Chapter 9 The Invitation (Thanks to the Unlikely Arrival of Happiness)

The title page of the book contained the author's preface, which stated that this miscellaneous record was merely for documentation, arranged by age, and seemed to be newly compiled after the year, which is why it was placed on the lower level of the Wind Character Tower. Flipping past the title page, the first entry was of a renowned constable who was now fifty-three years old.His martial arts were at the initial stage of Seventh Rank, and his experience was extensive, making him well-known in the region. Wang Anfeng seriously reviewed the martial cultivation level, then glanced at the profile below, his expression growing slightly solemn. Turning the page, the record was of another old constable from a different county. Although his martial arts weren't excelled, his careful and meticulous thinking earned him great admiration, and he was thus called a renowned constable. Flipping through the pages, he still did not come across the renowned constable from the Legalist Sect, Wuxin. However, all the constables listed were over thirty-seven or eight, and their martial cultivation levels were all at Middle Third Rank. Although they couldn't compare with the Upper Third Rank grandmasters and celestial beings, they were still masters in the Jianghu and this alone was astonishing. Despite searching for a long time, he still could not find the man's name. Searᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Frowning slightly, an idea suddenly came to him, and he swiftly flipped to the very last page of the very thick book. His eyes swept over the page, and his pupils shrank slightly as he murmured aloud. "Legalist, Wuxin..." "Age twenty." He exhaled, and his gaze moved to the profile below. Wuxin was only twenty, which made him extremely young, not only within the Ministry of Punishment but also among those who practiced martial arts in the entire Jianghu. Yet he was already a renowned constable, with a reputation throughout the land, of Fifth Rank, and being a future grandmaster was anticipated. In the future list of the top eight divine constables in the world, his name would surely be there. He became famous at fifteen, and in pursuit of capturing a heinous expert, he once waited for nine days in a location, not eating or drinking, and didn't move an inch. His complexion turned pale yet his iron-cast grasp on his sword was steady and unflinching. Your journey continues at empire At the age of thirteen, he had already, with his friends, demolished numerous bandit strongholds and captured the thieves, putting them in prison. Perhaps because of his experiences in his youth, he loathed bandits, robbers, and the sinister and deviant factions. His integrity was almost fierce; although he became a renowned constable after achieving martial prowess, he often executed the thieves and criminals on the spot. If they had a heart of repentance, he would take them into custody, seek evidence, and either execute or exile them. His ordinary iron sword, perhaps due to too much bloodshed, would often wail under the moon, emitting a solemn and piercing cry, resulting in a time when the underworld and Green Forest bandits would be so terrified of his name that they dared not descend from the mountains, showcasing his formidable prestige. His vigorous enforcement, diligent case handling, and incisive execution meant that wherever Wuxin arrived, the local bandits would rather surrender themselves to beg for their lives. But such a constable who detested evil was expected by the whole world, yet three years ago, he bound himself, as it were, and would no longer step out of the Heavenly Capital. The hermit author lamented repeatedly in his book, regarding it as a great pity in the world. Wang Anfeng frowned slightly, turning past that page. The next page was the author's own words. The young man closed the book, exhaling a soft breath, his expression solemn. It felt like a thorn in his back. Having put the "Book of Notable Detectives" back in its original place, Wang Anfeng composed himself, and his expression returned to calm as he pondered in his heart. After returning to Shaolin today, he must discuss this matter with Master Ying again. As he was thinking this, suddenly a hand heavily patted Wang Anfeng's shoulder. The young man was lost in thought, and the sudden strike almost provoked him into a retaliatory Reverse Elbow Break. He barely managed to stop his instinctual response and turned around to see a strange young man. Dressed in light blue clothing with pure white