Lu Zongfeng let out a cold laugh. "You still doubt Brother Qin? He will naturally see things through."
"We invited the two wronged young ladies here long ago, and they have already identified him—this lecher is White Chrysanthemum himself."
Wang Chong thought to himself: With the victims identifying him, it must be correct.
Qin Han was now surrounded by dozens of people at the center, like stars paying homage to the moon. Fang Jingru, Zhou Yuchen, and the others, though displeased, could only silently endure having their limelight overshadowed by him. Qin Han was immensely pleased, thinking to himself: "Good thing I was quick-witted then and spent some money to bribe Wang Chong; he truly values loyalty and indeed handed this great credit over to me—otherwise where would all this glory come from? When I return, my official rank will surely rise another level, perhaps even be sent to govern a region and wield military authority; who can say it's not possible?"
Seeing Wang Chong, he was overjoyed, walked over and put his arm around him like a close friend, saying: "With two wronged young ladies identifying him, the lecher's identity is beyond doubt. This scoundrel is named Sun Yanqi, the lover of the Lotus Immortal. No wonder the Lotus Immortal was defiled by him; he must have used such methods to harm how many respectable women."
Wang Chong nodded repeatedly. Although he felt there were still questions about the matter, he truly didn't like borrowing trouble where there was none.
What if it was exposed, and Sun Yanqi wasn't White Chrysanthemum, but he himself was? Wouldn't that be pointless idle chatter?
Qin Han shouted loudly: "Brothers of our Chrysanthemum-Killing Alliance, after countless hardships and traveling by starlight and moonlight, we have finally slain the lecher White Chrysanthemum. This is a great cause for celebration; tonight we won't return until we're drunk."
Fang Jingru smiled wryly, but knowing he couldn't lose face at this moment, he also shouted loudly: "I have already sent men to Longyang City nearby to buy a hundred jars of fine wine; everyone need not worry about not being able to drink their fill."
This group of young heroes—none lacked family background, none lacked money. In their celebration of slaying White Chrysanthemum, within an hour they had bought up everything in Pengshan County, and kept sending men to nearby major cities to purchase fine wines and dishes. Soon the inn was bustling, and even the original guests had their bills paid by some generous young master; everyone took pride in it. No one was unhappy.
By evening, even more ornate carriages drove into Pengshan County—someone had rented out a pleasure house in a nearby major city and summoned dozens of singing and dancing women to perform for them and add to the festivities.
Wang Chong truly hadn't expected that, having never been to a KTV on Earth, in this ancient-style world he could still experience such extravagant decadence.
He really wasn't used to it. Toward these courtesans, he had no particular prejudice or preference; he just wanted to keep them at arm's length, so he didn't join the others in the revelry. Instead, he quietly slipped out, exercised his lightness skill, and climbed up to the highest library in Pengshan County.
This library was built by a wealthy local magnate, had been passed down through several generations, and housed many books, including some rare treasures.
Wang Chong, on one hand, loved the quiet of this place, and on the other, wanted to read some books to understand this world. To read through the night, he brought enough lamp oil and two oil lamps, a jar of wine, and some side dishes he had grabbed.
He lit the oil lamps and, by lamplight, had just opened a notebook from 150 years ago by some ancient sage when he heard a light laugh. A tall, slender woman with finely arched eyebrows entered the room gracefully, smiling faintly, and asked: "Young Master Wang, why not join the others in their revelry?"
Wang Chong replied: "I'm not fond of such occasions, so I came here to read and pass the time."
Chu Qiuzi was secretly delighted. Although scholars and young heroes alike often went to pleasure houses to drink, who would like men at home running off to such places?
She took a gourd from behind her back and said: "I happen to have prepared a gourd of Qinghua Brew. This is a secret brew from Iron Pear Mountain Villa, unavailable anywhere else. Let Young Master Wang enjoy it while reading by night."
Wang Chong thanked her, watching as Chu Qiuzi took out two large tallow candles and lit them gently. The library immediately brightened. These two candles, if on Earth, would cost at most a few dozen, shipping included, and be mixed with various spices and made in all sorts of fancy shapes. But in this world, they were hard to buy even with money; only households of immense wealth and power could use them.
As Chu Qiuzi moved, a faint fragrance drifted over. Wang Chong thought to himself: "So this is what they call 'a red sleeve lending fragrance to night study'?"
"If this were on Earth, and a girl was willing to accompany someone playing games, who knows how many men would become utterly devoted and turn into traitors to bachelorhood? Even having lived two lives, I couldn't quite withstand it!"
On the nearby roof, the remaining five of the Qingcheng Six Women lay in hiding. The seventh sister, Yixian Immortal Huang Yan, said with slight excitement: "Senior Sister probably won't be returning to the inn tonight, right?"
The fifth junior sister, Female Zhuge Luo Lingxi, couldn't help but giggle, but then admonished her junior sister: "What nonsense are you talking? Senior Sister and Young Master Wang are innocent."
The youngest junior sister, Cloud-Blue Bird Ren Wanqing, muttered softly: "They may be innocent, but the situation isn't exactly clear."
Wang Chong was not from the martial world. Although he had arrived with martial arts already in hand, he always lacked certain habits. Chu Qiuzi, however, was an old hand at such matters and had long heard the junior sisters' "nonsense." She blushed slightly but could only pretend not to know, and she too took out a book to flip through with Wang Chong.
Wang Chong finished reading the ancient sage's notes in his hand and was about to take another book when he suddenly remembered he still had two martial arts manuals. He truly couldn't make sense of them. Sun Yanqi had said that without his guidance, trying to figure them out alone might yield no progress even after decades—hardly an exaggeration.
He pondered slightly and thought to himself: "Immortal Chu comes from Qingcheng, one of the Nine Meridians of the Mysterious Gate, and must be widely learned. Why not ask her for advice?"
Wang Chong, as someone from an open-source knowledge world, didn't think martial arts manuals were things to be kept jealously to oneself.
Moreover, he now faced a choice: one, contemplate them himself, possibly making no progress for decades and even risking cultivation deviation; two, study them together with Chu Qiuzi, not only could he master them himself but also greatly win the beauty's favor, who knows…
Hmm, couldn't think anymore. Those were plots that web novels aren't allowed to write.
But he wasn't reckless. He first asked tentatively: "Immortal Chu, have you ever heard of the Thirty-Two Aspects Spirit-Transformation Cultivation Fundamental Classic?"
Chu Qiuzi was slightly surprised and said: "This classic is quite famous—one of the four great divine arts of Buddhism—but it has been lost for over a hundred years."
Wang Chong asked in surprise: "Why would such a powerful divine art be lost?"
Chu Qiuzi replied: "In the present age, Young Master Wang's Wudang Sect is the number one great sect under heaven, but two hundred years ago, the Xuanhuang Sect was the number one great teaching sect."
"At the height of Xuanhuang Sect's power, they were ten times more arrogant than Wudang Sect. The successive patriarchs of Xuanhuang Sect were all imperial preceptors of the previous dynasty, wielding immense authority."
"The Thirty-Two Aspects Spirit-Transformation Cultivation Fundamental Classic, though one of the four great divine arts of Buddhism, was long ago stolen by Xuanhuang Sect and became one of Xuanhuang Sect's three great sect-protecting martial arts."
Wang Chong asked: "Such a prestigious great sect—why would they let their own texts be lost?"
…Sun Yanqi: Nobody identified the body at all…
Chapter 20