When the nice sword was mentioned, Little Yuan’er felt wronged. She mumbled, “Master, you’re giving him a good weapon just because he gave you two pieces of worthless information, and I, your disciple, have nothing.”
“Impudent!” Lu Zhou deliberately raised his voice. This was not the first time he had said this.
“This disciple knows that she’s wrong.” Little Yuan’er immediately lowered her head.
“That weapon belongs to the Imperial Family in the first place. There’s no use for me in keeping it,” Lu Zhou said.
“Oh.” Little Yuan’er nodded.
Lu Zhou stood up slowly and headed to the hidden chamber.
“Rest well, master.”
After Lu Zhou disappeared from sight, Mingshi Yin said, “Little Junior Sister, why are you so anxious about this? You know master loves you the most. Even I was given a weapon, so there’s no way that he’ll forget about you. My Separation Hook and Scabbard is a fine weapon so I’m sure that he’ll give you a nice weapon as well.”
“Old Fourth has a point. Moreover, with your talent, entering the Nascent Divinity Tribulation realm is only a matter of time. When that time comes, master will surely give you a weapon that’s even better than my Overlord Spear!”
“Hmph! Goodbye!” Little Yuan’er turned around and left in a huff.
Mingshi Yin and Duanmu Sheng exchanged glances.
Pan Zhong cupped his fists and said, “I think Miss Ninth is angered by the sight of the Separation Hook and Scabbard and the Overlord Spear… Uh, Mister Third, Mister Fourth, I suddenly remember that my Six Yang Technique isn’t initiated yet. I’ll be taking my leave now. When he sensed the unusual looks Mingshi Yin and Duanmu Sheng were giving him, he simply came up with an excuse and left the great hall in a hurry.
Zhou Jifeng who had brought Hua Wudao to his lodge to rest was saved from this situation.
“Old Fourth, let’s go.”
“…”
…
Lu Zhou went into the hidden chamber and looked at the mysterious box. Then, he shook his head. ‘This thing can even withstand a blow from Unnamed. Clearly, heaven-grade weapons are useless against it. I think this box can only be opened with a special key.’ He nodded calmly, ‘Old Fourth has many ideas. Maybe I should leave this box to him.’
Since Lu Zhou had purchased this box from the system’s shop, he was not worried about others coveting it. After a while, his attention drifted to his remaining merit points on the system dashboard.
4,762 points.
Lu Zhou had obtained the Five Energies Universe avatar through the lucky draw. The Six Recombinant Trigram Lines was sold at 12,000. He could not afford it now. If he earned merit points through conventional means, he did not think he would be able to afford it anytime soon.
Several ideas appeared in Lu Zhou’s mind and he nodded in satisfaction. Then, he called up the Heavenly Writing’s interface and began to comprehend it.
Six hours later.
Lu Zhou finally stopped comprehending the Heavenly Writing. Compared to his previous sessions, currently, it felt as though he had entered a state of immersive emptiness. The unfamiliar scripts were now embedded in his mind. With a simple thought, the scripts would appear.
‘It’s alright for me to not understand them so long as the feeling’s right.’
At this moment, Little Yuan’er’s voice rang from outside the hidden chamber. “Master, there’s a reply from Jiang Aijian.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he won’t be coming. He said the Evil Sky Pavilion is too dangerous of a place to visit, and it would be great if the nice sword could be delivered to him,” Little Yuan’er replied.
Lu Zhou nodded calmly. He had expected this.
Little Yuan’er grumbled, “He doesn’t know how to appreciate favors. Should I go to Runan and drag him here?”
“There’s no need for that.” Lu Zhou walked out of the hidden chamber with his hands on his back. “He loves his life very much. It’s only natural that he doesn’t want to come here.”
“He thinks too highly of himself.” Little Yuan’er scoffed.
“Jiang Aijian isn’t an ordinary person.”
When Little Yuan’er heard this, a curious expression appeared on her face as she asked, “Not an ordinary person?”
