After leaving the Demon Suppression Division headquarters, Lu Chen did not return directly to the Archives Bureau. Instead, he circled around several streets to make sure no one was following him before heading west of the city.
Compared to other parts of the city, the western part of the city appears older and more chaotic, mostly inhabited by ordinary people and small vendors, with the air filled with a mixture of various everyday smells.
Three Stone Bookstore is located at the end of a relatively quiet street. The storefront is not large, and the black plaque with gold lettering has faded a bit, giving it a sense of vicissitudes over the years.
Lu Chen didn't go in immediately. Like an ordinary passerby, he sat down at a tea stall opposite the bookstore, ordered a bowl of the cheapest coarse tea, and casually glanced around the bookstore.
He appeared calm, but his Divine Sense was like an invisible spider web, meticulously perceiving the movements around him.
He quickly noticed something was wrong.
In a general store diagonally opposite the bookstore, there was a man dressed as a shop assistant. Although he seemed to be organizing the goods, his eyes kept glancing towards the bookstore entrance. His eyes were sharp and his demeanor was calm, which was definitely not that of an ordinary shop assistant.
Further away at the entrance of an alley, a porter squatting on the ground, seemingly resting, was breathing heavily with slightly bulging temples, clearly possessing considerable martial arts skills.
At least four distinct, concealed auras were distributed in key locations around the bookstore, forming a loose surveillance network.
Lu Chen's heart sank.
Sure enough, this place has been exposed, or rather, it has been under the surveillance of certain forces all along.
Is it the Zhang Family? Another faction within the Demon Suppression Division? Or... that mysterious " Ghost Face " organization?
If he goes in now, it will be tantamount to walking into a trap. He will immediately be accused of being a member of the Sixth Prince's remnants, and may even face a more direct disaster that leads to his death.
what to do?
Retreating here would be safe, but it would completely eliminate the opportunity to make contact with the Sixth Prince's forces and betray any potential plans Clerk Chen might have made.
Go in? The risk is enormous; my identity would be exposed immediately.
Lu Chen picked up the rough porcelain bowl, took a sip of the bitter tea, and his eyes darted around rapidly, hidden behind the teacup.
Finally, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes.
Risks often coexist with opportunities.
Now that we're already caught in the vortex, being timid and hesitant will only hasten our demise.
He absolutely had to make a name for himself at " Three Stone Bookstore "!
Having made up his mind, Lu Chen put down the tea money, got up, and walked straight towards Three Stone Bookstore.
He pushed open the somewhat old wooden door, the hinges creaking softly.
The bookstore was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the stale smell of paper and ink.
The bookshelves stood tall, piled high with all sorts of books, making it look somewhat crowded.
An elderly shopkeeper with gray hair and reading glasses was bent over the counter, carefully repairing a tattered old book by the light filtering through the window.
Hearing the door open, the old shopkeeper looked up, adjusted his glasses, and gave a gentle, professional smile, "Sir, what kind of book are you looking for?"
Lu Chen's gaze swept quickly across the shop; apart from the old shopkeeper, there were no other customers. He walked to the counter and, following the instructions in the secret code, calmly said, "Shopkeeper, I'm looking for the < Nanhua Scripture >."
The old shopkeeper's smile remained unchanged, "Oh? There are many versions of the Nanhua Scripture *. Which one would you like, sir?"
"I've heard that your shop has a commentary on the * Nanhua Scripture * written by a great Confucian scholar of the previous dynasty. The commentary is insightful and unique, so I've come to seek it out." Lu Chen uttered the second half of the secret sentence.
The old shopkeeper paused slightly while repairing the books, then looked up. His cloudy eyes, peering through his glasses, scrutinized Lu Chen carefully, a barely concealed hint of wariness flashing deep within them.
"Annotated edition..." The old shopkeeper slowly put down his tools and books, dusted off his hands, and said, "There seems to be another set in the storeroom, but it's been covered in dust for a long time, so we'll have to look for it. If you don't mind, please come with me to the backyard for a while and have a cup of tea. I'll go find it for you right away."
"Thank you for your trouble, shopkeeper." Lu Chen nodded.
The old shopkeeper walked shakily out from behind the counter, leading Lu Chen through rows of bookshelves to the back of the bookstore, where he pushed open an inconspicuous little door.
Behind the door is a small courtyard with a few common flowers and plants, which is kept fairly clean.
Unlike the bookstore's old and worn interior, this courtyard was exceptionally tranquil, as if isolated from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
The old shopkeeper gestured to Lu Chen to wait a moment, then turned and walked towards a side room in the corner of the courtyard, seemingly to retrieve a book.
Lu Chen stood in the courtyard, his Divine Sense quietly spreading out, alert to any movement around him.
Time passed slowly, and after the old shopkeeper entered the other room, there was no further movement.
Just as Lu Chen's doubts began to grow, and he was considering whether to forcibly investigate the room—
With a creak.
On the other side of the courtyard, a door that was originally closed was pushed open from the inside.
A person whom Lu Chen never expected to see here walked out slowly.
The man was hunched over, with an old face, wearing a faded gray cloth robe, and leaning on an ordinary wooden cane. He looked like an ordinary old neighbor.
But Lu Chen would never admit his mistake!
It was Clerk Chen, the very same person who had given him the black iron plaque in front of the South Mausoleum Demon Suppression Division Bureau's Armory, reminding him of the dangers of the Capital City, and who had also left his signature on the dossier!
Looking at Lu Chen's shocked face, Clerk Chen Li's cloudy old eyes showed no surprise, but rather a smile that seemed to have been expected, tinged with a hint of relief and deeper weariness.
He spoke slowly in that familiar, hoarse voice, "Young man, you've finally come this far... much faster than I expected."