Toilet Paper is a Top Priority

The setup of a powerhouse like Lu Bai appearing so suddenly felt very much like the pattern seen only when a Traveler enters a dimension.

However, something was off. Jiang Yue looked at Lu Bai, her beautiful eyes clouded with a hint of confusion.

Yet, Jiang Yue made no unusual moves, instead leading everyone into a reception room.

The room was as warm as spring, and Luo Chuan, who had been soaked the entire way, finally stopped feeling the chill.

As she boiled water and brewed tea, the fragrance drifted with the rising steam. Every movement Jiang Yue made was a delight to behold.

But the more Lu Bai watched, the stranger he felt; he caught a whiff of something "inhuman" from her.

It wasn't that she was a demon, a furry, a monster girl, or any other non-human entity, but rather that her very essence might not be as simple as a mere human.

Could this Jiang Yue be a robot? That doesn't add up, though. Do robots need to use the bathroom?

Even though neither party was a monk, the exchange between Lou Jingren and Jiang Yue that followed could only be described as speaking in Zen riddles.

Both sides seemed to have the intention to cooperate and a desire to contribute to these chaotic times.

Yet, they refused to speak plainly, choosing instead to chat about everything under the sun.

They would take something as simple as a swallow returning to its nest, imbue it with deeper meaning from a human perspective, and then expound upon their own opinions based on that interpretation.

In the end, they even used the bright moon in the sky as a topic, discussing its waxing and waning to infer the joys and sorrows of human life.

If they were discussing literature, Lu Bai wouldn't have much of an opinion, even if he didn't quite understand it.

But they were here to discuss cooperation.

Watching the two smile at each other, seemingly ready to claim one another as soulmates, Lu Bai felt a toothache coming on.

It felt as if they had said nothing at all, yet had spoken a great deal of nonsense.

Lu Bai rubbed his hands. These people seemed to need treatment; if their legs ached on rainy days, perhaps they wouldn't be like this in the future.

Riddle-mongers were better off locked away in Gotham; they shouldn't be out here plaguing normal people.

However, the two didn't give Lu Bai a chance to act, as they shared a smile, seemingly having reached some sort of agreement.

"In that case, I shall not see you out further. Jiang Yue will appear at the most appropriate time," Jiang Yue said earnestly.

"We shall take our leave then." Lou Jingren's eyes were full of admiration. Who wouldn't love a fairy who was elegant, well-versed in poetry and song, and could even trade riddles with you?

Lu Bai stood to the side, smiling without a word. This woman looked elegant, but in reality, who knew what she was thinking?

Jiang Yue followed behind the group with a smile, her etiquette impeccable.

She only escorted Lu Bai and the others to the entrance of the Three Moon Pavilion, after which she stood at the door and watched them leave.

By the time Lu Bai and his group reached the boat, Jiang Yue had returned to the upper floor of the Three Moon Pavilion. She leaned against the railing, gazing at the moon in the sky, an indelible sorrow etched upon her face.

Lou Jingren, who had turned back to look at Jiang Yue at the Three Moon Pavilion, felt his admiration gradually begin to warp.

A trace of melancholy appeared on his face; to grieve for another's grief was the beginning of falling for them.

"Fairy Jiang Yue must surely be worrying about the common people of the world at this moment."

It had to be said that some people fell for the act of a "perfect" person; that sense of being untouchable only made them more infatuated.

"I'm running out of toilet paper. This is a serious problem."

"The ass dictates the head, and since it concerns the head, this is a top priority."

"So, what should I eat tonight?"

The wandering mind of Jiang Yue didn't even notice Lou Jingren watching her from the riverside.

Lu Bai carried Luo Chuan, feeling as though he had just been a bystander; from start to finish, it was only the people from the Academy and the Three Moon Pavilion who had been talking.

Lu Bai felt like he was just there to watch the show.

After returning from River Heart Island, Lou Jingren politely bid Lu Bai farewell.

Standing by the river, watching the thinning crowd, Luo Chuan finally shivered and snapped back to reality as the night wind blew.

"Master, I'm cold!" Luo Chuan said, trembling.

When they returned from River Heart Island, Lu Bai had used him as a "merit-filled release artifact" once again.

The riverside was not like River Heart Island, which had its own unscientific arrangements.

"Don't you have internal energy?" Lu Bai said. "Use it."

Internal energy was much like muscle; the only difference was that you trained muscles by lifting iron, while you trained internal energy by controlling its circulation through your body's meridians and acupoints.

"Use it or lose it" was, to a certain extent, a truth.

"Here?" Luo Chuan asked, looking incredulous. Although it was already night, thanks to the business of the Three Moon Pavilion, there were quite a few colorful lanterns around.

Even though there were fewer passersby, there were still plenty of people about.

His soaked appearance was already attracting enough attention; if he were to perform martial arts all the way back, there would likely be rumors spreading across East River by the next day.

There's a big idiot who doesn't sleep at night and goes around practicing punches.

Image was a very important matter for a scion of a noble family.

But faced with Lu Bai's icy gaze, Luo Chuan had no choice but to obey. He began to perform his family's Mountain and River Fist while walking toward the inn where they were staying.

At the same time, the doubts in his heart were set aside for the moment.

Why had Lu Bo arrived at Three Moon Pavilion and met with its people, yet failed to mention the matter of Lianwu Mountain?

The entire purpose of their trip was supposed to be using this news to rally these "righteous men."

Yet, after arriving, Lu Bo had barely spoken a word. Once Lou Jingren and Jiang Yue finished their riddle-filled conversation, he simply followed them away as if nothing were amiss.

Lu Bo was naturally aware of this; he was not the type of person to settle for a supporting role.

Under normal circumstances, Lu Bo would have interrupted the two of them in every sense of the word, forcing everything into his own rhythm before getting down to business.

However, after entering River Heart Island, Lu Bo had been drawn to the connection between Three Moon Pavilion and the Traveler, leading him to feel that his previous plan was far too crude.

If it were merely some local natives with limited insight, it would be fine, but once a faction had close ties to the Traveler, they would likely discern Lu Bo's true intentions very quickly.

The situation might not devolve into the worst-case scenario, but Lu Bo would not allow for even that possibility.

Things had to be kept in his own hands as much as possible, ensuring the pace and progress followed his own control.

"It seems the value of the news about Lianwu Mountain has plummeted once again."

Originally, he could have used this information to link together those who wanted to resist the Holy Land but did not wish to defect to Hundred Flower Grave.

But these people were not stupid; they had already secretly colluded with Three Moon Pavilion.

"Of course, it is not entirely without value." Lou Jingren had previously let slip some information, such as the fact that he had seen people from Spirit Connection Temple, Late Crane Temple, and Force Union Sect here.

That these people had all come to Three Moon Pavilion at the same time clearly indicated they belonged to the same faction.

However, the complexity of the world was far beyond just two or three factions.

Lu Bo's goal was merely to assemble a certain amount of strength and then secure greater benefits in the coming struggle.