his son, replied, "He's not a child anymore. Sooner or later, he'll have to manage the family. He should try to get used to handling social interactions and appearing in public."

Taking a sip of wine, the woman in red casually remarked, "Getting used to it is useless. The main hall is busy; we need a man to help out. Come back and work here." The family exchanged bewildered glances. Who exactly was the owner of this library?

The woman in red then turned to Dong Liangyu, who was gently biting the tip of her chopsticks, and said, "If you wish to cultivate, changing your physical issues shouldn't be difficult." She then glanced at the other three siblings. "My cousin's uncle has quite a network. You can tell me which cultivation path you'd like to pursue, and I'll have him find renowned masters for you." The family exchanged glances again. They naturally had no doubt about her cousin's uncle's connections; he was, after all, a person associated with the Demon Queen.

Dong Wenshu thought for a moment and said, "After the Goddess spoke last time, I carefully considered it. It's best to let them choose for themselves. There's no banquet that doesn't end. Ultimately, they will have to live their own lives. This family will disperse eventually, and branching out might not be a bad thing."

The woman in red, sipping her wine, cast a sidelong glance at him. "There's no need to be mournful, nor to break up the family. We can have renowned masters come to teach them here." The family was stunned again. Dong Liangze blurted out, "Is that really possible?" "Oh," the woman in red replied, adding, "My cousin's uncle has great influence." Well, the family certainly believed that.

However, for now, that point wasn't important, nor was the scholars' admiration for the woman in red. What was important was that the siblings noticed their father also seemed a bit off—he had started to pay more attention to his appearance...