Chapter 63: A Short Two Days

At noon the next day, Shen Yian walked out of the martial arts pavilion and stretched lazily.

He had already learned [Sword]. Under Shen Lingxiu’s guidance, he had initially condensed a sword-shaped energy in his Dantian, though he was still far from forming a life-bound sword.

“Your Highness!”

At the side gate of the palace, Cheng Hai, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and jumped down from the carriage.

“Mm, sorry to keep you waiting, Cheng Hai. Let’s return to the manor.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Back at the king’s manor, Shen Yian called for Mendu to first find a carpenter to make a clothes rack, then to buy a thousand leisure books, with no duplicates.

“Your Highness, are you sure it’s a thousand books?” Mendu carefully confirmed.

“Yes, a thousand books, and there can’t be any duplicates. This prince has great use for them.”

Shen Yian nodded.

“This servant understands.”

After Mendu left the room, Shen Yian carefully took off his robe and folded it, then turned and sat cross-legged on the bed in his undergarments, his eyes slightly closed, and all the internal energy in his body gathered towards his dantian.

That sword-shaped energy gradually stabilized and solidified as strands of true qi delineated it.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already afternoon.

Shen Yian exhaled forcefully. It felt like only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but several hours had passed outside. No wonder those masters would seclude themselves for half a year, a year, or even several years when they closed off for cultivation.

After a moment’s daze, he took out [Splendid Blossoms] from his sleeve.

With a flick of his wrist, the ancient bamboo scroll lay flat on his legs.

He’d study it a bit first, so when Ye Liyan learned it, he’d have a chance to give some pointers.

As the sky darkened, Shen Yian, now dressed in fitted clothes, hurriedly left the manor with Cheng Hai.

He was quite busy today and feared he couldn’t go to the Duke of State’s manor. He wondered what Ye Liyan was busy with today.

On the other side, Ye Liyan was gazing absent-mindedly at the last sliver of sunset.

Today was so busy; she hadn’t expected there to be so many things to prepare for the wedding. His Highness must be very busy today too, right?

Thinking of yesterday’s scene of playing the zither and dancing with swords with His Highness, her pretty face flushed slightly with a dazed smile.

“Miss, this is the list of items already purchased. Please review it.”

Jinxiu had been standing at a distance for a long while and only approached quickly when she saw her young miss return to normal.

“Thank you for your hard work, Jinxiu.” Ye Liyan took the list with a gentle smile.

“It’s Jinxiu’s honor to share Miss’s worries!”

At the North Market.

The two, one in front and one behind, weaved through the crowd.

To ordinary people, this master and servant pair seemed to be strolling casually down the street.

In reality, Cheng Hai, closely following Shen Yian’s steps, was already breathing erratically. If he hadn’t been using all his strength, he feared he would have lost track of His Highness.

Did His Highness have some urgent matter?

As they wound their way through, the surrounding buildings began to look older, and passersby became fewer.

“We’re here.”

Shen Yian looked at the dilapidated temple before him and said in a low voice.

Cheng Hai looked around, somewhat confused as to why His Highness would come to such a place.

In front of the gate, three beggars holding wooden sticks were sharing a pork elbow, eating with their mouths drooling.

“Thwack!”

Shen Yian took five steps forward towards the gate, and a wooden stick landed precisely a finger’s width in front of his toes.

“Sorry, gentlemen, this is Beggar Sect territory. No trespassers allowed,” the beggar sitting in the middle said coldly.

Shen Yian smiled, not bothering with unnecessary words.

“Cheng Hai, leave them alive.”

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” 

With three dull thuds the three beggars flew into the courtyard, screaming.

Cheng Hai strode into the dilapidated temple, cracking his knuckles.

In a moment, the sound of long swords clashing with sticks echoed from the courtyard.

Shen Yian instantly appeared beside Cheng Hai, his palm brimming with thick true qi, and sent the Beggar 

Sect elder flying with one strike.

“Alliance Leader Shan, long time no see,” Shen Yian stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his 

back, calmly addressing Shan Yue, who was lounging on the altar inside.

“You could’ve just come in, why hit people? Young people are so impetuous, sigh~”

Shan Yue did a nimble flip off the altar and landed steadily.

“Alliance Leader Shan seems quite at ease. One might think you’ve joined the Beggar Sect.”

