Dream Old Man, Wordless Heavenly Book

Back in his room.

Zhou Ming couldn't help but ponder the meaning behind Yin Zhong's words just now.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't find anything wrong with what was said.

However, Yin Zhong did have a point.

Having parents was not as good as having oneself.

Although Zhou Ming had no intention of vying for supremacy, nor did he wish to rule this vast world.

He also had his own needs and things he wanted to do.

However, he had no one under his command, so he could only rely on his adoptive father, Pei Ju.

But if that were the case, no matter what he did, he could never hide it from Pei Ju.

Just like before, when he asked Jian Yu to find the Northern Darkness Divine Art, Jian Yu gave it to Pei Ju first.

Another example was now, when he asked Uncle Qiang to get information about the Jianghu Monthly Report.

The result was that Pei Ju found him in his study and scolded him.

In the end, he was given a "pie in the sky."

Although the "pie" Pei Ju drew had a high probability of coming true in the future.

Zhou Ming had truly tasted the drawbacks of relying on others.

"Having my own force... that's feasible..."

Zhou Ming thought to himself.

After all this, he naturally had no interest in working on the second part of his novel. Seeing that the night was getting late, he went to sleep with the help of the maids.

"Where am I...?"

Zhou Ming looked around in confusion.

A vast expanse of fog enveloped the sky and earth, and besides himself, there was no one else.

"What happened to me?"

As he exclaimed in surprise, a wooden plank path suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and in front of the path stood a pavilion.

"Is that... Qianjin Pavilion?"

Zhou Ming walked forward and saw that the pavilion was indeed the familiar Qianjin Pavilion.

In front of the pavilion was a lake.

An old man with white hair sat in the pavilion, holding a fishing rod as if he were fishing.

Zhou Ming walked over and heard the sound of water splashing. The old man lifted his fishing rod and pulled up a fish. It had a small head and a large body, and was extremely plump.

The old man said without looking up, "So it's the owner of this place who has arrived. I was traveling and saw that the fish you raise in this lake are incredibly plump and rare. I couldn't resist and cast a couple of lines. I hope you don't mind?"

"If Senior likes them, I naturally don't mind,"

Zhou Ming said, "However, what Senior said has a slight inaccuracy. The fish in this lake are not raised by me, but are born and raised by nature. I just happen to fish here often."

"Ah?"

The old man was surprised and said, "I see you come here every morning to scatter fish food, so I thought you were raising fish here!"

Zhou Ming clenched his fists and said, "Senior, you are mistaken! I come here every morning to fish, but it's not easy to fish here, so I scatter more fish food. It's to attract fish, not with any other intention!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of water splashing again. The old man lifted his fishing rod and caught another big, fat fish.

The fish's tail swayed left and right, as if slapping Zhou Ming's face.

"As the saying goes, a gentleman judges actions, not intentions. Regardless of your intentions, all the fish in this lake have become plump because of you. Since I have caught your fish here, I will not treat you unfairly."

With that, the old man took out a jade tablet from his robe and handed it to Zhou Ming. "I will gift you this heavenly book."

Zhou Ming took the jade tablet. It was the size of a normal book, a perfect whole, with smooth, unmarked surfaces on both sides.

"Senior, this book has not a single word on it. How can I read it?"

The old man chuckled, "Since it is a heavenly book, naturally you must read it with your Heavenly Eye!"

"Ah? Heavenly Eye? But I don't have one?"

"No, you do!"

"Where am I?"

Zhou Ming opened his eyes and realized that he had woken up from his dream at some unknown time.

His right hand felt heavy, as if something was pressing on it.

He reached out to grab it and saw a jade tablet, the size of a normal book, a perfect whole, smooth on both sides.

"Heavenly Book..."

Zhou Ming couldn't help but sit up, his face filled with astonishment.

Xia Feng was startled by his movement and asked, "Young Master, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, you can go back to sleep."

Zhou Ming got out of bed and said, "I'm going for a walk."

He put on his outer coat, walked out of the bedroom, and went all the way to Qianjin Pavilion. He picked up the fishing rod placed there and cast it into the lake.

After a long while.

There was no movement.

"I knew the fish here were hard to catch. How could I have caught two in such a short time?!"

Zhou Ming put down the fishing rod, cursing under his breath.

Of course, anyone who had the kind of experience he had tonight wouldn't really be in the mood to go fishing.

Zhou Ming was just using it to calm his surging emotions.

The effect was obvious.

At the very least, he had regained his composure now.

Picking up the jade tablet, Zhou Ming pondered.

A message delivered in a dream?

Or was it the Heavenly Book?

With such a mystical experience, anyone else would probably think they had met an immortal.

But Zhou Ming knew that within this mansion, there was an existence no less powerful than an immortal.

The Undying God-Demon, Yin Zhong!

Could the old man in his dream be him?

And...

Zhou Ming looked at the Heavenly Book. "I have the Heavenly Eye? Where is it?"

The next morning, Zhou Ming listlessly ate breakfast, yawning from time to time.

Seeing this, Chun Hua quietly scolded, "Xia Feng, when you're serving the Young Master, don't just focus on your own enjoyment. Look how tired the Young Master is."

Xia Feng's cheeks flushed. "Eldest Sister, I didn't... The Young Master got up in the middle of the night yesterday and didn't return until several hours later. Who knows what he was doing?"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Chun Hua's eyes immediately turned to scrutinize the other two.

Just then, Uncle Qiang quickly entered the dining room and said, "Young Master, the Master wants to see you."

"What is it now?" Zhou Ming asked.

"Second Master Yin received a message by carrier pigeon and is preparing to return to the Ancient Shu State."

"What?"

Zhou Ming was startled and immediately perked up.

Last night, he had studied the Heavenly Book for several hours but couldn't figure anything out.

He had also wondered where the Heavenly Book came from, and Yin Zhong was naturally the prime suspect.

He hadn't expected that Yin Zhong would be leaving the very next day.

Now it was good, there was no need to doubt anything; it must have been him!

Imperial Sword Manor had been fine yesterday and fine today, but why was it only when he obtained this Heavenly Book that something suddenly happened?

It was probably just an excuse.

Yin Zhong was just leaving on his own.

This was a case of "the guilty flee even when no one pursues them."

Zhou Ming put down his breakfast, tidied his clothes, and said, "I'm coming now."

Rushing to the entrance, Yin Zhong was already preparing to leave, with Pei Ju seeing him off.

"Second Uncle!"

Zhou Ming hurried forward and asked, "Why are you leaving so suddenly, Second Uncle? And in such a hurry?"

Yin Zhong said, "Things have come up urgently, and I have no choice.

Nephew, the method I've given you, you must cultivate it well and not be lazy. This method will be infinitely beneficial to you!"

Zhou Ming's gaze shifted slightly.

Was he referring to the Sword Qi Finger, or the Heavenly Book?

It was probably a double entendre.

If one didn't know the truth, they would only think he was talking about the Sword Qi Finger.

But unfortunately, Zhou Ming had a plot armor, so he already knew Yin Zhong wasn't simple. When he obtained the Heavenly Book, he had already harbored suspicions about him.

Therefore, he was able to understand the other meaning within this sentence.

"Nephew will certainly cultivate diligently and not fail Second Master's entrustment!"

"Good, good, good."

Yin Zhong nodded repeatedly, then bowed to Pei Ju: "Brother Pei, farewell!"