“Since he’s capable of accessing the palace archives, he can’t be an ordinary person,” Lu Zhou said in an even-keeled tone.
“Who is he then?”
“One who follows his heart is not an ordinary person.” Lu Zhou smiled faintly. With a wave of sleeves, he left the great and made his way to the north pavilion where the prisoners were held.
Little Yuan’er, naturally, followed her master when she saw him leaving.
In no time at all, Lu Zhou arrived outside the room where Fan Xiuwen was being imprisoned.
Two female cultivators were guarding the door. Although their cultivation bases were nothing to boast of, they managed to look intimidating.
“Pavilion Master.” The two female cultivators bowed.
“Open the door.”
“Understood.”
The door opened. Lu Zhou walked into the gloomy room. There were miscellaneous objects strewn everywhere he looked. This room had been the Evil Sky Pavilion’s storeroom before this. It had been hastily converted into a lockup, and it suited the purpose quite well.
Fan Xiuwen was bound in the center of the room. His hair was disheveled, he no longer looked like the majestic leader of the Black Knights. When the door was opened, the faint light from outside shone on his face so he could only see Lu Zhou’s silhouette. He chuckled weakly and struggled to get words out of his mouth. “I-is this.. all there is to the Evil Sky Pavilion? I’m afraid it’s not enough to make… me talk.”
Lu Zhou stood with his hands on his back as he nodded. “I know the truth.”
Fan Xiuwen was visibly shocked. All his listlessness seemed to have disappeared at this moment. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, “Impossible!”
“Great General of Changning,” Lu Zhou said. He did not mention the Second Prince.
Fan Xiuwen shuddered when he heard these words. These words proved that this mighty old man had discovered the truth. After a moment of silence, he said calmly, “I’m impressed.”
Lu Zhou shook his head and said, “Wei Zhuoyan isn’t enough to make you bow. Apart from that, there’s no way the Second Prince is capable of receiving your unwavering loyalty. There must be someone else who’s strong enough to manipulate the grand leader of the Black Knights.”
“You…” Fan Xiuwen who had calmed down began to shake again. He was so agitated that his face and ears were red. His voice was subdued as he asked, “How did you manage this?” Even as the leader of the Black Knights, he had no choice but to lower his pride.
“Do I need to tell my prisoner how I managed to accomplish such a feat?”
“…”
Lu Zhou placed his hands on his back as he stared at Fan Xiuwen. “I’d like to know whose orders you are following.”
“I don’t know,” Fan Xiuwen replied.
“Do you think I won’t be able to find out just because you refuse to tell me?” Lu Zhou stroked his beard calmly and continued, “Regardless of who it is, they must be a trusted aid of the Second Prince.”
Fan Xiuwen’s eyes widened.
Lu Zhou continued slowly, “It’s a woman, isn’t it?”
“…”
“A woman who’s skilled in witchcraft,” Lu Zhou added.
“Enough!” Fan Xiuwen’s mental defenses crumbled completely. A furious and stubborn expression flitted across his face for a moment. However, in the next moment, it seemed as though he had wilted as he pleaded, “Please spare her, I beg you…”
Lu Zhou regarded Fan Xiuwen with a complicated expression on his face. Who would have thought that the former number one person on the blacklist, the current watchdog of the Imperial Family, who did not fear death nor torture was doing this all for the sake of a woman?
Lu Zhou shook his head and said, “Fan Xiuwen… Tell me, who is she?”
Fan Xiuwen shook his head desperately. He had a fierce and determined expression on his face. “I can’t tell you, I won’t tell you… I won’t say anything even if I have to die.”
Lu Zhou found this strange. In truth, the target’s identity was clear now. It would not make much of a difference even if Fan Xiuwen revealed her name. Why was Fan Xiuwen doggedly protecting this secret with his life? It did not escape his notice that Fan Xiuwen’s eyes suddenly shone with faint blue light for a moment before it quickly returned to normal.
Suddenly, the voice of the Derived Moon Palace’s female cultivators could be heard from outside. Pavilion Master, something’s happening to Miss Fifth!”
