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Just as the woman in the blue dress turned around, she saw the Palace Master of the Goddess Palace standing nearby, watching her.
“Palace Master,” the woman in blue was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted and smiled.
“The Ancestor let them leave?” the Palace Master asked.
“Mm, there are some matters to be dealt with,” the woman in blue replied with a smile.
“That girl...” the Palace Master hesitated.
“The Ancestor has her own plans. Palace Master need not worry,” the woman in blue said with a smile.
“This matter will pause here. Though the Ancestor didn’t say it explicitly, it’s clear she doesn’t want you involved.”
“The Ancestor really is well-informed,” the Palace Master stretched lazily and smiled.
“They’ll only be in the palace for a day or two.”
“Even though the Ancestor has handed authority over to you, there are still some things she wants to be aware of,” the woman in blue replied with a smile.
“I don’t care. This position was hers to give anyway,” the Palace Master answered flatly.
“You’re very loyal, Lan’er.”
...
They stayed in the teleportation array for about seven days.
The three of them finally stepped onto solid ground and saw the sunlight.
As a place bordering the Heavenly Bond Cult, the people of Martial Flame City were all very martial-minded.
Everyone practiced martial arts, it was the local trend.
They were used to dealing with people from the Heavenly Bond Cult, and many of the sect’s members lived in the city under hidden identities.
If other places followed the Goddess Palace’s teachings strictly, free of greed and personal gain, then Martial Flame City was already a gray area, stained by both black and white, secretly engaging in all sorts of trades that defied the Palace’s commandments.
Upon arriving in Martial Flame City, the three found it unusually bustling.
The streets were full of people, far livelier than other cities.
“What do we do now?” Gu Yue asked.
“Maybe find a place to rest first,” Great Wisdom suggested.
“Regardless, we should figure out the basic situation with the Heavenly Bond Cult. Charging in recklessly could cost us.”
“Good idea,” Xu Zimo nodded.
He led the two to the center of the city and stopped in front of an inn called Sun-Moon Inn.
As soon as they entered, a worker came up to greet them.
“Are you here to eat or to stay?” the worker asked quickly.
“Both,” Xu Zimo replied.
“You know the rules, right?” the worker asked with a smile.
“What rules?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Oh, nothing,” the worker quickly shook his head and said,
“Our boss is a kind man. Everything here is free. You can eat and stay as you please.”
“Then thank your boss for me,” Xu Zimo said.
“No need to thank him yet. There’s an opportunity right now,” the worker waved his hand and said.
“Our boss is currently raising charity funds. He wants to build more inns like this to help more people. Would you be willing to donate?”
“How much?” Xu Zimo asked.
After circling around, he finally realized,
This was just a blatant hint.
Because of the Goddess Palace’s rules forbidding monetary transactions, the people of Martial Flame City came up with a workaround.
Under the name of charity, they were actually charging for food and lodging.
That way, the money changed hands without breaking any rules, and no one could criticize them. It was an open secret.
Where there are people, there are schemes.
“Not much, just one hundred spirit crystals,” the worker said with a smile.
Xu Zimo had more spirit crystals than he could ever use and didn’t care.
He handed over one hundred crystals, then placed a few dozen more on the table.
“I ask, you answer,” Xu Zimo said, pointing at the crystals. “If your answers are useful, they’re yours.”
“Ask away,” the worker replied, glancing at the spirit crystals.
“You know about the Heavenly Bond Cult, right?” Xu Zimo asked.
At this, the worker’s smile froze. He quickly recovered and said, “You’re joking. I don’t know anything about that, and I don’t get involved.”
“Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m here for the Heavenly Bond Cult and just want some information,” Xu Zimo said, adding a few dozen more spirit crystals.
“I really don’t know much,” the worker shook his head and said.
“But if you really want to know, I can point you in the right direction. There’s a book house in the east of the city. The owner there knows far more than I do. People call him ‘Know-It-All.’ There’s very little in the Mortal Dust Palace he doesn’t know.”
“Book house,” Xu Zimo murmured.
“So, can I take these spirit crystals?” the worker asked cautiously.
Xu Zimo waved his hand, not minding.
He watched as the worker left cheerfully.
Gu Yue couldn’t help but say, “What are these people doing here in the Mortal Dust Palace? Living so cautiously, they’d be better off in the outside world, free and easy.”
“You can’t say that,” Great Wisdom replied.
“Some people really have transcended worldly concerns.
Others were simply lost for a moment, and by the time they realized it, they couldn’t leave.
Some were born here, descendants of others. They had no say in their birth and can only passively live in this world.”
“Isn’t greed forbidden in the Mortal Dust Palace? How can there be descendants?” Gu Yue asked, confused.
“Then may I ask, how were you born?” Great Wisdom chuckled.
“There’s no such thing as absolutes. No matter how strict the rules, there are always people who break them in secret.”
“Let’s eat first. Afterward, we’ll check out the book house. I don’t want to waste too much time here,” Xu Zimo said as the worker brought food to the table.
...
After quickly finishing their lunch, the three left the inn and headed east.
The book house in the east was well-known in Martial Flame City.
They asked a few locals and quickly found it.
The shop itself wasn’t very eye-catching, hidden deep in a quiet alley.
Far from the noisy marketplace, the alley was peaceful and secluded.
When the three arrived, they found the book house to be extremely quiet inside.
Its decor was simple, with an old plaque hanging crookedly above the entrance.
Upon entering, they could smell the scent of books.
It was a distinct smell of aged paper that sharpened the mind and brought clarity like a bubbling spring.
A man dressed like a scholar sat up front, deeply engrossed in a book.
Even as Xu Zimo and the others entered, he didn’t look up.
“Are you the owner of this book house?” Great Wisdom bowed slightly and asked.
“What brings you here?” the scholar slowly looked up and asked.
His appearance was ordinary, but his eyes were deep and vast, as if he had truly read ten thousand books and traveled ten thousand miles.
“We’re hoping to ask a few questions, if it’s convenient,” Great Wisdom said.
“All my answers are in these books,” the scholar replied with a smile.
“Whatever you wish to ask, you’ll have to find the answers yourself.”