“Well, they think I’ve got the makings of a sect leader, that’s why they brought me back.”

“What brings you here so late?” Shan Yue’s smile vanished, his eyes showing a hint of wariness.

“Buying books.”

“Oh?! Please, sit! Sit!”

Hearing this, Shan Yue’s face lit up instantly. As he spoke, he tossed aside the annoying Beggar Sect disciples like garbage.

They weren’t his Northern Martial Alliance disciples, why should he care about them?

Shen Yian took a light breath and asked, “How many ‘treasured collections’ do you have? I’ll take them all.”

The ones with illustrations Shen Lingxiu mentioned should be these, right?

If he could please Shen Lingxiu, he might be able to get quite a few techniques for free.

“Hm?”

Shan Yue was stunned. He naturally knew what these “treasured collections” were, and curiously asked, 

“You…”

Never mind, it’s better not to ask what he shouldn’t.

Pushing three unnamed treasured collections in front of Shen Yian, Shan Yue sat cross-legged on the ground and said wistfully, “These three treasures have been with me for many years. Please cherish them well.”

“Three hundred taels of silver,” Shen Yian offered.

“How much?! Three hundred taels?!”

Shan Yue jumped up in anger.

You offered ten thousand taels before, and now you’re cutting it down a hundredfold?

“Not selling, not selling!” Shan Yue bent down to pick up the books, but Shen Yian was faster, waving his 

hand and making the books disappear.

“You son of a—!”

Shan Yue was shocked and angry.

“Three thousand taels.”

Three thousand-tael silver notes were slapped onto Shan Yue’s furious face.

“Deal!”

Shan Yue’s expression instantly changed as he pressed the silver notes to his face.

It’s a good idea to quit while you’re ahead. If you don’t make money, you’re a fool. He’s already tired of reading these three collections.

These three thousand taels were enough to hire over a dozen unscrupulous artists to draw him several new treasured collections day and night.

Hearing this, Shen Yian took out the three treasured collections and quickly checked them. Confirming there were no issues, the transaction was complete.

“Hey! Come find me again next time you want to buy books!”

Shan Yue happily waved as the two left, then sighed.

In the courtyard, some Beggar Sect disciples who hadn’t passed out stared greedily at Shan Yue, having witnessed the entire transaction.

That was a whole three thousand taels of silver!

What Alliance Leader nonsense, how could it compare to their Beggar Sect?

Shan Yue pocketed the silver notes, flicked a wooden stick into his hand with his toe, and suddenly grinned fiercely: “I’m not very skilled, but I know a bit of staff technique. I’d like to exchange pointers with you all.”

Shen Yian and Cheng Hai, not yet far away, could hear constant screams coming from the dilapidated temple behind them.

Two short days passed in the blink of an eye. By Shen Yian’s calculations, Ye Feng should be arriving in Tianwu City soon.

News of the Zhao family’s destruction in Suzhou must have reached Noble Consort Zhao and the Zhao family members’ ears, but they were unusually quiet, like the calm before a storm.

Shen Jingyu and Shen Tengfeng had also been particularly quiet lately. In contrast, Shen Junyan, who was expanding territory in the Liaodong region, had become the hot topic of discussion in the streets, with frequent reports of victories overshadowing his brothers.

In the Martial Pavilion.

Shen Lingxiu opened the unnamed treasured collection. As he flipped through it, his breathing gradually became heavier, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.

“Slam!”

He forcefully closed the collection and threw it aside.

“You brat! Is this the kind of leisure book I wanted?!” Shen Lingxiu said, his old face red with anger and embarrassment.

Shen Yian looked slightly wronged: “I thought this was the kind with illustrations that Fifth Uncle meant.”

Well, he had misunderstood.

“Alright, alright, I wasn’t clear enough. Don’t do this again!” Shen Lingxiu sighed.

Arriving at the underground palace, Shen Yian browsed the martial arts vault for a while before leaving. 

There were too many things he wanted to take; he needed to go back and carefully consider what to choose.

After Shen Yian left the Martial Pavilion, Shen Lingxiu vigilantly looked around, ensuring no one was nearby, then quietly picked up the treasured collection from the corner.

“Hmm! I’ll consider it training for my mental state!”