The Lord of Void and Real

Chapter 219: Chapter 217: Traveling at Night

Though he was not close with the members of the Spring and Autumn Pavilion, when the sect was in danger, both Master Luo and the Senior Ancestor had placed great trust in him and entrusted him with the “Pure Yang Scripture.” He could not accept this if he didn’t have an explanation.

“For the time being, we don’t have any solutions. The other sects have all retracted, but the Bai family still keeps several people watching surreptitiously. If there are further discoveries, they will report back,” Bai Xiaotian said helplessly.

“What about my family…,” Shen Luo asked after a brief hesitation.

Previously, for the sake of their safety, he had forced himself to not contact his family, yet he was immensely worried.

“The incident at the Spring and Autumn Pavilion was concealed. There’s not much of an uproar on the outside, let alone ordinary people knowing a single piece of news, so your family still believes you are on the mountain. But rest assured, my father has already ordered people to secretly protect your family, so there won’t be any problems,” Bai Xiaotian comforted with a smile.

“Thank you for that. Now that the situation over there is stable, I will write a letter to my family these days and inform them about my situation,” Shen Luo responded immediately.

“That’s a good idea,” Bai Xiaotian nodded.

…

After returning home to the Bai Mansion, before long, Bai Xiaotian without any delay sent a stack of Yellow Talisman Paper and a small jar of Cinnabar. Instead of continuing his cultivation in the secret chamber at the bottom of the lake, Shen Luo stayed in the room to draw up talismans.

In the dreamland of Longevity Village, Shen Luo had encountered many higher-rank talismans; his understanding of talisman drawing became even more profound. Now when he draws a low-rank “Small Thunder Talisman,” it is effortless—basically, one out of every three is a success.

Furthermore, his control over mana is more mature, so it used less than before.

It took him about an hour to draw more than a dozen Small Thunder Talismans.

After he stopped drawing, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to meditate.

However, after he terminated the state of drawing talismans, his mind became somewhat chaotic. He could not help but recall the pattern of the Other Shore Flower on the back of the river beast; he could not enter into meditation state and had to give up.

In the end, he took out a book he had borrowed from Bai Xiaotian to read casually.

At night, lights were lit up everywhere in the Bai Mansion, illuminating the red light inside and outside the courtyard.

After dining, Shen Luo strolled alone to the front yard to see that the Big Gate was closed, but one side door was still open with several attendants standing next to it.

He hesitated slightly before heading towards the side door.

The attendants of the Bai Mansion, having been instructed by their superior, knew Shen Luo. One of them took the initiative to greet him.

“Master Shen, are you leaving?” The man asked after bowing.

“Yes, I want to go for a walk,” Shen Luo responded nonchalantly.

“It’s already late. Don’t wander too far, Master Shen. It’s best not to leave Yonghua Street since the peace of the city has been disturbed recently. The attendant warned cautiously.

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” Shen Luo, hearing the advice, lightly saluted, acknowledging him.

He originally planned to sneak out unnoticed, but considering the possible misunderstandings that could arise due to the unknown number of hidden masters in the Bai Family, he eventually decided to walk out openly.

After leaving through the side door, Shen Luo had only walked a short distance from the Bai Mansion when he made sure there was nobody around, and immediately activated his mana, pouring it into his legs. His steps instantly changed, and his figure rushed forward.

The city of Jianye at night, most of the city districts did not have a curfew, especially near the Qinhuai River bank area, which was brightly lit and bustling. It was not much different from daytime.

However, due to the recent strange incidents happening around the city and the rumors about the Shui Nuan Pavilion, there were noticeably fewer pedestrians on the streets than before.

There was one place that was distinctly different: half of the street area near the Zhenhuai Bridge.

With the Shui Nuan Pavilion effectively closed and nearby shops affected by it closing early, even the popular night tour for scholars and literati had been temporarily stopped by the government’s ban.

When Shen Luo arrived here, he saw the street was deserted, with only the red lanterns hanging in front of the houses illuminating a few spots, casting a vibrant red and dark shadow on the street.

He stood at the entrance of the street, glanced in the direction of the Shui Nuan Pavilion, and then turned the corner heading towards the Zhenhuai Bridge.

After barely taking two steps, Shen Luo suddenly stiffened, sensing that he was being watched. His hairs stood on end.

With somewhat rigid body, he slowly turned his head to look at a dark corner on his right.

From the darkness, a figure slowly emerged, dressed in a scholar’s robe. Shockingly, it was the white-faced scholar he had seen in the daylight.

“Young man, I can tell that you are a cultivator, but it’s best not to interfere with the affairs here. Leave as soon as possible,” the man whispered while walking towards Shen Luo.

After hearing his voice, Shen Luo’s expression changed slightly as an inexplicable sense of familiarity swept over him.

Before he had time to react, the white-faced scholar had already passed by him and headed towards the Zhenhuai Bridge.

Just as Shen Luo was about to follow him, he heard the scholar warn, “Eat well and listen to good advice. You’re young, don’t always put yourself in life-threatening situations…”

At this, he stopped, and after a moment of hesitation, he turned around and went back the way he came.

After noticing that Shen Luo had left, a smile appeared on the corner of the white-faced scholar’s mouth. He quickened his pace towards the stone arch bridge.

Shen Luo had only walked back a short distance when he suddenly changed his path. Using the Slanting Moon Steps, he lightly flitted away and landed on the rooftop of a shop.

Treading lightly along the ridge of the roof, he quickly reached the roof of a shop near the river, crouched low and hid on one side, peeking out just his head to secretly observe the situation near the Zhenhuai Bridge.

He saw the white-faced scholar stand in front of the River Guardian Beast for a while, then suddenly went to the river bank and stopped near the backyard of the Shui Nuan Pavilion. He then crouched down abruptly.

He extended his head to peer at the water, scanning the left and right, as if he was looking for something.

Just then, the back door of the Shui Nuan Pavilion suddenly swung open, and out came the Gray-white Taoist Robe, White Water Daoist. When he saw the man crouching by the water, he assumed another person was attempting suicide, and his face immediately changed.

With a leap, he reached the riverbank, stretched out a hand, and grabbed the collar of the white-faced scholar, flinging him backward. The scholar was hurled high into the air, landing on his rear in the backyard of the Shui Nuan Pavilion.

“Are you looking for death in the middle of the night? Can’t you choose an appropriate place?” The White Water Daoist chided angrily.

With an expression of frustration, the white-faced scholar was about to reason, when his expression suddenly changed. He shouted:

“Be careful…”

Just as he finished speaking, disaster struck abruptly!