sleeves, his features were handsome, and he was smiling radiantly at him. The young man seemed overjoyed, as if he wished to shout out loud but restrained himself because of some concern, instead whispering close to Wang Anfeng: "Brother, are you the guardian of the library here in Fufeng?" "Yes... Does this young master require assistance?" Wang Anfeng glanced at the young man who had almost taken one of his elbows, and nodded. But he was somewhat apprehensive within. His own martial skills, honed through numerous bloodied battles, were approaching perfection at the first level and could break into Ninth Grade at any moment. The body of the young man in front of him obviously showed no signs of physical conditioning training. If he had taken his elbow, even a Ninth Grade expert would not have been able to withstand it. Having been used to Master Ying's ambushes, he had almost caused trouble. Sweat beaded on Wang Anfeng's forehead, while the young man, who nearly needed to be carried to Reviving Spring Hall, seemed oblivious to his close call, excitedly waved his hand and saluted: "I am Su Wenchang from the Yin Yang Family." "The library guardian has done me a great favor... After all, those people, pfft..." As he spoke, the young man almost burst out laughing, but quickly covered his mouth and stealthily glanced towards the center of the Wind Character Tower. Seeing that he hadn't disturbed the keeper of the pavilion, the old man Any, he then breathed a sigh of relief. However, he couldn't hide his joy and gestured towards the door, suggesting: "Please step outside, Guardian of the Library." "Let's talk outside." Feeling puzzled, Wang Anfeng followed Su Wenchang outside since the keeper Any was present and during the day, as a library guardian, he had nothing to do except clean the stairs at night. After a brief reflection, he followed Su Wenchang out. There was a bamboo forest several miles outside the Wind Character Tower, where the wind passing through the sparse bamboo made clear and melodious sounds. In front of the bamboo forest stood a Confucian Scholar, looking refined as he stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the bamboo forest in deep thought. Su Wenchang called out to him, and the Confucian Scholar turned around, his smile warm and gentle. He first nodded to Su Wenchang, and then smilingly said to Wang Anfeng: "Young Brother Wang, it has been several days since we've met." Wang Anfeng was surprised, responding: "Brother Gu?" The scholar before him was the Confucian Scholar who was holding a scroll in front of Fufeng Academy. Since the day they took Wang Anfeng to the Wind Character Tower, he hadn't seen them for several days. Gu Jianzhang nodded slightly, smilingly said: "Seeing the look on Young Brother Wang's face, it seems Chang has not yet informed you of the matter." "Hmm... It's almost noon by now; Brother Wang probably hasn't had lunch yet. Today, the wealthy landlord is hosting at Tianfeng Tavern. Why don't we join them?" "If you have any questions, we can discuss them in detail on the way." Wang Anfeng felt even more perplexed, but being new to Fufeng, making some friends was definitely a good thing. After pondering for a moment, he agreed. Fufeng City was vast, and the several of them stopped a carriage pulled by an Exotic Beast which moved with great speed. The three sat in the rear compartment, enjoying the nice scenery along the way, as Gu Jianzhang detailed the Fufeng Academy students' gambling affairs with a smile. At the end, his voice paused slightly before he laughed and said, "Everyone from the various families and sects are lamenting their losses, yet it's the disciples of the Yin Yang Family who profited from running the betting pool." "Brother Wang, when you order dishes later, you might want to make them particularly spicy, to make them 'bleed' a bit." The young man couldn't help but chuckle, while Su Wenchang repeatedly clasped his hands in entreaty, asking for mercy. When they arrived at the tavern, a waiter promptly led them to a private room upstairs. Inside, many young scholars already occupied a long table. Seeing Su Wenchang, their eyes lit up and they began teasing loudly, with phrases like 'win back everything you've lost' and 'eat up Su the gambler until he dares not gamble anymore' being tossed around fiercely. Su Wenchang swung his sleeves, placed his hands behind his back, tilted his chin up, and with a fair face full of smugness, his lips slightly parted as he provocatively said, "Help yourselves, eat." The other scholars fell silent, then grew even more