Chen Family.
Study.
Chen Liangyu felt as if a new world had opened before her eyes.
So... novels could be written like this?
And, unlike the stories that had circulated in the Great Moon before, this novel made her almost believe such a world truly existed.
The world of Liaozhai!
After finishing the book, Chen Liangyu felt restless. She was too curious about the subsequent plot, even thinking about it in her sleep.
And she wasn't the only one in this state.
Many people in Qingzhou who had finished reading the book were "cursing" Qinglian Jushi.
"What a cheat! That cliffhanger!"
"Damn, only this much? You call this a book?"
"Why didn't I buy that completed novel!"
"Forget it, I'll go to Qinglian Bookstore tomorrow to buy that 'Liang Zhu'. Since it's by the same author, it shouldn't be too bad..."
Baicao Pavilion.
Jun Yesheng angrily threw the book in his hand.
Why! Why did it end here!
Jun Ye's expression shifted, and after a while, he picked up the book again.
He stared at the book in his hand for a moment, then a smile bloomed, and he licked his lips:
"Nian Jiaojiao..."
At this moment, Nian Jiaojiao, who was happily eating, felt her body stiffen and shiver.
Huh?
She had already embarked on the path of cultivation, yet she was still so susceptible to the cold?
...
Miscellaneous Studies Faction.
Lei Juan had been immersed in making money recently.
However, this "money" was not the same kind of "money."
Silver ingots were valuable to ordinary people, but among people like them, transactions were not conducted in silver ingots but in something called "crystal stones."
【Crystal Stones: The "money" of Great Moon's extraordinary ability users, with the additional benefit of aiding cultivation. Crystal stones are divided into seven types: "Scarlet, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple," with their value increasing in that order.】
"Senior Sister Lei! Senior Sister Lei! I finally found you!"
A young woman in a moon-white Taoist robe, with a thin hairpin of a long vine branch adorning her hair, ran breathlessly to Lei Juan.
Lei Juan looked at her and grinned mischievously:
"I say, Junior Sister Kong, why don't you use the power of poetry to get here, instead of running?"
Junior Sister Kong gave Lei Juan a big eye-roll:
"Senior Sister Lei, do you think everyone can be as extravagant as you? When we use our abilities, we have to draw from our power source, which is accumulated through our usual practice. I, junior sister, have insufficient reserves and cannot afford to use it carelessly!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, Junior Sister Kong is still so thrifty. If you continue like this, one day, you'll be able to save up enough to become a great scholar..."
Lei Juan's demeanor now was not as composed as when she was with Nian Jiaojiao.
It should be said, this was her true personality.
It was just that Old Qiu feared that her personality would scare away the promising talents they had painstakingly recruited for the Miscellaneous Studies Faction, so he had specifically instructed her to "act with restraint."
"Speak, what urgent matter brings you to find me, Junior Sister Kong?" Lei Juan asked.
"Oh, right! You've distracted me, and I almost forgot!"
Junior Sister Kong quickly handed a letter to Lei Juan and continued:
"It was sent from the secular world a few days ago. It has a purple vine insignia."
According to the rules of the Miscellaneous Studies Faction, only for extremely urgent matters would the secular world send an envelope marked with a purple vine flower.
Upon receiving such an envelope, priority should be given to its handling.
Lei Juan suddenly remembered something and quickly took the envelope from Junior Sister Kong and opened it.
As expected, something had happened with Nian Jiaojiao.
She quickly said casually:
"Junior Sister Kong, thank you for this! I'll thank you again later!"
Without waiting for Junior Sister Kong to ask "How will you thank me?", Lei Juan used her ability and quickly departed from the Miscellaneous Studies Faction.
...
Nian Family.
In just a quarter of an hour, Lei Juan arrived at the entrance of the Nian family.
She sensed the situation inside. Fortunately, nothing had happened.
However, her future junior sister was truly amazing! In such a short period, she had accumulated so much energy source!
At this moment, Nian Jiaojiao was cultivating, and Lei Juan, also a cultivator, could naturally see the "smoky Jiaojiao."
Considering that all the people inside were men, Lei Juan thought for a moment and decided not to burst in directly. Instead, she knocked on the door.
After a long while, no one came to open the door.
Lei Juan's face darkened a little.
She could clearly sense a room full of people...
Then, she remembered that the Nian family was currently facing a potential crisis, so being cautious was understandable.
So, Lei Juan took a deep breath and called out:
"It's me, it's Lei Juan. Please, everyone inside, open the door!"
After a long pause, the door finally opened.
Yuchuan and Xuanyi breathed a sigh of relief after confirming it was Lei Juan.
Yuchuan quickly invited her:
"Miss Lei, apologies for the delay. Please come in."
Lei Juan opened her mouth.
Actually, she wanted to say, I am more familiar with this room than you all are.
But remembering her master's warning, Lei Juan swallowed her words.
Since Nian Jiaojiao was still cultivating, Lei Juan had to inquire about the situation with the men in front of her.
Lei Juan: "Did that man come to cause trouble for you?"
Xingyun shook his head.
At this moment, Nan Qing revealed the truth:
"That person did come."
Xingyun: ???
Xuanyi: ???
Yuchuan: ???
When?
How did they not know!
Nan Qing understood everyone's confusion and directly stated:
"It was raining that day, and the person disguised himself as a passerby without an umbrella."
Upon hearing Nan Qing's explanation, everyone remembered.
There was indeed such an incident.
However, was that person the dangerous individual that their wife, the sect leader, had mentioned?!
Xingyun, who had actually met Jun Ye, was a little skeptical:
"Third Brother, that man looked so gentle and weak. He didn't seem like a very powerful or wicked person."
Nan Qing replied with a blank expression:
"Do you remember that person's eyes?"
Xingyun nodded.
Nan Qing: "Those were phoenix eyes..."
Xingyun: (⊙o⊙)
At this moment, Lei Juan couldn't help but say:
"If that's the case, then I'll go to Baicao Pavilion first to investigate that person. If there's indeed a problem, I'll resolve him before Junior Sister Nian finishes cultivating."
Nan Qing nodded: "That would be excellent."
...
Baicao Pavilion.
Jun Ye had already reached the last volume of "The Butterfly Lovers."
Although this book was also good, it clearly didn't suit his taste as much as the previous one.
While the story was indeed novel, it was too bland for him, someone who didn't believe in love.
"Strange Man of Liaozhai," however, was different. It involved a lot of things related to "cultivation."
Like the underworld, reincarnation...
Do these things truly exist?
Or, if one cultivated to a certain level, could they also become beings like Yama, truly holding the life and death of all beings?
Just as he was lost in thought, the door was violently pushed open.
"Who is it? Oh, it's a little rat from the Black Lotus Sect!"
Upon seeing Lei Juan, who had come to find him, Jun Ye's expression turned serious.
He had been careless just now!
Because he was immersed in the story, and with his agitated emotions, the power within his body had also overflowed.
The Black Lotus Sect had existed for a long time, and the Great Moon Dynasty had some understanding of their power.
Coincidentally, even with this small overflow of power, it was discovered by Lei Juan, who had just arrived.