Chapter 9

"You usually don’t come around for three or five years, but these past few days, you’ve been more frequent than my own husband. Especially today, I just saw you off, and before I could even sit down to rest, you’re here again."

The beautiful woman teased, her bright eyes turning to Lu Bei, and they immediately lit up: "If I’m not mistaken, this must be Junior Brother Lu, right?"

"Lu Bei, greetings to Senior Sister Zhu," Lu Bei said politely.

Regarding the identity of this beautiful woman, Bai Jin had explained to Lu Bei while walking on the ground. Her name is Zhu Yan, the wife of Wei Mao, the county magistrate of Dasheng Pass. She had once studied under the Lingxiao Sword Sect and was a fellow disciple of Bai Jin, both being disciples of the sect’s headmistress.

The difference is that Bai Jin was an inner disciple who learned the true teachings of the Lingxiao Sword Sect, while Zhu Yan was an outer disciple who completed her ten years of training and then returned home to get married.

Zhu Yan’s surname Zhu is the same as the royal family of the Wu Zhou dynasty, a direct descendant of the royal lineage. She did not enter the Huangji Sect for cultivation but chose to practice casually at the Lingxiao Sword Sect, which was the decision of her family elders.

The Wu Zhou dynasty has existed for eight hundred years, and there are indeed too many princes and grandsons.

In a large forest, there are all kinds of birds;

With too many people, the forest disappears, and so do the birds.

Among the princes and grandsons of the Zhu family, there are no shortage of ambitious individuals who aspire to inherit the throne. Some are just dreaming, while others have the means to make a bid for it.

Those who lack the means and dare not dream fear the undercurrents and voluntarily withdraw from the center of power struggles.

Over time, an unwritten rule has formed within the Zhu family: any descendant who renounces their place in the family genealogy is considered to have renounced the blessings of their ancestors. From that generation onward, they are no longer recorded in the Zhu family genealogy.

The Zhu family genealogy is as follows:

- Respect and follow forever, upright and bright, cultivate scholars and learn the sect, literature and virtue flourish.

- Establish noble aspirations, nurture the next generation, remember diligence and filial piety, honor and continue the legacy.

- Cultivate pure virtues, value goodness like a pine, respect the law and training, the state and the world flourish.

- Poetry and propriety are revered, excellence and gold are abundant, the way is first, and virtue and blessings are abundant.

Zhu Yan’s situation is clear at a glance. She not only lacks a generation name but has no generation name in her name at all. Her choice to study at the Lingxiao Sword Sect rather than the Huangji Sect further clarifies everything.

Of course, renunciation is one thing, but the Zhu bloodline cannot be erased. Despite being married and not from the Huangji Sect, Zhu Yan still holds a position in the Huangji Sect at Dasheng Pass due to her surname.

As she puts it, being idle is the same wherever you are. It’s better to find a job that pays a monthly salary, so she can buy cosmetics for herself and her daughter during the holidays.

Incidentally, her daughter is a disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect, and her master is Bai Jin.

Zhu Yan and Bai Jin have a long-standing friendship, free of any ulterior motives. Bai Jin sought her help for Lu Bei’s matters in Dasheng Pass.

"Junior Brother Lu, what a handsome face, tsk tsk... Junior Brother, please sit down, don’t be shy, treat it like your own home."

Zhu Yan circled around Lu Bei, making tsking sounds, then grabbed Bai Jin’s wrist and led her aside to whisper.

The two women chatted privately, and Lu Bei, curious, listened in, catching three key words.

Master Uncle Mo, Sect Leader, Master.

Seeing Bai Jin getting more and more excited, occasionally giggling, Lu Bei felt a strong contrast. He had originally thought she was a celestial being floating in the sky, but never expected her to be so down-to-earth in some aspects.

I never thought you would be such a senior sister.

Please keep it up!

Having hobbies is a good thing, and enjoying gossip is nothing to be ashamed of. Compared to a senior sister who is detached from the world, Lu Bei found the current one more approachable.

Gossip not only brings joy but also strengthens interpersonal relationships, serving as the foundation of trust and the ladder of human civilization...

Zhu Yan, engrossed in gossip, became even more excited after exchanging imagined scenarios with Bai Jin. She decided to rent a private room to chat with her good senior sister all night.

