Selling books

"We're here already?" Zhou Xiaoxian lifted her travel-worn little face, craned her neck to look into the distance, then checked the sun. "We're at least four hours early!"

Xia Yi had long since spotted the outline of the great city in the distance. At her words, he sighed with feeling.

"What an enormous city."

The lofty walls stirred old dreams; beneath the distant sky, lingering clouds brought melancholy.

Wind and sand had smoothed the wrinkles on his face. Xia Yi said softly, "Come on. Let's head inside."

"All right," Zhou Xiaoxian replied. "Shall we find somewhere to stay first?"

Xia Yi agreed, then asked casually, "When are you planning to report Zhou Lizhu's situation to the authorities?"

Zhou Xiaoxian shook her head. "Teacher, I'm not planning to report it... but of course, I'm not planning to hide it either."

"Oh?"

"One of my classmates has a father who's the Xiyuan Marquis, a Five-Star Jade Balance expert. I want to tell him about Brother Lizhu. I think that would be better," Zhou Xiaoxian said.

"Xiyuan Marquis... rights wrongs?" Xia Yi repeated thoughtfully. He had read plenty of outlandish accounts in those miscellaneous books last night. For instance, over a hundred years ago, someone named Bao Zheng had created the Five-Star Saint Souls Dragon-Head Guillotine and Black-Faced Heavenly Justice King.

Within eight hundred years, the First Emperor, Xiang Yu, Lü Bu, and Guan Yu had suddenly given way to Bao Zheng. Nothing else that happened in this world would surprise him now.

Righting wrongs... could it be that fellow?

As they talked, the two reached the city gates.

After Zhou Xiaoxian produced a card resembling a student ID, the soldiers guarding Lieyang City stopped inspecting her bundle and respectfully stepped aside, letting Xia Yi through along with her.

Once they passed through the enormous arched gateway, several meters deep, a wave of sound washed over them. That single wall seemed to divide the city and the land outside into two separate worlds.

"Candied hawthorn skewers!"

"Baked flatbread! Pancakes! Egg pancakes!"

"Fresh vegetables!"

Hawkers' cries rang in their ears.

Xia Yi stopped and gazed into the distance.

The blazing afternoon sunlight spread over the green tiles and red walls in the distance: abruptly jutting eaves, shop banners flying high, carts and horses rolling along, an endless stream of pedestrians, and face after face wearing peaceful, contented smiles. It was a picture of a flourishing age!

With the demon race gone, things really are different. Moved by the sight, Xia Yi turned and said:

"Come on. Let's go to the Xiyuan Marquis Residence."

"Right now?"

"Business first. Tell me about this Xiyuan Marquis on the way," Xia Yi said.

"Oh, all right. The Xiyuan Marquis's surname is Song, and his name is Song Qu. One of his ancestors was a King, and his family has a very powerful Five-Star Saint Soul passed down through the generations."

"But I don't really know what the Xiyuan Marquis's family's Five-Star Saint Soul is called. After all, the names of some Saint Souls can give people a little insight into how to comprehend them. I've only heard Song Ziyu mention another of his family's secret Three-Star Saint Souls."

"Song Ziyu is the Xiyuan Marquis's son in your class?" Xia Yi asked with a smile. "You must be on good terms if he told you that. Hey, that love letter yesterday wasn't from him, was it?"

Zhou Xiaoxian's face instantly flushed scarlet. "Of course it wasn't from Eldest Senior Brother! Teacher, you..."

"Oh, you even have a nickname for him? Eldest Senior Brother?"

"No! Teacher, don't be like that!"

Zhou Xiaoxian protested helplessly, "The Holy Academy doesn't separate boys and girls into different classes, but each class does hold separate competitions for six special positions: Eldest through Third Senior Brother, and Eldest through Third Senior Sister. If you win a position three times, you can apply to move up to the intermediate class early. Advancing to Two-Star Celestial Pivot also qualifies you. Song Ziyu is currently our beginner class's Eldest Senior Brother. He's held the position three times running."

"Oh? Then are you a senior sister?"

"I'm Second Senior Sister." Somewhat bashful, Zhou Xiaoxian raised her head like a child waiting for praise from an elder. Yet when Xia Yi said, "Well done, girl," she felt rather embarrassed and hurriedly changed the subject back.

"Eldest Senior Brother is a little proud. Once, he was boasting to a few classmates about his family's secret three-star study-aid Saint Soul, Chisel the Wall to Steal Light, and I happened to hear."

"Haha, boasting? Hm? Wait, did you say... Chisel the Wall to Steal Light?"

"Yes." Zhou Xiaoxian nodded lightly, her expression odd. "Because of that, one of our classmates tried to learn it by chiseling through his neighbors' wall and stealing everything they had. The authorities nearly arrested him, and his parents beat him half to death."

"...Hahaha! Interesting approach."

Leaving the bustling marketplace, they entered a relatively quiet residential district. After passing through it, they reached another busy neighborhood. Restaurants and brothels lined both sides of the street, with women leaning against railings and gently waving handkerchiefs. Zhou Xiaoxian walked on with her little face stiff and her head lowered.

