According to Alice, this is about taking stock of one’s own situation.
Xu Shu didn’t rush inside but instead walked around outside first, examining it, and couldn’t help but marvel at the extravagance.
The place is luxurious to an astonishing degree; even from outside the courtyard, the retro-style pavilion buildings inside can be seen, and calling it splendid wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
"It seems this Lanling Royal Office Director has quite a remarkable background."
"By the way, in the Penglai District, the local directors appear to be independent from the Astronomy Association’s organizations. Each director is only governed by Bai Yujing, seeming to cooperate with the Astronomy Association, but in reality subtly starting to replace the Association’s control over the region..."
"Tsk tsk, as a forr official mber of the Astronomy Association, this makes feel nine parts embarrassed."
"I wonder if other safe zones with imnse power have a situation similar to Penglai District?"
"Probably not, right?"
"Over at Female Void Palace, it seems they remain completely under the Astronomy Association’s jurisdiction, a safe zone untouched."
After surveying for a mont, Xu Shu didn’t hesitate much and imdiately entered, announcing his identity and purpose.
The security personnel at the entrance asked him to wait for a mont, quickly bringing news, and a graceful maid in ancient attire ca to lead him forward.
Upon entering the courtyard, the unusual nature of this residence beca more apparent.
Inside was very serene, completely isolating the outside clamor. Various exquisite porcelain vases lined the corridor, hinting that this ’Lanling King’ might be a collector of antiques, a cultured person.
However, to Xu Shu, this hobby was utterly worthless.
As the saying goes, in tis of peace, antiques; in tis of chaos, gold. These decorations rely have aesthetic appeal; if one were to discuss practicality, among common people, gold is far more reliable, comparable to the Erosion Crystal, a hard-currency.
Of course, that’s rely saying it; could antiques really be worthless in the apocalypse? Not necessarily.
But Xu Shu was not an expert, so he refrained from comnting.
Passing through three courtyard stages, the maid led Xu Shu to an exterior of a study room, took her leave with a courtesy bow.
Xu Shu frowned slightly but wasn’t shy. After politely knocking and receiving a response, he pushed the door open and entered.
The study was rich with ink fragrance, its walls full of scrolls decorated with Xu Shu couldn’t make sense of, various styles with unknown writings.
There was only one person present, a mature woman seemingly in her thirties with a gentle and graceful temperant, dressed in a silk long gown, slender-waisted, and charming.
She was vigorously writing at the table when the gust brought by Xu Shu’s entrance disrupted her rhythm, prompting her to quickly set her pen down.
"Lanling King is actually a female power figure... practicing calligraphy? Scholar path Phase Three? This path isn’t exclusively controlled by the Astronomy Association?"
Xu Shu scrutinized for a while, thinking this beautiful woman was indeed still charming, resolvedly staring at her, sizing her up from top to bottom with a bold deanor and slightly heated gaze.
The beautiful woman smiled slightly, evidently accustod to having seen much, not embarrassed but with a gentle voice and a noble attitude said, "Xu, you’ve arrived, just in ti to help evaluate how this piece turned out."
As she spoke, she waved her sleeve, hanging the character scroll she just finished onto the screen behind her, truly demonstrating remarkable skill.
Fellow Daoist... It seems this person isn’t a Scholar but a Taoist? A Taoist practicing calligraphy... I understand, this seems to be a "Pen Cultivator"!
Xu muttered to himself, unable to comprehend why the other person concocted such needless complications.
However, this scroll was indeed worthy of applause, even soone uncultured like him couldn’t help but appreciate it.
He stroked his chin, carefully identifying the writing, and confidently read aloud, "Caught a frog, squeezed out its poop!"
"..."
The air seed to freeze at that mont.
The smile in the beautiful woman’s eyes gradually disappeared.
After a good while of silence, her chest heaved several tis before maintaining a smile at her lips and said, "Hehe, this promising piece, looking forward, crossing into the future, for Xu, as a eting gift, please."
With a swishing sound, the scroll shot out like an arrow, straight toward Xu Shu.
Pop!
Xu Shu didn’t dodge, allowing the scroll to hit his firm and solid chest, then gradually squinted, catching the falling scroll and rolling it into a ball, sowhat surprised.
The surprise being that the incoming text had no attack power.
He initially thought the other party ant to set a deterrent, ready to display so brute might, unexpectedly discovering that the scroll seed fierce but beca as light as a feather before him, devoid of any force.
"... What do you an by calling here?"
Xu Shu, puzzled, couldn’t grasp what the other was trying to achieve, decided to bluntly ask, inwardly cursing, "Today, even if the Emperor’s here, this writing is still about catching a frog!"
Seeing Xu’s deanor, the woman slightly twirled her charming eyes, helplessly shook her head with a smile, "It seems I misunderstood you, Xu. You’re truly... utterly oblivious to the customs here. I’m a lone woman without support, inevitably cautious. I’m Yun Lan, hope Xu doesn’t take offense."
She bowed slightly, her robe dipped, revealing a hint of creamy white snow from above.
’This apology posture is quite in place, but why does she sound so suggestive?’
Xu Shu’s eyes darted, casually asked, "Since you know I’m foreign and unaware of the customs, Auntie, why don’t you make things clearer?"
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