57: Chapter 54: The Pri Minister is looking for you 57: Chapter 54: The Pri Minister is looking for you Zhou Chen’s experience was indeed rare,
The challenges that these low-level martial disciples faced in cultivation stirred a feeling of lant,
but Xu Yuan’s attention at the mont was more focused on the Tian’an Martial Hall.
With a Black Scale Guard like Ying’er, who was akin to a death-defying soldier, Xu Yuan had realized earlier than his so-called father must have his own private troop training system.
However, the cultivation of the Black Scale Guards was done in private, much like how the great families and clans raised servants, but the establishnt of the Tian’an Martial Hall was a public matter.
Openly recruiting disciples from all over the world.
For ordinary people, this was a pathway to cultivation,
but for the Pri Minister’s Mansion, it was also a form of public conscription.
Realizing this, Xu Yuan collected his thoughts and ceased to ponder further.
Pondering any more at the mont was useless; it was better to wait until he gained enough strength to directly ask his old man.
After leaving the Wuxuan Institute, Xu Yuan took Zhou Chen with him and headed straight for the library.
Devoid of Elixir dicine to nurture his body, his ridians and will-spirit needed rest, but ti could not be wasted.
Xu Yuan planned to spend this ti reviewing so ancient books.
Although this place was not the Pri Minister’s Mansion in the Imperial Capital, being the ancestral ho of the current Chancellor, the library here also held many extrely rare and unique secrets.
How did Xu Yuan know this?
The tens of thousands of silver in the Suru Ring right now ca from this knowledge—how could he not know?
……..
The Xuanwu Institute was located in the southwest corner of the servants’ residence, while the library was at the north end, in the master’s living area known as Anxiu Garden.
Having a vast estate was not always a good thing, but since Zhou Chen was quite talkative, the journey didn’t feel dull.
So of it was Zhou Chen’s personal experiences, so were gossips about the Hook Bar, and so were internal news from the Pri Minister’s Mansion.
Such as the ergence of a secret cultivation technique in a certain place, which led to hordes of martial disciples fighting over it, scores dying, only for the spoils to end up in the hands of the children from noble families.
And such as how in the Imperial Capital, there were courtesans listed on the Imperial Court’s newsletter demanding obscenely high prices; just to have them in one’s room for an evening, to listen to their music and poetry discussions, one would need to pay hundreds of taels of silver.
Or how, despite the high entry fees of Tian’an Martial Hall, it actually operated at a loss each year, requiring astronomical figures to be covered by the Tian’an Comrce Assembly.
Because of his status, Zhou Chen spoke of these things without any concern.
Idly chatting along the way, Xu Yuan’s knowledge expanded a bit more.
Upon reaching the library’s courtyard entrance, two Protectors on duty saluted Xu Yuan and imdiately let him through.
The library was a four-story pavilion surrounded by bridges, pavilions, and trickling streams, the environnt was quite antique and elegant.
Pushing the door open and entering, a small room ca into view.
In the room, there was a quaint wooden table where sat an old man with white hair and beard, holding a book in his hands.
Xu Changtian used to steal books from here without this man being present.
Glancing sideways at Zhou Chen and seeing his unchanged expression, Xu Yuan guessed that this man was probably a caretaker dedicated to the library.
Xu Yuan and Zhou Chen walked straight past; the old man did not even bother to lift his eyes, still imrsed in his book.
Seeing this, a hint of respect arose in Xu Yuan’s heart.
Walking into the library, they didn’t stop on the first floor, instead, they took the wooden stairs and headed straight to the top floor.
While walking, Xu Yuan asked curiously:
“Mr.
Zhou, was that old man very strong?”
Zhou Chen lifted his eyebrows slightly and said indifferently:
“A re Soul Condensation, a Grade Fifth at the twilight of his life, there’s not much to say about that.”
Hearing this, Xu Yuan felt a bit disappointed.
He thought that the man’s deanour indicated that he might be an expert like the legendary sweeper monks, but it turned out he couldn’t even sense Zhou Chen’s level of cultivation.
At this mont, Zhou Chen chuckled and said:
“Young Master, the library here in Jingjiang Prefecture’s estate doesn’t hold anything particularly unusual; having a Grade Fifth protecting it is already sowhat excessive.
