The Monarchs Gather at the Mysterious Bookstore

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Qiong smiled, his brush moving swiftly like the wind as he finished writing the last character. He then slowly placed the brush on the brush holder beside him and replied, "What? You also believe that I sent people to kidnap the kings of the four kingdoms?"

Zhao Xiaodao shook his head and said, "His Your Majesty wouldn't do that."

Gongsun Qiong stared at the words he had just written on the table and calmly said, "I would like to, but I can't."

The capture of the four kings, regardless of who was responsible, was indeed very good news for the Chu Kingdom. If the four states could cause some trouble during this time, even if they did not escalate into internal strife, their development could be halted, thus giving the Chu Kingdom an opportunity to catch up.

But who in the world today could possibly abduct all four kings?

Suddenly, a figure appeared in Gongsun Qiong's mind.

"Perhaps, only he can do it..." Gongsun Qiong said slowly.

Zhao Xiaodao originally wanted to say a few more words, but seeing Gongsun Qiong's expression, he simply swallowed his words.

"How well do you know about the situation at the Confucian Dao Academy in various places?" Gongsun Qiong suddenly changed the subject and asked.

News of the abandoned Confucian Dao Academy had already spread when Ma Feifei and his group went to the Great Desolation Relic. Gongsun Qiong took this matter very seriously. After receiving the news, he immediately sent people to investigate the situation of the Confucian Dao Academy in various places. In addition, he also mobilized the power of the Wantong Chamber of Commerce to speed things up, which led to his question to Zhao Xiaodao.

Zhao Xiaodao quickly replied, "I understand now. In most places, just like the Wu'an Academy mentioned in the shopkeeper's message, the Confucian Dao Academy in various places are almost abandoned because they haven't inspired Righteous Qi. Few students are willing to study the Four Books and Five Classics."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Qiong pondered for a moment and said, "Make preparations. Starting tomorrow, you will accompany me on a trip to the Confucian Dao Academy within the territory of the Chu Kingdom."

"Yes!" Zhao Xiaodao replied, bowing respectfully.

November 1st, 351st year of the Great Chu Dynasty, Monday, rainy.

"This rain is too heavy. I'm afraid it's going to flood Dubian Town!" A cultivator who was preparing to head to the Nine Heavens Mountain to hunt spirit beasts complained as he walked, holding up an umbrella.

The heavy rain poured down, weighing down his oil-paper umbrella so much that it couldn't stand upright.

"Bang bang bang~~"

"Pfft~"

The oil-paper umbrella couldn't withstand the pressure and was punctured by the heavy rain. The cultivator had no choice but to raise a Spiritual Power shield to prevent himself from getting wet.

"I should have bought an enchanted umbrella. What bad luck." The cultivator was about to throw the umbrella away, but before he could, he picked it up and put it directly into his spatial bag.

There was no other way; littering would result in having Spirit Crystal deducted if caught. Dubian Town was no longer what it used to be, and the country attached great importance to it, making great efforts to rectify everything in Dubian Town. As a resident of Dubian Town, he still had to abide by the rules set by the government.

"Brother, wanna buy an umbrella? It's a Gouji Enchanted Umbrella, engraved with a level four sturdy array. It'll protect you from rain, and even if you're struck by lightning, it'll keep you safe." In situations like this, there are always some business owners who can spot an opportunity. As soon as they saw that the cultivator's umbrella was broken, someone immediately came up to sell it.

"How much is it?" the cultivator asked. He also needed an umbrella; otherwise, it would be too wasteful to use his Spiritual Power to shield himself from the rain. He still needed to go into the Nine Heavens Mountain to hunt spirit beasts, so he had to be in good condition.

"Fifty Spirit Crystal per umbrella, fair and square, no bargaining," the umbrella vendor quickly replied.

Fifty Spirit Crystal in a bundle, a level four sturdy array—it seems like a good deal.

After thinking it over, the practitioner nodded and decided to buy an umbrella.

Let's play a round.

"Alright!" The shop owner was overjoyed with the successful sale, beaming as he pulled five or six umbrellas from his spatial bag. Each umbrella was a different color: black, white, yellow, purple, green...

The cultivator didn't seem to care much. He casually picked up a black umbrella, handed the Spirit Crystal to the other person, glanced around, and said with a puzzled expression, "Strange, why are there so few people on the street today? Is it because of the heavy rain?"

The umbrella seller, in a good mood, accepted the Spirit Crystal and overheard his words, so he readily replied, "It's not because the rain is too heavy, but because the Mysterious Bookstore has released something new again. Everyone's been heading Zhenbei since early this morning. I bet you're going to Nine Heavens Mountain, right? You'll see when you get there."

"The Mysterious Bookstore has something new?" The cultivator frowned. He had been in seclusion for some time and was not aware of recent events in the outside world.

"Yes! The new thing must be related to books, because yesterday the Wantong Trading Market announced there would be a magical event in front of the Mysterious Bookstore today." The umbrella seller chuckled and said, "The Bookstore should be opening soon, so maybe you can snag a good spot to watch if you go now. Good luck!"

The cultivator watched the umbrella seller leave, hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to go to the Mysterious Bookstore to check things out first.

Inside the Mysterious Bookstore's No. 1 VIP room, Qingqing green grassland.

With a few minutes left before the Bookstore opened, he prepared to give these people a lesson in ideology and politics.

"I'm telling you now, we have signed a labor contract. During the contract period, you must obey the management of Mysterious Bookstore, and you must not disobey or engage in gang fights... I'm talking to you, Qin Shi Huang, put away your sword, who are you trying to scare?" Ma Feifei frowned as she spoke, and shouted at Qin Shi Huang standing opposite her.

During the meeting, this guy was brandishing a large sword, especially targeting King Qi Wen, King Zhao Kang, Crown Prince Yan, and Yan Xun, as if he wanted to poke holes in them.

Qin Shi Huang was indeed cunning. If he could kill these people here, their countries would definitely be thrown into turmoil, which would make it easier for Qin Shi Huang to unify the Azure Dragon Continent.

Upon hearing Ma Feifei's reprimand, Qin Shi Huang reluctantly sheathed his sword and stuck it into the grass beside him, his eyes filled with a dark and ruthless glint as he scanned the group of people.

King Qi Wen was middle-aged, with a gentle and refined appearance, and he remained unmoved by Qin Shi Huang's threats.

King Zhao Kang was quite old, with a full head of gray hair and a face full of vicissitudes. It was hard to tell whether it was due to the strong winds blowing in the coastal country or his own hard work. He didn't seem to care much about Qin Shi Huang's gaze, and simply moved his feet slightly to keep a little distance.

In comparison, Crown Prince Crown Prince Yan and Yan Xun were more afraid of Qin Shi Huang. The two brothers kept their distance and dared not approach Qin Shi Huang.

Aside from the conflicts between the monarchs, these twenty-odd people also had their own conflicts, but they all managed to control themselves well and didn't cause any trouble, which saved Ma Feifei a lot of trouble.

The reason we say a labor contract has been signed is because the 'Walking Books' has a time limit.

To put it simply, it's an employment relationship. Ma Feifei hires them to work as 'Walking Books' in the Bookstore for a period of time, and both parties benefit during this period. After the period ends, the employment relationship is terminated, and they regain their freedom.

Of course, during this period, Ma Feifei had the absolute ability to suppress all of them, so they had no choice but to serve the Mysterious Bookstore.