Chapter 553: Blue-Robed Literary Gentleman

The appearance of these blood-red eyes was identical to the demonic eyes used by Wu Shanshan from Heartbreak Valley in the Divine Fire Region.

Seeing the blood-red color in his eyes, the people nearby all had a sudden change in expression.

Jiang You'er knew that the person must have cultivated some demonic art. However, since the other party was a human cultivator, their demonic art differed from those cultivated by demon cultivators like themselves. Although they originated from the same source, they had branched off into distinct forms.

Since the other party did not shirk responsibility and stated they would take charge, Jiang You'er was naturally delighted. He immediately reprimanded those around him, "Quick, take us to the last known location of the target!"

"Yes," someone immediately acknowledged and led the way.

The group immediately rushed towards the last siege location.

Upon arriving at the scene, Jiang You'er casually inquired about the detailed encounter with Shi Chun. In truth, he already knew the events, but bringing it up again was purely to let the mysterious expert nearby overhear.

To his surprise, the plain-looking man in grey showed no interest whatsoever, nor did he express any regret regarding the casualties. His floating blood-red eyes swept across the area, constantly comparing it to the people present, as if making some kind of assessment. Finally, with a flash, he moved off in one direction.

After exchanging glances, Jiang You'er and the others vigorously pursued him, flying after him.

Before long, they spotted the mysterious expert hovering in the air.

The man in grey waited for them to approach, then asked, "During your previous encounter, did any of you reach this location?"

After glancing at each other, everyone shook their heads. One person replied on behalf of the group, "We never ran this far."

The man in grey asked again, "Was the target alone?"

The one answering replied, "From the moment he was discovered until the end of the fight, there was only one person."

The man in grey's blood-red eyes coldly swept over them. "Even if he had a few Fifth-Grade magical artifacts, with so many of you besieging him, and so many Earth Immortal realm cultivators among you, you still let him escape. You're all useless!"

The others hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. One person, feeling wronged, explained, "The higher-ups want him captured alive, so we couldn't use lethal force."

The man in grey immediately glared, his blood-red eyes clearly showing murderous intent.

Jiang You'er hastily pretended to scold, "Shut up! Don't make excuses if you're useless. Get lost!"

That person also realized the impropriety and quickly retreated behind Jiang You'er.

Jiang You'er then quickly cupped his hands towards the expert, saying, "There's no time to lose, please, sir, turn the tide!"

The man in grey swept his gaze over them. "The commotion just now was too great; I heard it even from afar. It might attract others. This place is not suitable for a long stay. You all withdraw first. The target cannot escape, and I will deal with him myself!"

With that, he flashed away. He said he would leave, and he was instantly gone, gradually shrinking into a black dot until he disappeared.

Although the loss was due to the other party's arrogance, Jiang You'er was still very displeased. However, what the man said at the moment made sense; it was indeed unwise to linger here. He waved his hand and commanded, "Quickly withdraw!"

Under his leadership, the group quickly vanished, leaving behind a chaotic expanse of land and lingering grey dust that had yet to fully dissipate.

On the streets of Dazhi City, a middle-aged man with a single-shouldered basket on his back appeared. He had clear features, was full of spirit, and wore a blue scholar's robe, clearly identifying him as a man of letters. Yet, he seemed unconstrained, with his sleeves rolled up to reveal his arms and his collar half-open to cool his chest. He had the dusty appearance of someone who had traveled, instantly suggesting a straightforward and open character.

After looking around on the street for a while, he stopped in front of a stall and cupped his hands to the stallholder, asking, "Excuse me, sir, could you tell me how to get to Chaoyue Pavilion?"

"Chaoyue Pavilion?" The stallholder sized him up. Seeing the scrolls in his basket, he seemed to understand something and smiled knowingly, pointing the way. "Do you see that mountain? That's the city center. Head that way, and once you reach the center, ask for the main street heading east. Anyone can tell you."

"Good, good, thank you very much." The man repeatedly cupped his hands in thanks before departing, walking with a light step and observing the street scenery along the way.

Walking and observing, asking for directions along the way, he finally stopped at the entrance of Chaoyue Pavilion. After studying the characters on the signboard and nodding slightly, he ascended the steps and entered the library.

Seeing the scent of books, ink, and the lively discussions of scholars inside, a smile played on his lips. His gaze eventually fell on the counter, and he moved closer to read the notice, curious about the rules for reading in this library.

He was glad he hadn't gotten closer initially, for upon approaching, he discovered a beautiful woman in red half-reclining behind the counter, her head propped up by one arm as if half-asleep. She held the spout of a wine pot between her fingers, her thumb rubbing circles on it, and the scent of wine permeated the air.

Upon seeing the woman, the scholar in blue was taken aback. He then looked back to survey the library's environment before pouting and hissed a couple of times at the woman in red behind the counter.

The woman in red opened her eyes. Seeing him, she couldn't help but smile faintly and say, "You've arrived."

The scholar in blue looked as if he had a toothache, asking, "What are you doing here?"

The woman in red lazily sat up, propping one leg up and wrapping an arm around her knee, swaying the wine pot as she said, "You're allowed to come, but I'm not? If I hadn't told you about this good place, would you even know about it? My being here proves I didn't lie to you, which means it must be a good place, don't you agree?"

