"Here, take this book. Read it carefully when you get back," Qian Jue produced a book from somewhere and tossed it to Feng Qingyi.
Feng Qingyi caught the book and flipped through it. The characters were in traditional Chinese, which she could mostly recognize.
However, the content of the book was filled with strange tales and bizarre stories that left her puzzled.
"Why are you giving me this book?"
Qian Jue replied, "Take it home and read it, you'll understand. Also, keep this jade stone safe. If you encounter any danger, take it out. It can save your life."
"Save my life?" She didn't seem to think she needed these things.
Qian Jue understood Feng Qingyi's thoughts. "You might not face much danger in your world, but if you come here, who knows what could happen? It's better to be prepared."
"First you want me as your disciple, now you're giving me these things. Are you plotting something?"
She was just an ordinary college student. Surely she didn't have anything he would want!
"Little girl, you're overthinking it. I just felt we had a connection, and since we're both strangers here, I wanted to look out for you a bit."
This girl was quite clever. If it weren't for old man Guang'an asking him to protect her, he wouldn't have bothered wasting his precious relaxation time to accompany her.
But now, it seemed somewhat interesting, adding a bit of excitement to his mundane life.
Feng Qingyi didn't believe he was telling the whole truth, but she wasn't one to pry.
"Well, thank you then!"
Qian Jue stroked his beard. "Next time you come, remember to bring some snacks. Potato chips, cola, anything like that. If you could bring some fried chicken and burgers, that would be even better!"
Feng Qingyi: "...And you said you weren't plotting anything. So this is what you were after!"
Qian Jue continued to stroke his fake beard.
"This jade stone is quite valuable, I can't just give it away for nothing. I heard you're planning to buy a phone for that little girl. Get one for me too. A gaming console wouldn't be bad either."
"By the way, can't you show me your real face? It feels weird talking to you with this face," Feng Qingyi was curious about Qian Jue's true appearance.
"Better not. I'm afraid if you see my real face, you might fall in love with me!"
"Wow, you're quite confident about your looks!"
"It's not confidence, it's self-awareness."
Feng Qingyi didn't feel like talking to him anymore.
Qian Jue continued: "When you buy the phone, remember to download some offline games for me. If you could bring a generator, that would be even better. It's troublesome when there's no power."
"...You're asking for too much. At most, I'll buy you a cheap solar power bank online. Anyway, I'm off. Bye!"
Feng Qingyi returned to the villa, found a place to store the sword, and started reading the book Qian Jue had given her.
As she opened the book, the traditional Chinese characters she had seen earlier changed to simplified ones. Even the content she had just read had transformed.
What was once a collection of strange tales had become an introduction to various countries, even including a detailed map of Shengjing.
Qian Jue must have given her this book to help her better understand that world.
Although she could learn about it from others, it wasn't very convenient.
With this book, she could save a lot of trouble.
...
Late at night, the moon hung high, and only a few scattered figures could be seen on the streets of Shengjing.
Although there was a curfew in Shengjing, it wasn't strictly enforced. Unless it was a special day, patrol teams wouldn't even take to the streets.
Shangguan Yi and several of his friends stumbled out of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, their gait unsteady from the considerable amount of alcohol they had consumed.
The Shangguan Mansion was in the south of the city, quite far from the residences of his drinking companions.
Before long, he was left alone on the road. Xu Linghe, who had been following behind, quickly knocked him unconscious.
"Hong Ying, come here and help me put him in the sack!"
"Miss, is this really a good idea? If Young Master Shangguan finds out, he'll surely target you!" Hong Ying was very concerned.
Xu Linghe said, "I wanted to beat him up earlier today, but my new friend was there, and I didn't want to scare her off by getting violent."
"Now he's the fish on my chopping board. I can do whatever I want. Stop fussing, Hong Ying, and come help. This night is perfect for a good thrashing!"
Hong Ying walked over and helped Xu Linghe put Shangguan Yi in the sack.
"Miss, what do we do now?"
Xu Linghe looked around and spotted a large tree not far away. She dragged the sack towards it.
"Hong Ying, did you bring the rope?"
Hong Ying quickly produced the rope. "Here, Miss!"
Xu Linghe skillfully used the rope to hang the sack from the tree.
Then she picked up a wooden stick from nearby and started hitting the sack.
Hong Ying stood to the side, covering her eyes. The young miss was too brutal!
The pain roused Shangguan Yi from his unconsciousness.
"Who's there? Let me go! Do you know who I am?"
Xu Linghe ignored him, knowing that if she spoke now, she might reveal her identity. She wasn't that foolish.
Shangguan Yi's wailing echoed eerily through the quiet night.
Although Xu Linghe had always disliked Shangguan Yi, she still showed some restraint. At most, she'd make him sore for a while, but wouldn't cause any serious injuries.
After giving Shangguan Yi a good beating, Xu Linghe dropped the stick and left with Hong Ying.
Shangguan Yi struggled futilely in the sack, only causing it to swing more violently.
"Let me out! Let me out now!"
"Help..."
Hong Ying followed Xu Linghe, asking, "Will Young Master Shangguan be left hanging there?"
Xu Linghe replied, "His home isn't far from here. If his family realizes he hasn't returned for the night, they'll surely come looking for him. Don't worry."
Hong Ying: "But if Young Master Shangguan finds out it was you, Miss, he won't let you off!"
"Only you and I know about tonight. As long as you don't tell anyone, no one will know it was me. So, Hong Ying, you understand?"
Hong Ying quickly pledged her loyalty, "Don't worry, Miss. Nothing happened tonight."
"That's more like it. Let's go home and sleep!"
The night deepened, and cold moonlight washed over the land, bringing silence to the whole world.
Shangguan Yi, still hanging from the tree, seemed to realize the futility of his struggles and stopped moving.
The pain had sobered him up, both physically and mentally. He suddenly recalled the events of that day.
In the past, when he encountered Xu Linghe, he would just make a few mocking remarks, and she would lose her temper and start a fight.
Today, however, she had simply ignored him and left with that woman.
Meeting her during the day and then having this happen at night – it had to be connected to her. Those two women must be in cahoots.