annoyed, their laughter and cursing getting louder. Had it not been for the room being made of special sound-proofing timber, they would have likely been 'politely' asked by the ever so courteous shopkeeper to leave the building. Gu Jianzhang introduced Wang Anfeng to everyone, and after exchanging greetings, the two of them took their seats in an empty spot. The young man looked around and noticed many familiar faces from seven or eight days before, but he didn't see that Legalist girl and the silly young man. Gu Jianzhang, seeing his expression, chuckled and asked, "Who are you looking for, Brother Wang?" Wang Anfeng replied with a smile, "I've met many people today, but why don't I see those two Legalist students from last time?" "Could they still be holding a grudge?" Gu Jianzhang's typically refined countenance twisted oddly as he said, "Well... He has apologised many times, and I suspect that Miss Zhao's anger has subsided, yet she can't let go of her pride." "When invited this time, they agreed to use rock-paper-scissors as a game. One round to decide the outcome; if Yan Ling wins, she would forgive him, and if Miss Zhao wins, then she would grace us with her company by coming along." Wang Anfeng was momentarily taken aback and asked, "Could it be that..." Gu Jianzhang nodded, as if he wanted to laugh but had to suppress it in order to maintain appearances. After a short while, he said, "It was a tie." Wang Anfeng opened his mouth but was at a loss for words, while a nearby Confucian Scholar already burst into laughter, interjecting, "With such a concession from the little sister, and still not getting his wish, Yan Ling naturally became irritated. With nowhere to vent his anger, it all fell back on Yan Ling's head—indeed it's hard to bear a beauty's favor." "It seems Yan Ling must have sought out a Taoist to aura-activate his hand, haha." Laughter erupted from the surrounding students, and even the usually dignified Gu Jianzhang couldn't help but almost grin. A young man on the side with a Tai Chi Diagram embroidered on his clothes and his hair in a Taoist bun rolled his eyes at this comment and said, "Don't tarnish our Taoist sect's reputation." "Aura-activation is for blessings, not for attracting such jinxes, such misfortune! Misfortune!" "His luck is as if he sought aura-activation in a pile of... excrement." No sooner had these words been spoken than they shocked everyone present. The table of scholars abruptly stopped laughing and stared blankly at the young Taoist. After a moment, they broke out into roaring laughter. "Hahaha, makes sense! Makes sense!" "Hahaha, it seems Yan Ling should change his name on the Constellation Ranking List to Aura-Activated Hand Yan Ling, pfft, I can't, I can't, hahaha..." "Oh my, my stomach..." The room descended into chaotic hilarity with a bunch of playful young men. It was nothing like the serious demeanor Wang Anfeng had expected from the disciples of various scholars and factions. He couldn't help but laugh along when he suddenly heard about the Constellation Ranking List, his expression puzzled as he turned to Gu Jianzhang beside him and asked, "Is Brother Yan... on the Constellation Ranking List?" Gu Jianzhang spent a few moments trying to suppress his laughter. Upon hearing 'Constellation Ranking List' and remembering the term 'Aura-Activated Hand,' he couldn't help but burst out laughing again. While waving his hand in apology for his rudeness, he managed to say between suppressed chuckles, "Indeed..." "There are nine Book Pavilions in the world, nine great custodians of books, places where not even grandmasters can enter, hence forbidden. The tenth is our Fufeng Academy." "And Yan Ling is a direct disciple of a master from the Legalist Sect. He's serious and strict, got into several fights while traveling for his studies, and that's how he made the list." As he spoke, it seemed that he also realized such jokes among his classmates were indeed vulgar and not in keeping with propriety. Especially when they were about to eat. Consequently, he coughed twice to draw everyone's attention and said, "Dear classmates, let's not mock Yan Ling anymore... Since we're gathered here today, why not discuss other interesting matters..." After their laughter subsided, they naturally agreed, urging Gu Jianzhang to find a topic. After pondering briefly, he suggested, "Then let us talk about that famous constable Wuxin, who has recently reemerged." PS: Thanks to the blissful arrival of a grand reward, a lengthy chapter is presented. Additional chapters will follow after launching (clasping hands).