NOVPUBDa Zhi, the monk, furrowed his brow slightly, but seeing that the scholar had no intention of dealing with the crowd any further, he decided to start searching on his own.
The group of them flipped back and forth through the bookshelves numerous times, and Xu Zimei discovered that there was a wide variety of books here.
Mostly about the affairs within the Red Dust Palace, they essentially covered every category.
Finding books this way was too cumbersome, and Xu Zimei was getting impatient.
Looking at the scholar, he said, "We’re looking for books about the Tianlun Sect."
The scholar looked up at Xu Zimei and replied, "Those are forbidden books, not allowed to appear in the city."
"I know you have them," Xu Zimei said.
"But why should I give them to you?" the scholar asked with a smile.
"This book can save your life, it should be worth it," Xu Zimei thought for a moment and then said.
"We come from the Divine Maiden Palace, it’s better for you to cooperate with us." 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
"Although I don’t fear trouble, I don’t want to provoke it either," the scholar shook his head and said.
"Since when did the Divine Maiden Palace recruit men?"
As he spoke, he threw a thick book to Xu Zimei.
"You can take the book, but from now on, you are not allowed to enter this Book Pavilion again."
Xu Zimei looked down at the book; it was very thick and seemed to have been covered with dust for a long time.
He didn’t say much else and took the book back to the inn.
The book contained detailed records about the Tianlun Sect, including both its origins and Gongsun Hongtian’s exploits written out in full.
As one of the early arrivals at the Red Dust Palace, Gongsun Hongtian initially thought he had seen through the mortal world and had a kind of enlightenment akin to leave it all behind.
But it wasn’t until he actually arrived that he realized he was just momentarily lost.
By then it was too late for regret, once inside the Red Dust Palace, no exit was permitted.
Unwilling to be trapped in this Forbidden Land for life, Gongsun Hongtian established the beginnings of the Tianlun Sect.
He united many like himself who were lost and embarked on his own long road of rebellion.
The so-called term ’Tianlun’ simply meant the joy of family and natural bonds.
With so much beauty in the world, how could one be content breaking free from the mortal realm?
...
The content later mainly tells the story of the Tianlun Sect’s initial struggles, its growth amid the siege of the Divine Maiden Palace, and how it gradually became stronger.
Xu Zimei didn’t read in detail, he skimmed through some parts and then decided to make his way to the Tianlun Sect.
The three of them didn’t stay in Flame Martial City either; they set off northward in the afternoon.
The Tianlun Sect allowed outsiders to visit, and even then, it was widely developing its followers, making itself stronger and stronger.
Sunset reflected on the horizon.
The sky was rendered in shades of gold by the clouds, as the sun slowly sank lower.
Before nightfall, Xu Zimei and the others finally arrived inside Tianlun City.
Indeed, Tianlun City was not simply a city in and of itself.
It spanned across the entire north, its vastness unimaginable.
And the Tianlun Sect was situated right at the city’s central point, both governing and guarding it.
The towering city walls appeared within their view, stretching infinitely, disappearing into the horizon.
"The joy of family, the myriad states of being."
Four characters were engraved on either side of the city walls, with two guards stationed by each side.
All who entered the city were required to register.
"Where do you come from?" the city guard asked Xu Zimei and his companions.
"We’ve just arrived from the Red Dust Palace and wish to join the Tianlun Sect," Da Zhi, the monk, said with a smile.
"Tianlun Sect welcomes anyone, but if one harbors ill intentions, we will certainly not let them off lightly," the guard said.
"Because you are not citizens of Tianlun City, the maximum time you can spend in the city is no more than three days."
As he spoke, the guard handed three tokens to Xu Zimei and his two companions.
He reminded them, "Three days later, you can leave the city presenting these tokens.
If you fail to leave within the stipulated time and are discovered, the consequences will be severe."
After the three of them entered the city, even though it was already evening, the city was bustling with life.
Here, it seemed there was no difference from the outside world.
"What shall we do next?" Da Zhi asked Xu Zimei as he looked at him.
"Find Gongsun Hongtian and kill him," Xu Zimei replied.
"Tianlun Sect is at the center of the city, with hundreds of thousands of disciples. It’s going to be very troublesome if a fight breaks out," Da Zhi said.
"If Gongsun Hongtian manages to escape and hide, it will be even more troublesome."
"Then we’ll find Gongsun Hongtian directly, without alarming anyone ahead of time," Xu Zimei said.
He looked at Gu Yue and added, "You should find a room to hide in when the time comes, considering your cultivation is so low."
Gu Yue nodded slightly.
The three of them decided to find an inn near the Tianlun Sect, which would also facilitate gathering some information.
Because Tianlun City was so vast, there were special carriages for traveling from one side of the city to the other.
The three of them each found a carriage and headed towards the city center.
Upon reaching the city center, Xu Zimei found it even more bustling than other areas.
There were Tianlun Sect disciples patrolling the area around the sect.
Ordinary people simply couldn’t get close, but there was a busy market street nearby, and the three found an inn there to settle down for the time being.
The city was crowded with people, and the aroma of various foods at the night market was overwhelming.
After finding an inn, the three of them found a quiet spot on the ground floor, ordered a pot of wine and some dishes.
"Do you think we should try to infiltrate the Tianlun Sect?" Da Zhi asked in a low voice.
"We’d be wasting time; it’s not that easy to get in," Xu Zimei remarked.
"He didn’t want to spend too much time inside the Red Dust Palace; if it weren’t for the fear of startling the enemy, he would have already stormed in."
"But we can’t just sit around waiting for news either. What if there’s no news at all?" Da Zhi responded.
As they were racking their brains for a solution, a man who seemed slightly drunk and unsteady on his feet staggered in from outside, cursing as he walked.
"Li Kui, what’s wrong with you now?" The man seemed to be a regular here, as some of the inn’s patrons asked him with a laugh.
"Don’t get me started, buddy. Bring me the best wine and dishes you have," the man known as Li Kui said, taking a seat.
He slammed the table and shouted angrily.
"Those Tianlun Sect people are just too arrogant. I just won a big sum at the gambling house and got robbed."
"Who would do such a thing so brazenly?" someone asked curiously.
"Who else but that scoundrel Fang Jiu," Li Kui snorted coldly.
Watching the waiter bring over the pork trotter, he grabbed it and began gnawing furiously as if to vent his frustration.
"There’s nothing you can do; Fang Jiu used to be a little rascal around here. It’s just that now he’s got the backing of Young Master Tianxun," someone clicked their tongue twice in regret.
"With Young Master Tianxun supporting him, we’d better stay out of it."
"Regardless of everything, Young Master Tianxun is our Junior Sect Master of Tianlun Sect. Why would he favor such scoundrels?" Li Kui complained, unwilling to accept the situation.
Heaving a sigh, he took several big swigs of his wine.
"Just can’t figure it out, can’t figure it out."
