The more Lin Mu read, the more he realized that his suspicions about the Shanxi Empire might hold more truth than he initially thought.
"It shouldn't be just who's discovered this," Lin Mu muttered to himself.
He wasn't naive enough to believe that only he would arrive at such conclusions. If he could uncover this much in a single day from a random book house, there were undoubtedly others—especially those who had lived in this region their entire lives—who could piece it together as well.
Yet, curiously, Lin Mu found no records of investigations or operations aid at uncovering more about the Shanxi Empire's activities.
Sure, the nobles and certain influential clans might not delve into this due to vested interests or lack of power, but what about the Righteous Immortal Sects or the Temple of the Guardian Beasts? While the temple generally refrained from interfering in secular matters, they did act when situations grew dire or when evil sects were involved.
Even if they lacked the manpower to investigate, they could always seek assistance from the Immortal Court or higher authorities.
"The Empire probably monitors such activities and censors any detailed information," Xukong suggested.
"Hmm… then why not hide their connection to the Ghost Ridge Valley Sect altogether? Or at least suppress the details?" Lin Mu wondered aloud.
With their resources and influence, covering up such involvent wouldn't be beyond their capabilities.
"It might involve other sects—or perhaps they deliberately avoid suppressing too much information," Xukong reasoned. "After all, the more you try to hide sothing, the more conspicuous it becos."
"Hmm… that does make sense," Lin Mu admitted, nodding in agreent.
He continued reading, moving swiftly from one book to the next. With his speed, it didn't take long for him to finish half the books in the entire book house. And that was only because he was actively reading them. If he were simply transcribing the contents onto jade slips, as he had done in the Serene Glass Valley, he would have finished the entire collection long ago.
However, Lin Mu refrained from copying the books. He was in no rush, and this book house was a place ant for reading and enjoying tea. Transcribing the books wholesale would not only be unethical but could also co across as rude, undermining the spirit of the establishnt.
As Lin Mu remained engrossed in his reading upstairs, a different scene unfolded downstairs.
Step. Step. Step.
An elderly man with a short but bushy beard entered the book house. On his back, he carried a large box, while in his hands he held a smaller bag. Dirt stained his hands, and smudges of dried sweat marked his face.
Dou Qi's expression lit up the mont she saw him.
"Grandpa!" she called out joyfully.
"Qi'er, haha," the old man replied, pulling her into a warm hug and patting her head affectionately.
"You took so long this ti. Was the work tough?" Dou Qi asked, her twinkling eyes filled with concern.
"Your grandpa's still young at heart! Look at how much I harvested this ti!" Doun said with a hearty laugh, gesturing to the box on his back.
"Oh?" Dou Qi's keen sense of sll had already picked up the fragrance of tea leaves from the boxes. "Put them down. You shouldn't carry such heavy loads for so long!" she scolded gently, quickly moving to assist him.
The smaller box in Doun's hands seed particularly valuable, and Dou Qi carefully placed it on a shelf behind the counter. The larger box, however, was much heavier, exuding a strong herbal aroma. It weighed over two hundred kilograms, yet Dou Qi lifted it effortlessly, as if it were no more than a pillow.
Beneath her gentle and sweet deanor lay the power of an Immortal cultivator.
Doun himself was no ordinary elder either. A faint fluctuation of Immortal Qi emanated from him, marking his cultivation at the Third Tribulation Stage Immortal level.
Once the boxes of tea and herbs were safely stored, Dou Qi brought a warm towel to help her grandfather clean his face and hands.
"Ah, such a filial child," Doun said, clearly touched. "I must have saved an entire kingdom in my past life to deserve such a precious granddaughter!" he added with a smile.
"Grandpa, what little girl? I'm two thousand years old now!" Dou Qi protested with a playful pout.
"Haha, you'll always be my little girl," Doun said, patting her head again.
"Mom and Dad didn't co back with you?" Dou Qi asked, noticing their absence.
"They went deeper into the forest. They'll probably return in a day or two," Doun replied.
"That long? But the herbs you brought back alone should last us a month or two," Dou Qi remarked.
"They were going to co back with , but yesterday we heard that Five-Petaled Moon Lilies had blossod in the forest. They decided to stay and harvest so," Doun explained.
"Five-Petaled Moon Lilies? Really? But isn't it a bit early? It's barely been ninety years since they last blood—they shouldn't appear for another decade or so," Dou Qi said, her brow furrowing in surprise.
"We thought the sa, but they didn't want to miss the chance. Better to check and be wrong than to miss an opportunity like that," Doun replied.
"I see… If we get them, we'll be able to make your special brew," Dou Qi said, her excitent evident.
"Haha, yes," Doun nodded. "But enough about that. Tell , how's the book house been? Anything unusual happen? And did those n co to harass you again?" he asked, his expression growing stern at the last question.
"Thankfully, no. Brother Ru has been patrolling the street regularly, so I don't think they'll be back anyti soon," Dou Qi said, reassuring him.
Hearing this, Doun let out a sigh of relief.
"Good, Little Ru has been diligent it seems. It was a good choice for him to beco a guard." Old Man Doun said with so fondness. "Say, when are you getting married to him?" the old man asked.
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