Embracing such a thought, Wang Anfeng searched in the Mo Family Academy for over four hours, finally finding Master Fu Mo's whereabouts. At that time, the elder was sitting alone in a secluded room, surrounded by piles of various mechanical materials, nearly burying him.
His eyes were fixed on the unfinished mechanism in his hands, almost glowing with intensity. Though he was a disheveled old man, his aura had become deep and mysterious, like a mountain's peak, like the distant sea. Holding a sharp blade, with disheveled hair and a bent figure in a cramped space, he resembled a swordsman drawing his sword and a scholar lying drunk.
It was like the point made by the Great Elder while drinking over the Qingfeng Edge.
Its spirit had formed on its own.
Wang Anfeng actually found it difficult to disrupt this atmosphere.
He could only stand to one side and wait quietly.
After all, the elder's cultivation was profound. His Inner Strength might not have been the product of some incredible fortune, but decades of diligent practice could not be underestimated, having already achieved great breadth and depth. Although Wang Anfeng had practiced Buddhism Divine Skills, he was merely a Ninth Rank Martial Artist, with a turbid aura, and he could not escape the elder's notice.
Master Fu Mo frowned slightly as he put down his tools and looked up reluctantly. When he saw it was Wang Anfeng seeking him, he first paused and then showed an extremely pleased expression.
"Anfeng? What brings you here?"
Master Fu Mo stood up and cleared a space for Wang Anfeng to sit by pushing aside the unfinished mechanisms, inviting the youth to come in. He then got up again, rushing back and forth, heating up a pot of tea and finding some pastries bought at some unknown time, enthusiastically offering them to Wang Anfeng.
His expression was sincere, lacking the condescension that was common among Middle Third Rank Martial Artists when dealing with their juniors.
Wang Anfeng watched the elder busily moving about, and the slight apprehension in his heart faded away, yet he felt vaguely ashamed.
It was because since he returned from the Qingfeng Edge a month ago, he hadn't taken the initiative to visit the elder even once. Now he was coming because he needed a favor, which seemed rather cold. This emotion filled the youth's heart, making him feel somewhat ashamed.
Yet, as much as he felt ashamed, the matter of Danfeng Valley was indeed significant and could not go unmentioned.
Wang Anfeng held the porcelain cup, organized his thoughts, and without exchanging many pleasantries, he told the elder everything about the situation. Master Fu Mo's originally smooth brows furrowed deeply as the youth spoke. By the time Wang Anfeng had finished speaking, the elder slammed his right hand onto the table beside him, his eyebrows furrowed in anger as he exclaimed:
"Anfeng, rest assured."
"Leave this matter to this old man."
In his anger, the elder stood up, pacing back and forth like a wrathful tiger in the narrow space, muttering to himself:
"Heh, Danfeng Valley... I can't deal with them outside, but they dare to cause trouble in Fufeng—hmph, they're courting death!"
"They've come right to our doorstep... Do they think this place is their territory?"
"This is Fufeng, my home. Coming here to mess around, to mess around..."
"I swear I'll not let them off easy!"
Outside, the typically kind elder, now cornered, was more decisive and swift in his actions than Wang Anfeng had imagined. He dug out a wooden Mechanical Bird from the pile of materials, wrote a letter, and upon releasing the bird, it flew off as efficiently as a carrier pigeon over a thousand miles.
Before Wang Anfeng had even finished his cup of warm tea, he heard the sound of garments slicing through the air.
Startled by the noise, the youth glanced over and saw a qi dragon soaring in the distant sky, clearly a powerful martial artist riding the winds. Within a few breaths, the figure landed within the Academy, the qi dragon dissipated, and a person dressed in red brocade with a light-golden Bi'an at his waist and a long saber in hand descended gracefully. Judging by his attire, he was likely a martial artist from the Great Qin Dynasty.
Just then, as the residual Qi Force faded, he adjusted his clothes and strode toward the Academy. Wang Anfeng also caught a glimpse of his face—a square, stern face that commanded respect, not angry and yet imposing. Despite wearing the attire of a Ranger, his right shoulder sported a tiger-head shoulder armor, setting him apart from ordinary rangers.
As he stepped inside, before Master Fu Mo could speak, he asserted himself:
"Master Fu, what matter is so urgent that you had to send a mechanical bird message?"
While speaking, the man gave Master Fu Mo a sidelong glance, grinned, and said:
"Besides, our places are only separated by three streets, and you can't even bring yourself to move a little?"
Fu Mo curled his lip, his expression one of disdain.
The man had just finished speaking when he caught sight of Wang Anfeng, registering a slight shock before the old man pointed at the youth and said:
"This is our Fufeng County custodian of books, Wang Anfeng."
"It's not me looking for you, it's him who's discovered something."
He then addressed Wang Anfeng, "This man is Zhu Jian'an, who was once a scholar of the legalist school. A few years ago, he passed the Longmen test and was promoted to Middle Third Rank, and now he is the deputy chief arrestor in the Fufeng County City. Whatever it is, you can tell him everything."
Wang Anfeng was slightly surprised and proceeded to salute, but Zhu Jian'an waved his hand casually and said with an unconcerned smile:
"So you're the Fufeng custodian of books known from the Constellation Ranking List."
"Meeting you today, indeed, you appear to be a person of remarkable talents. Please, speak frankly about your issue."
The youth saw the disdain hidden in his expression and knew the other took him for one of those students seeking a favor from an elder. He didn't bother to explain, opting to speak as concisely as possible. He recounted in detail what he had found, and when he mentioned Danfeng Valley, Zhu Jian'an's previously relaxed face became grave.
When Wang Anfeng finished speaking, the deputy chief arrestor's face was as somber as deep water. After a moment of silence, he asked:
"Do you know exactly which inn they were staying at?"
Wang Anfeng shook his head, apologizing as he said:
"At the time, I was worried about being discovered by them, so I only confirmed which one it was without seeing the inn's name."
"If I had to specify the location, it would be to the east of Yingke Lai Chao. Taking half the intensity of my usual steps, it would be about thirty-four paces away, probably an old inn."
"The stairs were badly aged and made quite clear creaking noises when walked upon."
Zhu Jian'an nodded slightly, as if relieved, and looked at Wang Anfeng with a smile, saying:
"You did the right thing."
"I'm well acquainted with these martial artists from the Evil Sects; their methods are ruthless and unscrupulous. If you had gotten involved, even if you could have defeated that person, you'd probably end up under the protection of the government office until this matter was completely over."
"Now, you can forget all about what happened before and pretend you really just brushed past that martial artist from the Evil Sect."
Wang Anfeng instinctively said:
"If there's anything I can do to help..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Jian'an cut him off bluntly:
"It is our purpose to prevent children like you and the citizens of Great Qin from falling into danger. As long as the Ministry of Punishment of Great Qin still stands, these matters should not be your concern."
His voice paused as if he had thought of something, his face showing a momentary expression of deep resentment and pain. However, this fleeting emotion vanished so quickly that it seemed like an illusion.
Zhu Jian'an smiled at Wang Anfeng and the others, saying:
"In any case, leave it to us."
As his words came to a close, he strode briskly toward the exit. In a few breaths, he had leapt up and vanished, accompanied by the soaring of a qi dragon.
PS: Presenting today's first update...