Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Edict Calling Him to Account-Bem-vindo à Loja de Habilidades!(Dois olhos)

Back at the shop, Liu Shuyue insisted that Chen Xuan recount the events in terms she could understand.

"Otherwise, having followed the entire thing only to have a vague understanding of the situation, wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"

Chen Xuan had no intention of hiding anything, so he satisfied her request as if they were just chatting normally. Seeing the intrigued expression on her face, he suddenly asked, "Did that Eight Gates of Life and Death Formation really need to be cast for so long? You were ready just as I fell into a passive position; it wasn't intentional, was it?"

Liu Shuyue's gaze shifted by a few degrees instantly. "How could it be? I had to place eight talisman papers... it truly takes time. Are you suspecting I wasn't putting in my full effort? I cannot accept such an accusation!"

Chen Xuan could tell; she rarely lied.

But this was understandable. If it were him, he would likely also want to gauge the strength of the manager who ran this mysterious shop and see if they were actually capable. To keep one's true colors hidden, the only way is to keep a distance from customers and always work alone.

However, he wanted to be a shop manager, not an idol. Maintaining a good relationship with customers currently appeared to have more pros than cons.

"Speaking of which, why was your Thousand Thoughts Sword technique so... rusty?" Liu Shuyue guiltily changed the subject. "With the skills I taught you, you should have been able to take the opponent down easily."

Speaking of that, Chen Xuan seized the opportunity to ask a question that had been in his mind for a while: "What level did you reach with the Thousand Thoughts Sword before?"

"Level?" She thought for a moment. "You mean the stage... it's written clearly enough, isn't it? Nine stages."

Yet, what he saw was LV8.

"Then what is the full level?"

"Ten stages is the Great Perfection realm."

Only one stage away from Great Perfection, yet the level showed LV8; there was clearly a conversion relationship between the two. Chen Xuan wondered if this level number actually represented a percentage, and if Great Perfection was 20% stronger than the ninth stage. Currently, as an LV2 manager, his Thousand Thoughts Sword was only at 20% capacity, which must have seemed like a beginner's level in Liu Shuyue's eyes.

Of course, this entire hypothesis was based on the assumption that the maximum level was LV10, as he had never seen an ability above 10.

"How do you usually improve your cultivation stages?"

Liu Shuyue raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't ask things like that. Every cultivator has their own methods, and no one would easily reveal them to another practitioner. Asking like that could even be taken as a provocation."

"I see..."

"But it's not like I can't give you a few pointers," she said, changing her tone. "Simply put, the Thousand Thoughts Sword is a practical combat technique; the ideal way to improve is through battle. I became a disciple sent down from the sect by fighting my way through a crowd of candidates."

Chen Xuan was surprised. "Doesn't that mean you were killing people when you were just a child?"

"Huh?" Liu Shuyue froze, and after a moment, she couldn't help but laugh. "The fighting I meant was normal competition! What are you thinking? The Lianyun Sect isn't some evil cult. My point is, while sparring with swords is very dangerous, it's also the most controllable training method. Because your opponents are either experienced or of equal skill, you gain significant progress from every fight. If you only bully the weak or slaughter the innocent with spells, it's hard to make any progress in a lifetime."

I understand that; it's the same principle as playing chess with a bad player—you just end up playing worse yourself.

"The pointers you mentioned... are you willing to spar with me?"

"If you agree to reduce my rent a bit more, it's not impossible for me to spar with you occasionally," Liu Shuyue revealed her true motive.

Looking at her expectant eyes, Chen Xuan deliberately replied in a helpless tone, "Well... alright then."

*I'll double your rent when I get back!*

*A mere tenant wants to fight the landlord? Delusional!*

...

Liu Shuyue returned to her room on the second floor, satisfied, completely unaware that her rent had already doubled.

She felt she had made great progress—from being rendered speechless by the cunning Chen Xuan when she first came down from the mountain, to being able to hold her own in their exchanges now.

Liu Shuyue suddenly had the urge to record today's events one by one.

She hadn't picked up a pen to write anything in a long time... the last time was when she was transcribing ancient books at the sect. From any perspective, these matters had nothing to do with the duties of a sect disciple and were of no help to her cultivation; they shouldn't be worth wasting her time on. Yet, she felt happy at this moment, and she couldn't help but smile whenever she thought back on it.

This, of course, wasn't because she had saved the life of an outsider from the Abyss.

It was because, for the first time, she had engaged in a sudden "adventure" with someone else in the capacity of a partner.

