Unsheathed

There were many handsome horses and large carriages on the official road, and also a fair number of strange people dressed in eye-catching garb. The young and inexperienced Pei Qian could only tell that they were rich, but Chen Ping'an, Zhu Lian, and Shi Rou possessed better observation skills than the incense provider from the river guardian temple. There was truly a huge number of Qi refiners traveling around the Azure Phoenix Nation and getting involved in the murky situation right now.

Meanwhile, Pei Qian was most likely still feeling heartache about the snowflake coins that had been spent to write on the wall in the river guardian temple. She was yet to recover her energy and spirits, and she appeared dejected and listless as she walked. Of course, it was also possible that she was feeling ashamed about having the worst writing out of the three people.

This time, however, Zhu Lian didn't pick on Pei Qian.

As a result, things were relatively calm and peaceful as they traveled, causing Shi Rou to feel slightly strange due to the sudden change in atmosphere.

If they followed the normal route, they wouldn't pass the Lion Garden where the fox demon was causing trouble. Upon arriving at a fork road, where one road would bring them past the Lion Garden, Chen Ping'an didn't hesitate at all as he chose the other road, which would directly lead them to the capital. This allowed Shi Rou to breathe a long sigh of relief. She would have cried to death if her master were a willful person who liked to fight against all injustices in the world.

As the private residence of Assistant Minister Liu, the Lion Garden was a renowned garden slightly to the north of the southwestern region of the capital. The Liu Clan was a literary clan, one that produced officials from every generation of descendants. The Lion Garden had been continually expanded and refined by each generation of the clan, and it wasn't the case that Assistant Minister Liu had quickly built the garden overnight after enjoying a successful career in the imperial court. Thus, the Liu Clan remained honest and uncorrupted, and no one could find anything to say otherwise.

Once upon a time, someone had especially collated all of the poems and essays describing the scenery of the Lion Garden written by literati over the generations. After sorting these poems and essays into a book, they had produced a high-quality engraving to print many copies of this book. It was said that the book had sold quite well in the bookstores of various regions.

After walking for ten or so kilometers, however, the incense provider from the river guardian temple suddenly ran over and gave them two items, saying that these were things from the temple attendant. There was a bamboo tube for holding incense sticks, and the exterior of the tube was decorated with exquisite engravings. There were many sticks of water incense inside the bamboo tube. As for the other item, it was none other than the book that contained poems and essays about the Lion Garden.

Chen Ping'an didn't accept the gifts from the river guardian temple straight away, and he instead used his palm to gently caress the Sword Nurturing Gourd by his waist.

There was sincerity in the incense provider's eyes as he said in a straightforward manner, "I understand that we're being unreasonable, Young Master Chen, but I hope from the bottom of my heart that you can help the Lion Garden this one time if it's possible. In any case, the fox demon doesn't physically harm people, and none of the seven or eight groups of immortals who went over to subdue the fox demon faced life-threatening danger. Moreover, even if you are unwilling to help, you can simply go to the Lion Garden as a visitor to enjoy the fine scenery. At that time, you can assess the situation again and decide whether you want to help or not."

Zhu Lian chuckled coldly and asked, "Oh? Is that so? Are you trying to guilt trip my young master?"