Lu Bei followed a servant to the guest room. After some thought, Bai Jin decided to stay overnight and leave early the next morning, which wouldn’t delay their journey much. She accepted Zhu Yan’s invitation to stay at the Wei residence.

As for the male head of the Wei household, Wei Mao, he was busy with official duties and did not return until the next noon, when Lu Bei finally met him.

...

The next day, Bai Jin broke her promise and decided to stay one more night.

The last night.

Lu Bei had little interest in the gossip of the two senior sisters and thought about going out to see if there were any tasks to take. He made an excuse to wander around and gain some knowledge, but Bai Jin firmly rejected it and confined him to the study.

The outside world is dangerous. What if he gets hurt and damages his top-tier cultivation brain?

The study is safe, and reading more books is always beneficial!

Lu Bei, realizing he couldn’t outmaneuver his senior sister, went to the study and started rummaging. Both Wei Mao and Zhu Yan had cultivation, so the possibility of finding a world-class secret manual was high. With his luck, he might just find one on the bookshelf.

He didn’t find a world-class secret manual, but a book on alchemy caught his interest. It contained recipes and processes for over ten different types of pills, with annotations in two different handwriting styles.

This time, Lu Bei learned his lesson and didn’t try to test his aptitude. He directly opened his personal panel to check for new messages.

[You have encountered the [Spirit Awakening Pill] recipe. Do you want to spend 10 skill points to learn it?]

[You have encountered the [Blood Replenishing Pill] recipe. Do you want to spend 20 skill points to learn it?]

[You have encountered the [Qi Nourishing Pill] recipe. Do you want to spend 20 skill points to learn it?]

[You have encountered the [Blood Stopping Pill] recipe. Do you want to...]

[...]

"This alchemy recipe..."

Lu Bei raised an eyebrow, vaguely thinking of a possibility: "If I remember correctly, Senior Sister Zhu’s position in Dasheng Pass is to manage the accounts of the alchemy room. The position may not be significant, but it has a lot of connections..."

Footsteps approached, and Lu Bei turned to see a middle-aged man in light armor enter the study.

With a bronze complexion, a straight back, and a hint of youthful handsomeness in his features.

Wei Mao.

Wei Mao is the county magistrate of Dasheng Pass, a military official responsible for the military affairs of Dasheng Pass.

Due to the geographical and historical significance of Dasheng Pass, there are many troops stationed here. Being a county magistrate in this place means a bright future is just around the corner.

"Junior Brother Lu?"

"Indeed, it’s Lu Bei. Are you Senior Sister’s husband?"

"Junior Brother, please, call me Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother."

"Alright."

The conversation between the two men was brief and to the point. Wei Mao saw that Lu Bei was holding an alchemy book and gestured for him to continue, then left without further disturbance.

He had no particular reason to come to the study. He just heard from Zhu Yan that there was a guest in the study, and as the head of the household, he came to greet the guest.

Since it was just a greeting, once it was done, there was nothing else to do.

"No wonder Senior Sister Zhu, with her life of luxury, is bored and finds a job outside. Senior Brother is so dull and uninteresting..."

Lu Bei muttered to himself. If he were a pervert, he would have already come up with several plans to make a move.

Whether he could break down the wall didn’t matter; tasting the sweetness was enough.

After all, with the noble royal bloodline, she is practically a princess, beautiful and graceful, with a husband and a daughter. Just thinking about it is exciting.

Lu Bei didn’t think about it. First, he is a man of integrity, and second, his strength makes him a man of integrity. His mind was entirely on the alchemy recipes.

Continuing his previous thought, Zhu Yan manages the accounts of the alchemy room in Dasheng Pass. With her help, it wouldn’t be difficult to infiltrate the alchemy room as an intern alchemist.

"If I can manage it, even if I can’t take on tasks like a player, my level-up speed will still increase significantly." Lu Bei narrowed his eyes, envisioning a flood of experience points coming his way.

However, before that, he needed to curry favor with Zhu Yan to get her to help.

Lu Bei and Zhu Yan were not familiar, so suddenly currying favor would be inappropriate, and he didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings with Wei Mao. He decided to find Bai Jin.

He wasn’t boasting, but he and the two long legs had become quite close, and she wouldn’t refuse his advances.