The more Guard Ru heard about the incident, the darker his expression grew. By the end of Doun and Dou Qi's account, his face was flushed with anger, and it seed as if steam might actually erupt from his head.
"That's it!" Guard Ru declared, his voice firm. "I'm taking this straight to the Captain. Even the Teng Clan won't escape punishnt for sothing this big."
"Will that really be fine?" Doun asked, his voice laced with concern. "Won't the Teng Clan only grow angrier if this is escalated?"
"They might," Guard Ru admitted, "but they won't be able to do anything as long as you're under our protection. Not to ntion, there were so many witnesses. The Teng Clan will have no choice but to save face."
"Even considering their recent ambitious activities?" Lin Mu interjected, his tone skeptical.
"That's exactly why they'll have to tread carefully now," Guard Ru explained. "You may not be aware of this, but they're already under pressure from the other clans. This incident will give those clans even more leverage to suppress them."
"Hmm. Let's hope it works out that way," Lin Mu said, his tone neutral. He wasn't entirely convinced.
He had encountered many ambitious clans during his travels, and petty vindictiveness often ran deep in their veins. A clan as eager to establish dominance as the Teng Clan could very well retaliate in unexpected ways.
"Don't worry," Guard Ru reassured them. "I'll also assign a few guards to this area at all tis."
"Thank you, Little Ru," Doun said, a wave of relief washing over his face.
With the imdiate matter resolved, Lin Mu watched as the other guards fanned out to gather reports from the nurous witnesses who had seen the altercation. The street had been bustling at the ti of the fight, and many passersby, as well as shopkeepers, had observed everything.
Most of the spectators had retreated into their shops, seeking safety within buildings fortified by formation arrays. Thanks to these defenses, no structural damage had occurred, even though Chiji Ou had been violently sent flying by Lin Mu. Of course, Lin Mu had held back to minimize collateral damage.
Even the modest Book House where Doun worked had its own defensive arrays. Though weaker than those of the larger establishnts, they had been sufficient to keep the building intact.
"Thank you again, Sir Lin Mu," Doun and Dou Qi said in unison, bowing deeply.
"It's nothing. I simply did what needed to be done," Lin Mu replied, his tone steady. "I'll take my leave now. There are still other places I'd like to explore."
"Of course. Please take care," Doun said, gratitude evident in his voice as Lin Mu prepared to depart.
Ascending into the air, Lin Mu activated his immortal sense, spreading it far and wide. His sharp awareness quickly locked onto Teng Yi and Chiji Ou's group, tracking their movents. While he had no intention of pursuing them directly, he was curious about their destination.
'So that's where the Teng Clan resides,' Lin Mu thought as he retrieved the VIP card he had received from the Four Fruits Restaurant. Consulting the map embedded within the card, he quickly pinpointed the Teng Clan's location.
The Teng Clan's estate was expansive, spanning nearly a third of an entire city district. The complex consisted of over a hundred buildings, interspersed with lush gardens and various facilities designed to cater to the clan's needs.
Lin Mu observed as Teng Yi and his subordinates hurried into one of the estate's larger buildings, which bore the inscription Physician Hall.
"They must be taking him there for treatnt," Lin Mu concluded, watching from a safe distance. His immortal sense probed the area but was blocked by the estate's robust formation arrays.
For a few minutes, Lin Mu continued to observe the Teng Clan's compound before deciding he had seen enough.
'This isn't my concern anyway,' he reminded himself. His primary goal remained exploration and learning, not entangling himself in local disputes.
Descending back onto the street, Lin Mu allowed his gaze to wander before settling on a massive building nearby.
Great Orchard Library, the sign above its entrance read.
"This place should have far more books than the Book House," Lin Mu mused, noting the library's sheer size.
The structure was an impressive six stories tall and occupied a sprawling area of over five hundred ters. It was the second-largest building on Erudite Street and appeared to be a hub of activity, with over two hundred people bustling about inside. Library staff, easily identifiable by their uniforms, moved efficiently among the visitors.
Consulting his map, Lin Mu learned that the Great Orchard Library served as the city's public library. The first two floors were open to all visitors free of charge, while the upper floors required specific access permissions.
Entering the building, Lin Mu joined the short line of patrons at the reception counter. It wasn't long before his turn arrived.
"Greetings. Welco to the Great Orchard Library. Is this your first visit?" a polite staff mber asked.
"Yes," Lin Mu replied simply.
"I see. Please enter your na here, and you'll be free to browse the first two floors," the staff mber explained, sliding a register toward him.
Lin Mu complied, jotting down his na before the man continued.
"If you wish to access the third and fourth floors, there is a nominal fee. You can pay it now if you'd like."
Lin Mu nodded and handed over a hundred low-grade Immortal Stones to cover the fee. However, a thought struck him.
"What about the fifth and sixth floors?" he asked.
"Ah, those are restricted," the staff mber explained. "Access is limited to high-ranking officials and individuals who hold special access cards. Unfortunately, paynt alone cannot grant entry."
"Access cards, you say?" Lin Mu murmured, retrieving the VIP card from his belongings. "Will this work?"
The staff mber's eyes widened in surprise. While he had seen many people co in with access cards, he had only seen this card a couple tis before since he started working here.
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