The House of Blossoming Spring incident ended, but Li Chu did not feel any less tense.
There was still something overshadowing the little town of Yuhang.
Before leaving The House of Blossoming Spring, Chun Sanniang quietly told Li Chu, "If you think you have worked hard enough and want to quit, you can come to me."
She gave him a mesmerizing look as she spoke.
Li Chu just shrugged it off.
'Are you kidding me?'
'Quit? How is it possible?'
'This world is so dangerous that there are still ferocious and mysterious beings at the door. That will be no different from rolling over and dying.'
Chun Sanniang looked at his eyes, vaguely feeling that what he understood seemed to deviate from what she wanted to express, but she did not know how to explain it.
On the second day after resolving Meixiang's Vengeful Spirit, Li Chu went to the bookstore again.
The old shopkeeper was still the same, dressed up as an old Confucian, slumbering in the dusty beam of light with the smell of a pile of old papers.
Sensing Li Chu walk in, the old shopkeeper opened his eyes. A smile spread across his face. "Young Daoist, it is you again. How can I help you?"
"I am looking for books about cultivation techniques. The Iron Robe I bought last time worked well. This time I want to see if there are any methods that can enhance human perception," said Li Chu, this time with more details.
He was afraid that if he was vague, the old shopkeeper would take him to see those adult materials.
"Oh? You have mastered The Iron Robe?" The old shopkeeper was surprised.
He could not believe that someone had actually read the secret manual bought from his store and mastered the techniques in the book.
"Just a little," said Li Chu.
"You are really talented, Young Daoist Li." The old shopkeeper could only respond this way.
"Thank you."
"Perceptual ability…" muttered the old shopkeeper as he came in front of the box of martial arts secret manuals that they had gone through last time.
In fact, he was not very familiar with the contents of this box. He had purchased the books to decorate the storefront and fill the bookshelf.
After all, they were just common merchandise, not worth a mention.
Anyone who wanted to get serious in martial art practice knew that at least one had to join an immortal sect and find a decent master.
No one would go to the bookstore to find second-hand secret manuals all day.
Besides, Li Chu was a Daoist priest.
So this young Daoist was strange.
But as strange as it might be, he was happy to sell the young Daoist something. The old shopkeeper rummaged in the box for a while and finally found a grayish-yellow, hardcover book.
It looked like this book was older than him.
The Mind's Eye: From Beginner to Expert
Li Chu took it in his hand and looked at the book cover.
"Wow, this book has a history." The old shopkeeper recalled. "It is said that the founder of The Mind's Eye was known as Mister Blind Sword, a senior in the martial world. His cultivation base and sword technique were superb. The most surprising thing is that he was blind.
"How did a blind man possess such a high level of swordsmanship? It was because of this Mind's Eye technique that allowed him to sense the energy of people. So, he was not at a disadvantage at all when confronting an opponent.
"This level of cultivation technique should not be practiced so widely. But for the well-being of the whole martial world, Mister Blind Sword set aside the differences between sects and made this secret manual available to the entire martial world. He had a grand ambition.
"He said he had a dream. He wanted to help more people get rid of the shackles of their bodies by letting all the blind people in the world become masters of swordsmanship."
"What a noble man Mister Blind Sword was." Li Chu could not help but admire.
A feeling of admiration spontaneously arose within him.
...
Ten Li Slope was painted with vibrant colors of flowers and lush greens.
A cheerful, beautiful young girl in a colorful dress scampered on Ten Li Slope.
Next to her was another graceful beauty, dressed in a flowing cloud-like dress, holding a cyan paper umbrella in her hands.
"Hello, Miss Gongsun," greeted Li Chu.
The girl, who was strolling on the grass with little Yue'er, was Gongsun Rou, whom he had not seen for many days.
"Hello, Young Daoist Li," replied Gongsun Rou softly with a gentle smile, just like what her name suggested.
Little Yue'er looked at Li Chu and paused. She seemed to recall something before greeting him with a cheerful voice. "Master, are you back?"
Li Chu looked at her and then at the small pouch around her waist which was meant to hold money—empty when she went out and full when she came back.
The small pouch looked pretty bulgy this time.
Li Chu instantly had an avuncular look on his face.
So much so that he looked like Yu Qi'an, who was sitting on the threshold and watching the two beauties having fun by themselves.
"I heard that Deyun Monastery is undergoing renovation, so I came to visit to see if there is anything that I can help." Gongsun Rou chuckled and sat down opposite Yu Qi'an.
"It is so kind of you, Miss Gongsun," said Yu Qi'an, who was glancing at his disciple with a meaningful look.
"Thank you, Miss Gongsun." Li Chu just nodded.
Gongsun Rou hesitated for a second. "I would like to ask you a favor."
"I am listening."
"The last time The Blue Wing Lodge sent an assassin to kill my father and me. We wouldn't have lived if not for you, Young Daoist Li. My father got the news yesterday that the high-ups of The Blue Wing Lodge were enraged upon knowing that the Eight-Armed Asura was defeated. They are ready to send more powerful assassins to carry out the mission. They are adamant to kill us."
Gongsun Rou's brows were knitted together when she was sad. They were like distant mountains in the mist, which would instantly arouse one's sympathy and make them felt an immediate urge to comfort her.
"So I thought maybe I could ask you to help us again… to protect us for a period."
Li Chu pondered for a moment. "His Excellency Gongsun is the imperial court official. Why would the Imperial Administration Bureau allow any demon to assassinate him?"
Gongsun Rou forced a smile with a smirk on her face. "Of course, this shouldn't happen to an imperial court official. But what if it is the imperial court that wants my father's death? And it is the order of an imperial official who holds an office a hundred times higher than my father. That person would have no problem suppressing my father's complaint."
"That is too much!" said Yu Qi'an in anger. "How dare the traitor colludes with The Blue Wing Lodge to murder loyal officials in broad daylight? Li Chu, you should move into Miss Gongsun's residence for a while to protect her and her father."
He winked at Li Chu as he spoke.
Li Chu was taken aback.
The master gave him a you-know-what-to-do look.
But he did not get it at all.
However, as he looked at Gongsun Rou's sincere and beautiful eyes, his sense of justice told him he could not refuse.
"It is incumbent on me to do that." Li Chu nodded.
"Thank you, Young Daoist Li." Gongsun Rou thanked him again and again, her eyes gleaming.
After agreeing that Li Chu would go to the county magistrate office in the morning, Gongsun Rou left.
"Master, you just…"
Li Chu asked Yu Qi'an what he meant just now as soon as Gongsun Rou left.
"I don't need to be so explicit, do I?" Yu Qi'an gave him a you-know-what-to-do smile again, as if he should understand it.
Li Chu was even more baffled now.
"It's rare to find a good girl like Miss Gongsun. She is beautiful, hot, and has a wonderful personality," muttered Yu Qi'an casually as he looked up at the sky.
"Yeah." Li Chu nodded in agreement.
But he still had not worked out what Yu Qi'an meant.
Seeing his indifferent expression, Yu Qi'an frowned. "Her father is still a county magistrate. You must grab this opportunity."
"Ahh, I get it!" said Li Chu all of a sudden.
Gongsun Rou did not mention the remuneration just now, and he was too embarrassed to ask. Now that the master repeatedly reminded him, he suddenly understood what he meant.
Gongsun Zhe was the county magistrate. Getting a handsome reward for protecting him was only a matter of course.
Without further ado, he had got to improve himself right away.
He then walked into the courtyard in high spirits.
Yu Qi'an looked at Li Chu's excited eyes and felt Li Chu had most likely mistaken his meaning again.
He let out a sigh.
'You know? You know nuts!'