Xia Yi, however, looked around with a smile, occasionally nodding to the pretty ones.

That drew peals of giggles, along with references to him as an old man that they thought Xia Yi could not hear, and even "penniless old scholar" and "dirty old lecher."

The Xiyuan Marquis Residence stood at the far end of this bustling neighborhood, a self-contained estate whose grounds likely had to be measured in hectares. Outside its red gates, two enormous stone statues of guards lent it further majesty.

A prime minister's gatekeeper ranked as a seventh-grade official; outside a marquis's residence stood Two-Star Celestial Pivot guards. The strength of a family's gatekeepers reflected its clout. The man who opened the gate for Zhou Xiaoxian was indeed an armored Two-Star Celestial Pivot cultivator.

"What is your business?"

"I'm Zhou Xiaoxian. I'm here to see Eldest Senior Brother Song Ziyu," Zhou Xiaoxian said politely.

The guard's stern expression softened slightly, and he nodded. "Wait a moment." With that, he withdrew into the courtyard and closed the gate behind him.

A short while later, the gates of the marquis's residence were pulled forcefully open from within. A thick-browed youth, seven feet tall, leaned out and looked around. Soon, he pulled the gate all the way open with delight and called, "It really is you, Junior Sister Xiaoxian!"

"Eldest Senior Brother," Zhou Xiaoxian greeted him, then asked, "Is the Xiyuan Marquis here? I have something to report to him."

"So you're here for my father..." A trace of disappointment showed on Song Ziyu's face. "He's out. You can just tell me instead."

After speaking, he paused, finally drawing his gaze away from Zhou Xiaoxian to look behind her.

There, Xia Yi stood turned slightly to the side, his hands clasped behind his back. His robes fluttered, as did the white hair beneath his bamboo hat. He seemed to blend perfectly into the street, the surrounding scenery, and the sky!

Song Ziyu had never seen such an air even in his father. Showing a hint of surprise, he hurriedly asked respectfully, "Junior Sister, who is this elder?"

"He's my teacher. He only took me as his disciple yesterday," Zhou Xiaoxian replied.

"Your teacher?" Song Ziyu was slightly surprised, then quickly offered his heartfelt congratulations. "Perhaps it won't be long before I can no longer call you Junior Sister."

Xia Yi turned his head slightly and nodded to him, wearing the standard smile of an elder.

Song Ziyu hurriedly bowed in response.

"May I ask your name, Elder?"

"A nameless country fellow," Xia Yi replied, every inch the lofty master.

Song Ziyu faltered, but dared not ask further. Turning back to Zhou Xiaoxian, he said, "Junior Sister, does the matter you wanted to discuss with my father concern this elder?"

"A little. Teacher, since the Xiyuan Marquis isn't here, shall we come back later?"

"No need. Having him pass it on will do."

Zhou Xiaoxian nodded lightly and gave a rough account of yesterday's events, leaving out the visit to the grave.

Song Ziyu listened in bewilderment. For someone who had grown up in an age without demons, such things were far too difficult to understand. Had anyone but Zhou Xiaoxian told him, he would probably have ordered the guards to drive them away.

"I'll tell my father," Song Ziyu promised first, then asked with some concern, "Who is this Brother Lizhu you mentioned?"

"His name is Zhou Lizhu. He's an older boy I grew up with, and he definitely has nothing to do with the demon race!" Zhou Xiaoxian stressed. After a moment's thought, she added hesitantly, "Of course, something is very wrong with him now. If... if he really..."

"I understand." A slight pang of jealousy stirred in Song Ziyu's heart, but he still forced a faint smile. "Leave it to your senior brother. Is there anything else, Junior Sister Xiao Xian? This elder seems to have just arrived in Lieyang City. Why not let me offer a local's hospitality..."

"No need, young man. But I do have one more thing to discuss with you," Xia Yi said.

"Oh? Elder, please give me your instructions!"

"Hehe, no instructions. It's simply that you're Xiao Xian's classmate, and you've been quite courteous to a country fellow like me, so I thought I'd form a friendly connection with you."

"This book is a painstaking work of my younger years, and it should be of tremendous benefit to your cultivation. I intended to give it to you for free, but I'm unwilling to let it be cheapened for nothing. If you give me a token hundred taels, I can sell it to you. Would you be willing?"

As he spoke, he casually pulled a book from Zhou Xiaoxian's bundle and handed it over.

Zhou Xiaoxian's eyes widened blankly.

Teacher, what are you doing?!

That book is mine! I use it to teach Child Students! How could you possibly sell it? And for a hundred taels! A hundred taels could buy a small bookshop! My eldest senior brother isn't stupid!

Song Ziyu's face filled with wild delight. "Really?"

"..."

The scene was so familiar, just like those uncles and aunts prostrating themselves before the Hushu Weather Phenomenon.

Zhou Xiaoxian's little head throbbed.