The whole thing was something that the wily and cunning 'Rat' would never have thought of.
On the surface, "Rat" Ruan was just an ordinary information merchant, but in reality he was someone who followed various factions from the shadows and stayed alive and well for several decades despite jumping from group to group.
In the end, he died in this ordinary bookstore without uttering a single scream or leaving a single trace.
Moreover, he died as a result of the keen senses and perception he was so proud of.
Ji Zhixue returned to her seat again, but she felt like she was sitting on a bed of thorns. Her hands trembled along with the cup she was holding as she nervously looked at the stone gargoyle.
The demonic entity that had mercilessly consumed the human whole had transformed back into a silent and motionless sculpture, returning to its original place facing the door as if nothing had happened.
Ji Zhixue didn't know if she could see anything, but the blood-red light of the gargoyle's eyes seemed brighter than before....
This must be a warning from the owner! - Ji Zhixue thought as she watched Lin Jie descend and acted completely unconcerned.
He must have seen Ruen's suspicions and disrespect, but he considered it beneath him to point them out, and so he made the gargoyle eliminate this ignorant guy!
He didn't even want to see Ruen's horrible agony and found an excuse to leave!
Oh wait, he didn't actually find an excuse. He said he had something to do and that he'd be back in five minutes. Didn't he talk about the time he went upstairs to kill Ruan?!
That's... that's exactly what a black magician would do! Elegance and arrogance mixed with grim cruelty... This is far more cruel than what hunters are used to!
No wonder Wilde is here! Wilde, the most famous black destruction mage of recent years, must be good friends with the bookstore owner at least...
"Without further ado, you can share those ideas you were just talking about. I'll definitely do my best to help," Lin Jie said with a kind smile as he returned to his seat.
A shiver ran down Ji Zhixue's back as she took her gaze away from the stone gargoyle. "This... It's nothing special. I was just wondering if you could lend me another book... I'm terribly sorry for how impolite my subordinate was. But believe me, it's not my intention."
At this moment, Ji Zhixue was at a complete loss, like a little girl who knew nothing, instead of a cold-blooded hunter who had just destroyed the White Wolves' headquarters.
However, watching the man talking to her moments before he was killed without leaving a trace behind shook her to the core.
The fear that engulfed her body could not be described. Moreover, for Ji Zhixue, the most terrifying thing for her was that she couldn't even react as she watched Ruen die without putting up any resistance.
In other words, if she had been targeted by the stone gargoyle instead, it was more than likely that she would have quietly disappeared from the face of the earth.
She had previously treated Lin Jie with great respect, but now she was in complete awe due to fear and reverence.
Lin Jie grinned: "What does this have to do with the bookstore? Just make a choice if you want to borrow! Would you like to take a look at the books on these shelves?"
"However, everyone can only borrow three books to their name. The prices are a bit higher if you want to buy books and only from the shelves behind you.'' Said Lin Jie, pointing at the three shelves behind Ji Zhixue. The books on those shelves were books that he had already finished reading and made copies of.
Ji Zhixue shook her head. How dare she casually poke her nose into this boundless and mysterious book vault. Until now, she had only stopped at the prologue of the previous Blood and Beast book.
She was afraid that if she delved deeper into this taboo knowledge, she might go insane. For now, she only had to wait for her own abilities to increase before moving on.
"Could you recommend a suitable book? My willpower is really too weak," Ji Zhixue placed her hands on her knees and asked cautiously.
Ji Zhixue was clearly a mature, cold and aloof woman in her early twenties, but at this moment, she was acting like a pathetic pussycat trying to win her master's favour.
Lin Jie was confused by the way she was acting.
Why does it seem like she has just encountered a tiger in the five minutes of my absence? She even speaks more quietly than before.
She must have suffered a blow to her psyche.
Lin Jie pondered for a while. The only change that had happened in this short period of time was that her subordinate had suddenly left to attend to an urgent matter.
As Lin Jie went upstairs, he vaguely heard what sounded like an argument.
If that was the case, Lin Jie surmised that this subordinate must have deemed it unsuitable for the young mistress to visit this run-down bookstore. Hence, he must have advised the young mistress to stay away from this 'rogue', but Ji Zhixue must have objected because of the trust Lin Jie had built up.
In the end, they parted on a bad note, and this subordinate probably came back to inform the family of the young mistress's misdemeanours.
Huh... that makes sense. It was probably the kind of temperament that allowed the young girl to encounter scum.
"In that case, I have a book I can recommend to you."
Lin Jie stood up and searched the shelf before pulling out the book. He dusted it off, then turned around and said with a kind smile. "Oh, by the way, this subordinate of yours seems a little misguided."
"Words like absolute loyalty are better expressed by actions rather than words."
Ji Zhixue felt her heart shudder as she recalled what had just happened.
Sigils passed down from ancient times among white mages, especially this brand of 'Devotion', was very popular among the upper class and wealthy families.
Of course, the way each mage drew the sigil was different, and only the person who created the sigil knew how to dispel it.
If Ruen's brand had lost its effectiveness, it could only mean one thing.
Heywood, the white mage her father supported, may have been selling the method of dispelling the sigil to others without permission.
Lin Jie pushed the book across the counter and said: "Others can go through hell, and you can never know what others think, can you?"
"There are no methods that can completely expose a person's heart before your eyes. The only thing you can believe in and rely on is yourself."
"Therefore, strive! No one will be able to defeat you once you become as strong as steel."
Ji Zhixue took the book with both hands, stared at the cover, and muttered: "Steel..."
Lin Jie smiled and nodded approvingly.
Yes, it was the book How Steel Was Tempered .
"Read it carefully . If you can get something out of it, it will surely be of use " .
"That way, one day when you recall your past experiences, you won't feel remorseful about your own mediocrity or how others treat you" .
"You have your own mission."
As Ji Zhixue walked out of the bookstore and stood absent-mindedly in the rain, the bookstore owner's words were still continuously echoing in her mind.
She glanced at the Steel Determination book in her hand and slowly turned the title page.
At that moment, an unknown force made her feel as if everything around her had cleared up.