Not only had she earned a month's rent for herself, but she had also made the other person owe her a small favor.

This was a feeling she had never experienced before.

Everything she had done in the past was for the sect and her duties; she had gained nothing for herself. She didn't think there was anything wrong with that, and it would likely continue that way in the future.

However, this event—which brought no benefit to the sect or the Great Qi Kingdom—made her want to write it down. Liu Shuyue couldn't explain why, but she decided to follow this natural response that brought her joy.

After grinding the ink, Liu Shuyue struggled with what name to give the manager.

"Chen Xuan" definitely wouldn't do. Regardless of whether it was his real name, it felt a bit distant in a travelogue; it would be better to have an elegant pseudonym. She thought for a moment and pulled a stack of shiny scraps of paper from her waist pouch—the wrappers from instant noodles. One line of small text read the place of production: "Lushan So-and-so Food Processing Factory." Chen Xuan might not have paid attention, but she had seen every detail clearly. This place was not recorded in the six kingdoms, so it was likely the shop's permanent location.

In that case, let's call him the "Recluse of Lushan."

*Knock, knock.*

Just as Liu Shuyue set her brush down, she heard a knocking sound coming from the warning talisman on the door.

That meant someone was touching her door.

Not the room 201 cave dwelling in the shop, but the accommodation room at the government office.

She put down her brush, left the cave dwelling through the back door by the pool, and returned to the government office room, where the muffled sound of knocking was now clearly audible.

"Immortal Master, are you in there?"

"I apologize for disturbing you so late, but I have an urgent matter to discuss!"

Liu Shuyue tidied her clothes, put on her outer robe, and opened the door. Standing outside was the second-in-command of Zhangwei City, the Vice Prefect Tang.

He cupped his hands and said, "General Gong has just arrived in Zhangwei with a large troop. He carries an imperial edict from the King and is waiting in the Weiwu Hall, wishing to meet with you immediately."

"From the Royal Capital?" Liu Shuyue perked up.

"Yes."

"I'll go right over."

A team from the Royal Capital could only be the troops transporting disaster relief supplies. The general surnamed Gong was not an unknown figure; the Gong family served in the Imperial Guard, young and old alike, and had always been favorites of the current Emperor.

Although the instant noodles were delicious and filling, the shop clearly wouldn't be able to supply them forever. As long as they could get through the most difficult initial period until the disaster relief grain from the provinces arrived, everything would be fine. Liu Shuyue had expected it to take about half a month, but she hadn't expected the Royal Capital to arrive in just one week.

Such speed meant they were traveling light, so the supplies in the carriages probably wouldn't be very plentiful.

"How much money and grain did they bring?" Liu Shuyue asked. "If the Prefect doesn't mind, I can oversee the distribution."

The Vice Prefect's eyes flickered slightly. "I'm not sure about that... you can ask the General yourself later."

Walking into Weiwu Hall, Liu Shuyue spotted General Gong at a glance—or rather, the youngest son of the Gong family, Gong Lingwu. The last time she saw him was five years ago in the Royal Capital; he was a typical spoiled brat, fond of patrolling the streets and picking fights, with a terrible reputation. She hadn't expected him to be wearing armor and a cloak now, serving the Emperor.

Under normal circumstances, Liu Shuyue wouldn't have given such a person a second thought.

But since this was official business, she took the initiative to salute, "General Gong, you've had a difficult journey. May I ask what brings you here?"

"The King has an edict for you."

Gong Lingwu pulled a paper scroll from his pack.

As a sect disciple, her status was unique; she did not need to kneel unless facing the King in person, so Liu Shuyue simply nodded slightly, waiting for the command of the edict.

"Immortal Master Liu Shuyue, you are to depart for the Royal Capital immediately upon receiving this edict, without delay." General Gong closed the scroll and handed it over with one hand. "That is all."

The short sentence sent a shock through Liu Shuyue's heart.

It wasn't to subdue demons, nor did it have anything to do with comforting the people... just a summons for her to return?

But the Emperor couldn't be unaware that she had been traveling from place to place for years, rarely returning to the center.

"Are you taking it or not? If not, it's considered defying an imperial decree," Gong Lingwu said impatiently.

Liu Shuyue had no choice but to take it, thinking to herself that she would have no chance to cooperate with Chen Xuan in caring for the refugees. "I understand."

"Good that you understand. The higher-ups are in a hurry. Rest for the night, and we set off tomorrow morning."

Set off with him?

There wouldn't even be time to unload the cargo overnight!

