Wang Anfeng walked together with Baili Feng until they reached the foot of the mountain where they finally parted ways. Baili Feng, looking rather displeased, went with Tuoba Yue to the Sword Pavilion to borrow the Qingfeng Edge cultivation techniques and swordsmanship. Wang Anfeng watched them leave and headed towards the Sutra Loft on the left side by himself.
The Qingfeng Edge had been established for three hundred years, and its swordsmanship dominated the world. It surely knew many secrets of Jianghu.
As Wang Anfeng thought about this, he gently knocked on the door, only to find that the door of the Sutra Loft was ajar, creaking open at his touch and revealing the scenery inside. The Sutra Loft was not as grand as the Wind Character Tower, with only a few floors. Inside, there was a bronze incense burner emitting wisps of blue smoke, adding to the serene atmosphere.
The young man looked up but did not see any disciples of Qingfeng Edge. Thinking that he was a guest and should announce his presence before entering the Sutra Loft—to avoid being impolite and to prevent any potential issues like theft—he stood outside, cupped his fists, and spoke loudly:
"This is Wang Anfeng from Fufeng Academy, here to borrow some books."
No response came from inside, making it seem as if the place was deserted.
Wang Anfeng was quite puzzled.
Even though they allowed borrowing, having no one around seemed a bit too careless, didn't it?
At that moment, footsteps were heard from inside, and the young man's expression shifted slightly as he looked up.
He saw a woman with a sword on her back walking out from behind the bookshelves, looking to be in her early twenties, accompanied by a seven or eight-year-old girl, utterly adorable, with a snow-white little creature perched on her shoulder, its round eyes spinning wildly, which was quite endearing.
The woman came out, lazily yawned, and rubbing her forehead said:
"I finally managed to sleep well, but then you had to disturb my peaceful dream..."
"Tell me, how are you going to compensate?"
She finished speaking and glared fiercely at Wang Anfeng. The young man looked around and said:
"This is... the Sutra Loft, right?"
The woman rolled her eyes and said self-righteously:
"It is the Sutra Loft, what of it?!"
"Do you know if there is any place in the world more conducive to sleep, or any scent more dream-inducing than the aroma of books?"
The young man frowned slightly.
He was gentle in his dealings with people, but he wasn't the kind of old-timer with zero temper in the traditional sense.
Hearing this, he looked at the woman and answered seriously:
Rosemary was the elegant nickname for knockout drugs in Jianghu. With a sufficient amount, even a Ninth Grade martial artist would sleep like a dead pig.
Wasn't that more likely to induce sleep than the scent of books?
The woman was momentarily stunned, then her brows shot up, about to speak, when the seven or eight-year-old girl stepped between them. She first glanced at the woman and said:
"Sister, if you keep this up, I will have to tell Master."
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately deflated, turning her head away and mumbling something. The little girl, soothing her like a child, patted the woman's hand and then turned back to Wang Anfeng, her expression mature beyond her years, and slightly bowed, saying crisply:
"Lin Qiaofu of Qingfeng Edge, greets the young hero."
"Uncle Gong Yu from our sect has already sent word about your visit via Flying Eagle. Please excuse any rudeness."
Wang Anfeng returned the bow and said:
Upon entering, he realized that he had just treated this seven or eight-year-old girl as if she were a peer, which made him laugh inwardly. He glanced again at the still indolent woman, understanding why the little girl was so mature. It vaguely reminded him of Libai from Great Liang Village, and he felt a sense of empathy.
The books of Qingfeng Edge were categorized into 'Hidden,' 'Secret,' 'Miscellaneous,' and 'Travel.' 'Hidden' recorded the secluded matters of Jianghu, 'Secret' held the unknown mysteries of Jianghu, 'Miscellaneous' contained a variety of subjects, and 'Travel' was divided into two parts: one consisted of travels by people of Jianghu, and the other was unique stories narrated by swordsmen allied with Qingfeng Edge, which were extremely rare and valuable.
Wang Anfeng skipped the 'Hidden' section and went straight to the shelf that held secrets of Jianghu. He pulled a book from the far left of the shelf and began to read.
This particular book recorded the battles of Jianghu over a hundred years ago.
At that time, the realm was still unsettled, with various lords continually at war. Great Qin was among them. A faction known as 'Star Palace' took advantage of the situation, complicating the global scene even further. Of the top ten masters of that era, seven came from this 'Star Palace.'
Eventually, the reclusive masters of the realm, along with the Iron Cavalry of Great Qin, managed to just barely crush 'Star Palace.'
The three hundred and sixty-five martial artists of Star Palace battled desperately with all of Jianghu. Even though it was only briefly mentioned, the brutality and allure of those fights were palpable.
Just then, Wang Anfeng suddenly sensed a faint yet frantic intent to kill, his pupils contracting.
He spun around and saw the seven or eight-year-old girl sitting on the floor to one side, her eyes slightly closed and appearing somewhat sleepy, while the initially docile creature had now bared its teeth, revealing sharp fangs. It looked at the girl's fair neck with what seemed like a greedy intent to kill.
Without time to think, Wang Anfeng flicked his wrist, and his wooden sword sprang out. Before the sword edge reached its target, a blast of Sword Qi had already struck the creature's forehead, knocking it off balance and heavily onto the floor. As if intentionally, it let out a piteous yelp. Wang Anfeng paused for a moment, then, with another flick of his wrist, sheathed his wooden sword.