However, there’s indeed a master living in the library over at the Imperial Capital, whom you might have encountered before.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan recalled briefly:
“That maid who was cleaning the books?”
Previously, when he went to the library in the Imperial Capital to steal books, he often encountered a maid cleaning the dust off bookshelves with a ladder in the attic.
A quite young woman, out of place amidst the weighty atmosphere of the library, who always looked at him with tender eyes as if seeing a junior, leaving a deep impression on him.
“It seems you really have seen her.”
Zhou Chen nodded his head slightly and quietly said, “Don’t be fooled by her youth, in reality, she’s only a few years younger than .
Originally, she was always by madam’s side…”
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Zhou Chen abruptly fell silent.
The library was instantly enveloped in silence.
After several seconds of silence, Zhou Chen slowly continued with a gentle tone:
“Well…
in any case, she later went to serve in the mansion’s library.”
Xu Yuan did not speak further.
He knew why Zhou Chen had suddenly fallen silent.
Because in his mories, he had almost no information about his mother.
Even if there was any, it was mostly frozen in his very early childhood.
With a father but no mother,
This was also one of the reasons why the original had beco reclusive and turned wicked.
However, based on the tiline of the establishnt of Tian’an Martial Hall that Zhou Chen ntioned, Xu Yuan could vaguely guess that his mother’s death might be related to the setting up of the Martial Hall.
The two of them silently made their way to the fourth floor,
where Zhou Chen directly climbed out of the window to sit on the rooftop and drink sullenly, while Xu Yuan quietly browsed through various books on the top floor……
…
…
Ti slowly passed, approaching noon.
“Third Young Master.”
In the silent top floor of the library, a sowhat hoarse female voice rang out.
The sudden voice without any warning made Xu Yuan, who was fully engrossed in reading, tremble slightly in the hand that held the book.
Looking up, he saw it was Ying’er, clad in tight black clothes.
Xu Yuan frowned and asked,
“Is there sothing?”
“Yes.”
“Speak.”
“The Pri Minister is looking for you.”
“….” Xu Yuan.
Brevity carried a punch, and Xu Yuan was taken aback in his heart.
Pondering for a mont, he realized that his old dad was unlikely to have traveled thousands of miles to Jingjiang City.
This “looking for him” must an he was sending a ssage.
“Let’s go.”
Without further ado, Xu Yuan placed the book back on the shelf and headed downstairs.
Ying’er followed.
On their way down,
Xu Yuan seed to rember sothing and suddenly asked,
“By the way, did that woman Su Jinxuan say anything?”
Having handed Su Jinxuan over to Ying’er ten days ago, he figured she must have spilled everything by now.
Ying’er replied,
“She said so things, but not much.”
Surprised, Xu Yuan thought,
“Su Jinxuan only said so?”
This was quite unexpected to him.
The cunning Su Jinxuan, although ticulous in her usual scheming, tended to beco not-so-smart under pressure.
She could only be described as a very astute young lady.
Yet now, after staying under Ying’er’s watch for more than ten days, she had only disclosed so things.
Her backbone was indeed quite firm.
Ying’er nodded,
“Yes, she only said so.
“I went out to take care of so business ten days ago and questioned her once, she revealed so things, and just today, upon my return to the mansion, I was planning to go and interrogate her again.”
“…..” Xu Yuan.
“…..” Ying’er.
“Did you use the torture thod I ntioned?”
“Yes.”
“…..”
There was quiet for a mont,
ten days,
Xu Yuan slightly imagined the ntal state of that cunning woman…..
His body shuddered slightly.
He coughed lightly and, without further inquiry about Su Jinxuan, changed the subject,
“You said you stepped out earlier?
Why?”
“Investigating Qin Weijiu.” Ying’er.
Xu Yuan paused, turning back to look,
“That Qin Weijiu is the sa Mr.
Qin?
Any progress?”
“….” Ying’er kept her gaze down at her toes without speaking.
Xu Yuan was silent for a mont, then snorted lightly and walked out without saying a word.
If it had been Zhou Chen, he probably would have spoken frankly about the matter.
It seems,
Ying’er still requires so training.
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