"What about the disaster relief grain and money? Aren't you staying to supervise its storage?"

"What grain and money? Are you the one distributing it?" Gong Lingwu scoffed. "My orders did not include disaster relief. Bringing so many troops here is to suppress riots. Aren't you leaving? Without an Immortal Master to hold down the fort, we naturally need to leave more troops in Zhangwei City..."

Liu Shuyue couldn't hear what he said after that.

Only one sentence echoed in her mind.

*What grain and money?*

She looked at the Prefect and the Vice Prefect standing nearby; they were as expressionless as stone statues, neither surprised nor angry, listening quietly to the General's mockery.

"You... you knew all along?"

"As for that... I was unaware before," Shen Fang coughed twice. "It's just that I've heard grain is being tightened everywhere, and it's probably not easy to spare any for the disaster victims—"

"You aren't short of grain at all!" Liu Shuyue couldn't help but raise her voice and interrupt. "This isn't a famine year! Other than Qingzhou suffering from monster attacks, how could other provinces not be able to spare disaster relief grain!?"

The fact that the refugees could buy grain with money after selling the instant noodles at high prices was the best proof!

"Those wealthy clans are just greedy and insatiable!"

Shen Fang sighed softly. "First, it's not unreasonable for them to want to sell their goods at higher prices, and second... that is not the fundamental reason why the provinces cannot spare grain."

"Immortal Master Liu, do you really know nothing?" Gong Lingwu sneered. "At this time of national survival, you're still only thinking about those few refugees in Qingzhou. Don't make me laugh."

*Survival?* Liu Shuyue looked at him.

What was he talking about?

"The Luo Kingdom is currently massing hundreds of thousands of troops on the border, with camps stretching for a hundred miles. All evidence indicates that within one to two years at most, they will launch a full-scale invasion of our Great Qi Kingdom! War is imminent, Liu Shuyue! And the person leading them is the eldest disciple of the Lianyun Sect, Immortal Master Lan Qin!" He pointed at Liu Shuyue and shouted, "Look at her, and then look at yourself—if Great Qi is defeated, you will be the primary culprit!"

*Lan Qin wants to help the Luo Kingdom invade the Qi Kingdom?*

*How could this be possible?*

*Isn't the duty of a sect disciple to assist the Kingdom, keep the world in order, and ensure that all living things and industries flourish?*

"There must be... a misunderstanding!" Liu Shuyue said incredulously. "Let me write a letter to Senior Sister Lan Qin..."

"No need. What you need to do is emulate what Immortal Master Lan is doing: teach powerful techniques and immortal arts to the descendants of military families, and it would be best if you could bear a few heirs for the King, so we can afford to sustain a long-term war." Gong Lingwu shrugged flippantly. "I've long wondered why the Qi Kingdom's Immortal Masters are always nowhere to be seen. Shouldn't assisting the Emperor and strengthening the Royal Family be the duty of an Immortal Master? It's all the Emperor's indulgence that has allowed you to be so reckless until today."

*So that's why the Prefect of Zhangwei wouldn't agree to large-scale grain distribution...* Liu Shuyue looked at Shen Fang, because he was also waiting—waiting for the Emperor's reaction! Once today was over, she feared even that thin porridge would be gone.

Once the war entered the preparation stage, every region had to prepare grain for the army, and they naturally wouldn't want to spare a single grain for the refugees in Qingzhou.

"Speaking of which, why is it so quiet here? I thought that after being hungry for so many days, those people would have rioted long ago," General Gong said curiously. "Prefect Shen, you haven't been secretly providing relief to the refugees, have you?"

"That is not the case. I have only been maintaining small-scale porridge distribution to keep the refugees concentrated here and prevent them from wandering about," Shen Fang replied immediately. "Thanks to the miraculous arts performed by Immortal Master Liu, which allowed the refugees to receive a convenient food called instant noodles, they haven't gone hungry."

"Oh? There's an immortal art that can conjure food?" Gong Lingwu was stunned, then overjoyed. "Good! This way the army will have food wherever they go! Do the refugees still have the food the Immortal Master distributed?"

"They do."

"Please collect it; I want to take it all away."

"This..." Shen Fang hesitated for a moment.

"What are you afraid of? My troops are at your disposal; they won't be able to cause any trouble." General Gong shot a sideways glance at Liu Shuyue. "Just kill those who won't give it up. They'll starve to death anyway after the Immortal Master leaves, so sending them on their way early is a form of mercy, isn't it?"