Li Qing came to the street stall and looked at the five books, then glanced at the cultivator selling them.
The other person was also shrouded in a black robe, hiding his true face.
"What are these books?"
The man looked up at him. Through the holes in the black robe, Li Qing saw a pair of sinister eyes.
"They're the diaries of Aberration cultivators."
"Name any price, and you can take them."
Hearing this, Li Qing was taken aback.
"Diaries? What I lack most right now is knowledge of this world."
"Maybe these diaries can tell me something."
After a moment's thought, he took a Jade Talisman from his robes. It was the only thing he had left that he could use to barter.
"I have a Jade Talisman. Would you trade it for these five diaries?"
The man seemed surprised. He chuckled. "Heh."
"Of course. Take them."
Li Qing picked up the five books, then turned and left.
He had packed all his belongings into a bundle. Before long, he disappeared into the shadows of the night.
He headed for the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency and returned to the small courtyard a quarter of an hour later.
The moment he crossed the courtyard wall and stepped inside, a bone-chilling sensation welled up in him.
He looked toward the source of danger. A figure stood in the courtyard.
A small yellow Mouse perched on the man's shoulder, its pale green eyes fixed on Li Qing.
The little Mouse chattered away, seemingly telling the man something.
The man raised a hand slightly and tapped the Mouse on the head. It fell silent at once, lying motionless on his shoulder.
Shrouded in shadow, Li Qing silently placed his right hand on the hilt of the saber at his waist.
His left hand already gripped the Spirit Summoning Tablet. A hazy killing intent seemed to emanate from him.
The man stood in the middle of the courtyard, bathed in moonlight. He looked to be around thirty.
With thick eyebrows and large eyes, he had an air of righteousness about him. His gaze was fixed intently on Li Qing.
"Who are you, and why have you broken into my home in the middle of the night?" Li Qing asked in a low voice.
"Heh. Last night, a half-Aberration cultivator's corpse was dumped in a nearby street."
"You killed him, didn't you?"
Hearing this, Li Qing's heart tightened. He hadn't expected anyone to track him down.
His gaze darkened slightly, but he replied calmly, "You've got the wrong person. I didn't kill anyone."
"You trespassed in my home. You'd better leave at once, or I'll call for help."
"Under Great Tang law, trespassing in someone's home is a serious crime."
"Heh. Great Tang law? I am the law!"
As he spoke, a pitch-black token appeared in his hand.
"I am Wen Taiquan, a Demon Extermination Captain of the Demon Extermination Hall of the Great Tang."
"I'm investigating the death of that half-Aberration cultivator."
"My Tracking Mouse is a little spirit beast, naturally able to track all kinds of scents."
"Your scent lingered on the man, so I tracked you here."
Li Qing's expression tightened.
Since the man had said so much, there was little point in trying to hide it. But Li Qing wasn't about to admit anything.
"Heh. Even if you are a Demon Extermination Captain, you can't arrest me without solid evidence, can you?"
Wen Taiquan looked at Li Qing, then suddenly smiled.
"Actually, you don't need to be nervous. I'm not here to arrest you."
"The moment I saw you, I knew your aura was pure. You're not an Aberration cultivator."
"You look like a Rogue Cultivator."
"Would you be interested in joining the Demon Extermination Hall?"
"The Demon Extermination Hall is backed by the Hundred Schools of Thought and the Great Tang Dynasty. Once you reach a higher cultivation realm, there are resources you won't be able to get anywhere else."
"The people at the top keep a tighter grip on power than you can imagine."
"Why?" Li Qing asked curiously, looking at him.
He didn't understand why the man wasn't arresting him, but was inviting him instead.
Wen Taiquan knew what he was thinking. "It's simple. I'll get a nice reward for recruiting a qualified candidate into the Demon Extermination Hall."
"Besides, the one who died was only a half-Aberration cultivator. He doesn't matter."
"It wasn't just no bad thing—it was a good thing. People like him would become Anomalies sooner or later, causing all sorts of trouble."
"Better to die early and be reborn sooner."
As he spoke, he turned and walked toward the nearby wall.
He leaped onto it. "If you're interested, come find me at the Demon Extermination Hall. I'd be very interested in showing you the ropes."
"The Demon Extermination Hall is next to the Government Office!"
Wen Taiquan moved as nimbly as a Flying Heaven ape. After a few leaps, he vanished across the rooftops in the distance.
Only then did Li Qing finally relax a little.
The man had put him under immense pressure. He was definitely at the peak of Body Strengthening, a master well versed in combat.
He let out a deep breath. "I'll have to be more careful from now on."
"This world's methods are unfathomable. I could expose myself at any moment."
He shook his head slightly and went inside.
He took off his bundle and spread its contents across the table, then sat cross-legged on the bed.
Focusing his mind on the Jade Tablet, he began checking what had changed this time.
First, his gaze fell on the information about the five diaries.
Diary One Diary Two Diary Three Diary Four Diary Five Diary—Wang Dexiu (Note: False and True Memories) True Diary (The truth hidden within falsehood and reality. Note: Fragmented)
"The truth of falsehood and reality? Fragmented?"
His interest stirred, and the Jade Tablet displayed the contents of the new diary entries.
They began with all kinds of biographical records, each belonging to a different person.
They came from different places across the land, each writing down the story of his life.
Li Qing read their accounts with keen interest, like a man reading a novel.
One of them, for instance, was named Fang Tangjing. He seemed to be a Demonic Path cultivator.
He had lived during the Wu Dynasty.
He seemed to have been a Foundation Establishment cultivator as well.
His diary recorded many of his experiences. For instance, he had encountered a Bride Anomaly on a certain mountain and barely escaped.
On another occasion, he had passed along a mountain trail and entered an unknown manor, where he encountered a group of Family Anomalies. He had escaped only after narrowly surviving.
The diaries also recorded some of the myths and legends from their time. The Demonic Path and the Daoist Sect had once fought a great battle that seemed to have destroyed an entire city.
From these scattered accounts, Li Qing gradually pieced together a vivid picture of the cultivation world.
Threats lurked everywhere. Whether in the wilderness or the cities, cultivators constantly encountered all kinds of Anomalies.
It was as if some mysterious force were guiding them toward one another.
The more he read, the graver Li Qing's expression became.
It was as if the Jade Tablet had somehow altered all the contents.
The six people's stories were interwoven across different eras.
Vaguely, he sensed an inexplicable Network connecting every cultivator.
A bone-chilling sensation welled up in him.
"This is terrifying!"
A bookshelf grouping feature has been added, letting you add multiple books to a group (category). If you have any suggestions after trying it, please let us know so we can make changes.