NOVPUBThe lady in the blue dress had just turned around when she saw the Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace standing to the side, looking at her.
"Palace Master," the lady in the blue dress was taken aback for a moment before she quickly recovered, smiling as she spoke.
"Did the elder allow them to leave?" asked the Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace.
"Yes, there were some matters to attend to," the lady in the blue dress said with a smile.
"That girl," the Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace hesitated for a moment.
"The elder has plans of her own. There’s no need for the Palace Master to worry," the lady in the blue dress said, still smiling.
"Let’s put this matter on hold for now. Although the elder didn’t state it clearly, she probably doesn’t want you to intervene."
"The elder is well-informed," the Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace said lazily, stretching and smiling.
"These people have been in the palace for only a day or two."
"Although the elder has delegated authority to the Palace Master, there are still things she needs to be informed of," the lady in the blue dress remarked with a smile.
"I don’t mind. After all, this position was given to me by her," the Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace replied indifferently.
"Lan’er, you truly are loyal and devoted."
......
They had been in the Teleportation Array for about seven days.
Finally, the three of them set foot on solid ground and saw the sunlight outside.
As a place that bordered the Tianlun Sect, the citizens of Flame Martial City were very martial.
Practicing martial arts was the trend here.
They were used to dealing with people from the Tianlun Sect and even had many members of the sect concealed within the city.
If one were to say that other places lived according to the decrees of the Divine Maiden Palace, without any self-interest or greed,
Then Flame Martial City had become somewhat of a grey area, a tainted white touched by darkness, conducting many transactions in secret that violated the directives of the Divine Maiden Palace.
After arriving in Flame Martial City, the trio found this city to be exceptionally prosperous.
The streets were bustling with more activity than in other cities.
"What do we do now?" Gu Yue asked.
"How about we find a place to rest first," Da Zhi, the monk, suggested.
"In any case, we need to understand the basic situation of the Tianlun Sect.
Rushing in recklessly could lead to more loss than gain."
"That makes sense," Xu Zimei nodded.
They headed to the bustling center of the city and arrived in front of an inn known as Yueyang Inn.
No sooner had the three of them entered than an attendant came forward to greet them.
"Are the three of you here to dine or to stay?" the attendant quickly asked.
"Both," Xu Zimei replied.
"You know the rules, right?" the attendant asked with a smile.
"What rules?" Xu Zimei inquired.
"It’s nothing," the attendant hurriedly shook his head, before continuing.
"You see, our Yueyang Inn here, the boss is generous and charitable, so everything is free.
You all can stay and eat as you like."
"Then thank our boss for me," Xu Zimei said.
"There’s no need to thank him just yet, for there is an opportunity right now," the attendant gestured, explaining.
"Recently, the boss has been raising charity funds, hoping to open more inns like this to help more people.
Would you be willing to donate?"
"How much?" Xu Zimei inquired.
After going around in circles, he finally realized what was happening.
This was a clear hint.
Due to the rules of the Divine Maiden Palace, monetary transactions were prohibited, so the people of Flame Martial City had adopted a different method.
Operating under the guise of charity, what they were actually settling was the bill for food and lodging.
This way, they would not lose any money, nor would they be criticized; it was already an outright transaction.
Indeed, wherever there are people, there are Jianghu.
"Not much, just one hundred Spirit Crystals," the shop assistant said with a smile.
Xu Zimei had an abundance of Spirit Crystals on him, nearly too many to spend, so he wasn’t fussy about the cost.
After handing over one hundred Spirit Crystals to the other party, he took out a few dozen more and placed them on the table.
"I ask, you answer," Xu Zimei pointed to the Spirit Crystals and said, "If it’s helpful, these are yours."
"Feel free to ask, sir," the shop assistant replied after glancing at the Spirit Crystals.
"You know about the Tianlun Sect, don’t you?" Xu Zimei inquired.
Hearing this, the smile on the shop assistant’s face froze for a moment before he replied with a chuckle, "You must be joking, sir. I really don’t know about this, nor do I deal with them."
"Let’s not beat around the bush—I’m here on behalf of the Tianlun Sect, just looking to gather some information," Xu Zimei added as he put down a few dozen more Spirit Crystals.
"I truly don’t know much," the shop assistant shook his head and said.
"If you really want to know something, I can show you the right way.
In the eastern part of the city, there’s a Book Pavilion. The old bookkeeper there knows more than I do.
People call him ’Knowledgeable on All Matters.’ Inside the Red Dust Palace, there’s scarcely anything he doesn’t know."
"Book Pavilion?" Xu Zimei muttered to himself.
"Then, sir, may I take these Spirit Crystals?" the shop assistant asked tentatively.
Xu Zimei waved his hand dismissively and didn’t mind.
Watching the shop assistant leave with high spirits and a jaunty step,
Gu Yue couldn’t help but say, "What are these people doing in the Red Dust Palace?
They have to live so cautiously here; they might as well go out to the outside world, where they can be free."
"You can’t say it like that," Da Zhi, the monk, replied from the side.
"Some who come here really have seen through the red dust of the world.
Others are just lost for a moment, and by the time they awaken, it’s already too late to leave.
There are also those who are the descendants of others. They can’t choose where they’re born; they can only live passively in this land."
"Isn’t Red Dust Palace supposed to forbid greed? How can there be the birth of descendants?" Gu Yue asked, puzzled.
"Then, may I ask, how were you born?" Da Zhi, the monk, replied with a smile.
"In this world, nothing is absolute. No matter how strict the prohibition, there will always be some who will defy it in secret."
"Let’s have our meal already. After eating, we’ll go to the Book Pavilion. I don’t want to waste too much time here."
Xu Zimei said as he watched the shop assistant serve the food on the table.
...
The three quickly finished their lunch and left the inn, heading east towards the city.
The Book Pavilion in the east of the city was well-known within Flame Martial City.
Almost any passerby could point them in the direction of the Book Pavilion’s location.
The Book Pavilion’s storefront was not conspicuous, tucked away in a secluded alley instead.
The quiet alley was far from the noisy market and situated at the very end.
When Xu Zimei and his companions arrived there, they discovered that the Book Pavilion was extremely quiet inside.
The decoration of the Book Pavilion was simple, with an ancient signboard hanging askew above.
Stepping inside, one could even smell the scent of books.
It was a unique aroma of paper, capable of making one’s thoughts clear as a flowing spring.
A man dressed as a scholar sat at the front, engrossed in reading a book.
Even the entrance of Xu Zimei and the others didn’t seem to disturb him.
"Are you the owner of the Book Pavilion?" Da Zhi, the monk, asked politely with a slight bow.
"What can I do for you?" the scholar slowly lifted his head and asked.
His appearance was somewhat ordinary, but his eyes were deep and vast, truly possessing the insight of one who had read a myriad of books and traveled far.
"We would like to inquire about some matters, if it’s not too much trouble?" Da Zhi, the monk, inquired.
"The answers are all in these books," the scholar said with a smile.
"Whatever you want to know, you need to find it for yourselves."