The scholar in blue considered it; there was indeed some truth to her words. His nostrils flared, and his gaze fell upon the wine pot she was holding. He couldn't help but grimace, "You've gone a bit too far. Drinking so freely in a place like this is simply disrespectful to scholarly refinement."

The woman in red smiled faintly, tilting her head to indicate the backyard. "The curator is inside. I'm too lazy to move; you can go in and pay your respects yourself."

With that, she slowly reclined again, at ease.

Comparing the environment to the woman's behavior, the scholar in blue shook his head, too bothered to intervene. He adjusted his shoulder basket and headed directly for the back courtyard.

As soon as he left, Dong Liangze, the young man now working odd jobs there, quickly came over, leaned onto the counter, and whispered, "Sister Jun, who was that person? He seemed to know you."

The reclining woman in red slowly uttered, "Sword Saint Fu Que."

Dong Liangze's face instantly filled with shock. He thought he had misheard and whispered, "The Sword Saint Fu Que, the one proclaimed as the top sword master in the cultivation world?"

The woman in red blinked, saying nothing. She wasn't interested in repeating herself to just anyone.

Dong Liangze seemed accustomed to her ways and asked again, "Sister Jun, why is he here?"

He had an astonished look, as if wondering how their humble place could possibly merit a personal visit from such a person.

The woman in red replied, "He was just passing through this area. After my maternal uncle found out, he introduced him here. He'll probably stay for a while. His arrival is an opportunity for you siblings. See which of you is destined to become his disciple."

Dong Liangze's eyes immediately lit up. Ignoring the matters in the front hall for the moment, he excitedly scurried to the backyard.

However, he didn't manage to exchange more than a nod with the scholar in blue as they passed. The scholar had simply greeted his father and headed straight for the library on the second floor of the Octagonal Pavilion.

Dong Liangze, having walked up to his father, was still watching the scholar leave. Finally, he couldn't help but exclaim with emotion, "That was Sword Saint Fu Que! I finally saw him in person today."

Dong Wenshu was about to question him, asking why he was idling around when the front hall was busy instead of working properly. But then he suddenly heard his son's words and subconsciously asked, "Who?"

Dong Liangze was bewildered. "Didn't he tell you who he was?"

Dong Wenshu shook his head. He only knew the visitor claimed the surname Fu and said he had long admired the collection of books here and had come specifically to visit.

Dong Wenshu had merely been casually polite, stating that anyone could read the books here, provided they paid the required fee according to the rules.

Hearing this, the scholar in blue immediately lost interest in discussing any connections. He thanked him and went straight to browse the books.

After this conversation, Dong Wenshu finally learned the visitor's identity and was naturally quite surprised. He immediately reflected on whether he had been neglectful. It wasn't for any other reason than that the Queen Demon's trusted subordinate had saved their family's lives, so by all accounts, they couldn't neglect a friend of hers.

Dong Wenshu wanted to go to the library to apologize for his earlier ignorance, but remembering what his son said about the woman in red mentioning the visitor would stay for a while, he decided not to disturb him for now. He told Dong Liangze to arrange good wine and food for a future meal, as they now had money, and instructed his younger daughter, Dong Liangying, to temporarily return to the front hall to help, as that woman in red certainly wasn't behaving like a proper host...

In a pit outside the city gate, Shi Chun concealed himself and thoroughly changed his appearance. After growing three long strands of beard, he emerged, hopping and skipping all the way to the city gate, where he swaggered in under the watchful eyes of the city guards.

He was naturally familiar with Dazhi City. He first headed straight for the Bai Family Rice Shop. As he passed by, he noticed its doors were tightly shut, indicating it was closed for business.

It was broad daylight, and unsure if there were any watchful eyes around, he didn't dare knock on the door. Since there was no immediate rush, he decided to plan long-term and left directly.

After circling half the city, he arrived outside Chaoyue Pavilion. Since he was already here, he certainly wanted to visit the library and look up information about the Underworld.

Actually, the most convenient method would have been to contact Young Master Nan and have him collect and send some information about the Underworld. However, he now dared not let anyone from the Mingshan Sect use the Xun Gate for communication, fearing discovery.

Furthermore, of all things to investigate, it was about the Underworld. He also hesitated about whether it was appropriate to let Young Master Nan know.

Therefore, after much thought, he realized that searching through Chaoyue Pavilion's extensive collection of books was the safest and most effective method.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he heard familiar sounds: the scholars were arguing again, their emotions running high during their refutations and debates, with some even pounding on tables.

This noisy scene, to him, was particularly reassuring; he would have detected even a hint of fakery.

"Is that the scent of wine?" Shi Chun's nostrils twitched. Yes, he confirmed it was coming from inside the library.

He immediately entered to confirm.

The scene of argument inside the hall was still there... "Hmm? Third Young Miss Dong Liangying was actually pouring tea and water."

He glanced at the counter, saw no one, and concluded he understood what was happening: they probably couldn't find anyone as cheap as him to do odd jobs anymore, so Dong Liangying had to personally take on the duties.

Thinking this, he still shook his head slightly at Dong Wenshu and his son.

However, the aroma of wine from the counter still drew him over. Upon looking closer, he found a beautiful woman in red reclining behind the counter, even holding a wine bottle. What in the world?

As if sensing someone staring at her, the woman in red's half-closed eyes opened. She glanced at Shi Chun, extended a finger from the hand holding the wine bottle, and pointed to the notice. Her meaning was clear: if he had any questions, he should read the notice himself and not ask her.