"Speaking of which, after Wuxin City developed alongside Xiaoyao, it was actually the Xiaoyao Patriarch who named it."
Looking at several pairs of bright, curious eyes, Martial Uncle Lu smiled and said, "According to the second volume of the «Xiaoyao History», the 'Wuxin' in Wuxin City was inspired by the line, 'Clouds move aimlessly, and water flows at ease.'"
Isn't that a line from «White Cloud Spring»?
Clouds drift freely, and spring water flows with leisure... Gu Ningyun immediately thought, "Does it mean being free and unfettered?"
"Correct." Martial Uncle Lu gave her an appreciative look.
Gu Ningyun blinked, taking in the city's bustling, lively, and relaxed atmosphere. She felt a sense of wonder.
Was this what the patriarch envisioned as being 'free and unfettered'?
No, perhaps this was just one manifestation of it.
"Make way! Make way!"
Just as she heard the shouting from behind, Gu Ningyun was knocked off balance.
A force steadied her, accompanied by the sweet scent of pear blossom crisps.
"Sorry about that, little fellow Daoist."
The person steadied her and apologized before bolting off like a rabbit, leaving Gu Ningyun standing there in a daze.
After that person, several others rushed past in a blur.
This time, Gu Ningyun was prepared and dodged to the side in a flash.
"Is my guard really that low? I couldn't even dodge someone bumping into me," she muttered, rubbing her shoulder as she spoke to Mu Chenze, who had moved to the side with her.
Mu Chenze was taken aback by her question. "Shouldn't you be curious about what they're running for?"
"A cultivator should be focused; why should I care what they're running for?" Gu Ningyun reflected inwardly. She needed to train her body to maintain vigilance as a habit.
This time it was just a bump; next time, if someone tried to stab her, she'd be finished.
She should equip some defensive artifacts. If she missed something, at least she'd have protection.
"Not at all, not at all. A cultivator must have eyes in the back of their head and ears tuned to all directions to ensure they don't miss any potential opportunities."
Mu Chenze waved his folding fan. "Focus is good, but you shouldn't be completely oblivious to your surroundings."
Gu Ningyun reconsidered. That did seem to make sense.
"Enough talk, let's go see for ourselves." Before Gu Ningyun could respond, Wen Xuan grabbed her arm and started running.
Jiang Yao shouted from behind, "Aren't we going to eat at Yaoxian Residence? Aren't you guys hungry?"
Mu Chenze grabbed him by the collar. "It's not noon yet. Let's take a look. It won't be too late to head to Yaoxian Residence afterward."
Watching the four of them run off without looking back, Jun Luo turned to the two martial uncles and gave a small, apologetic bow.
Martial Aunt Yang’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she walked slowly. "It's fine. Let's go see as well."
While the three of them were unhurried, the other four had already reached the place where the crowd was gathered.
Gu Ningyun looked at the shop, which was packed to the brim with a long queue snaking outside. She looked up at the sign: "Five Continents Bookhouse."
"The Five Continents Chamber of Commerce is the second-largest chamber of commerce in the cultivation world, right after the Xiaoyao Chamber of Commerce."
"This Five Continents Bookhouse belongs to them. They claim to have a collection of everything—basic cultivation techniques used throughout the cultivation world, the four arts of cultivation, miscellaneous skills, and maps of various continents—excluding only the private archives of sects and great clans."
Mu Chenze shared the information about Five Continents Bookhouse. He finished with a slight frown. "Since everyone is so eager, could the Five Continents Chamber of Commerce have acquired some powerful technique?"
Then he shook his head, dismissing the idea. "No, if that were the case, it would be much more profitable to put it up for auction."
"We'll know if we just ask."
Gu Ningyun looked around and immediately spotted the pear blossom crisp fellow.
"Fellow Daoist," Gu Ningyun said, pointing at the bookhouse. "Are you all queuing here because the bookhouse is selling something interesting?"
"Oh, it's you, little fellow Daoist. Sorry again for bumping into you earlier."
Hearing her question, the fellow's tone became excited. "You bet! Today is the day Mr. Xueyue releases the sequel to his storybook."
"Oh! Mr. Xueyue is..." Gu Ningyun clapped her hands, a look of realization appearing on her face.
Seeing her reaction, the fellow's expression became even friendlier. "You're a loyal reader of Mr. Xueyue too, aren't you?!"
Facing the fellow, who was several heads taller than her, Gu Ningyun looked up, her round almond eyes full of admiration. "Of course! The way he structures his stories... what's that word again?"
"Unpredictable and incredibly melodramatic!"
Gu Ningyun looked like she had found a kindred spirit. "Yes, that's the word!"
Not far from the queue, Mu Chenze and the others watched Gu Ningyun, completely stunned.
Wen Xuan asked softly, "Who is Mr. Xueyue? Isn't Ningyun obsessed with improving her strength? Since when did she become a loyal reader of this guy?"
Mu Chenze was dazed. "She couldn't leave the sect before the competition. Either she bought the storybooks from older disciples, or she became obsessed after we were allowed to leave. Jun Luo said she was in seclusion this month, so she must have read them before the competition."
"Well... the path of cultivation is long. It's normal to have hobbies." Jiang Yao watched Gu Ningyun’s interaction; it didn't look like an act at all.
Wen Xuan was thoughtful. "Ningyun spent time reading storybooks, yet her cultivation is faster than ours and she's stronger. It seems we haven't been working hard enough."
Jiang Yao nodded repeatedly. "Didn't we summarize our shortcomings from the competition? Let's patch up our weaknesses as soon as possible."
Gu Ningyun, the supposed loyal reader of Mr. Xueyue, had finished her conversation and walked back.
"I’ve got the details. It's not a cultivation technique. A resident author named Mr. Xueyue has released a sequel to his storybook, and everyone is scrambling to buy it."
"This Mr. Xueyue is a resident storyteller at Five Continents Bookhouse, specializing in bizarre, melodramatic stories of love and hate."
"According to his readers, the more outrageous the content, the more they love it."
After sharing the news, she saw her three companions staring at her in shock. Gu Ningyun touched her cheek. "What's wrong?"
Wen Xuan’s eyes darted around. "I was just saying... when did you become a loyal reader of Mr. Xueyue? I've never seen you read a storybook."
"Ningyun, your information-gathering skills are impressive," Jiang Yao said, scratching his head awkwardly.
Mu Chenze hid his face behind his folding fan and remained silent.
Gu Ningyun observed their reactions and fell silent.
Did these three think she liked mindless, melodramatic storybooks?
What a huge misunderstanding! She loved all kinds of storybooks!
It was just that she was too busy with cultivation lately and didn't have the time.
In her previous life, she had even read a book where a cannon fodder character had the exact same name as her. It was outrageous enough that it would probably scare these three to death if she told them.
She cleared her throat. "Let's go, let's go. Time to eat. The martial uncles and Jun Luo have been waiting for ages."
The interlude at Five Continents Bookhouse passed quickly. Gu Ningyun and her group browsed their way to Yaoxian Residence and followed a waiter to a private booth on the second floor.
Once everyone was seated, the waiter stepped out for a moment and soon returned with a line of other servers.
Each server carried a large tray, shielded by spirit energy and covers, making it impossible to see what was inside.
The lead waiter said, "Senior Yang, Senior Lu, the two of you placed this order a year ago."
"Based on the information regarding the diners' spirit roots and cultivation levels that you sent us a month ago, Yaoxian Residence has specially prepared these dishes. Please enjoy."
Rate on N.U.
