https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-152-Purple-Light-Reappears-A-Single-Slap/13688320/
Chapter 151: The Carefree Hermit's Notes, A Case of Bump-and-Run
With Lu Qing’s Abilities activated, the books on the shelves began to glow with their respective aura-light.
Most emitted a soft, pale white radiance.
Occasionally, a book would pulse with a slightly more intense glow, and Lu Qing would take it down, flipping through a few pages to see if it was what he needed.
If it seemed promising, he’d keep it, planning to buy it later for deeper study.
After a full circuit, Lu Qing’s arms were laden with a thick stack of books—mostly volumes detailing the customs and cultures of various regions across this world, all of which would help him better understand the land he now inhabited.
At the very back of one shelf, Lu Qing pulled down another book that glowed with an unusually vivid white light. Just as he turned to leave, a flicker of red caught his eye from the corner of his vision. He froze mid-step.
Following the faint red glow, he pushed aside a jumbled pile of books at the base of the shelf.
Beneath them lay a book, its cover faintly pulsing with a soft crimson light.
Lu Qing was surprised. This was the first Red Light Level book he’d encountered in this entire bookstore.
He lifted the dusty tome, brushing off the grime. The cover bore no title, no author’s name.
But that didn’t matter—his Abilities quickly revealed its contents.
[The Notes of the Carefree Hermit: A lament written by a pitiful soul obsessed with uncovering the truth behind the fall of the Immortal Era.]
[Contains fragments of information about the Immortal Era.]
[Presents several intriguing theories regarding the disappearance of the Immortal Era.]
[Download and study?]
A book about the Immortal Era!
Lu Qing couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
He opened it, flipping through a few pages. His expression grew even brighter.
After a moment’s thought, he carried the book to the bookstore’s owner.
“Boss,” he said, “where did this book come from? Are there any others like it?”
The owner, already grinning broadly at the sight of Lu Qing’s armful of books, took the crimson-covered tome and examined it.
But as he flipped through a few pages, his brow furrowed.
“Sir,” he said hesitantly, “forgive my ignorance, but I truly don’t know where this book came from.”
“Even you don’t know?” Lu Qing raised an eyebrow.
He had thought the owner knew every book in the store—after all, the man had run this place for generations.
“Not at all, sir,” the owner admitted. “This shop has been in our family for three generations. Many of these books were collected by my grandfather, long before I was even born. So even I can’t identify every single one. And this one—no title, no author—makes it nearly impossible to trace its origin. May I ask, sir, where exactly did you find it?”
“Right at the bottom of the innermost shelf.”
“That explains it,” the owner said. “Those back shelves are full of forgotten books—authors unknown, origins obscure. Very few people ever browse them. I don’t even know where my grandfather picked up some of them—some have been sitting there for nearly a century. If not for my occasional cleaning and repairs, they’d have rotted away long ago. If you’re hoping to find more of this man’s writings… I’m afraid it’s nearly impossible.”
Lu Qing listened, then sighed inwardly.
He’d hoped to find more of the Carefree Hermit’s works—but it seemed that dream was lost.
Still, he accepted the reality and placed all his books on the counter.
“Alright, boss. I’ll take all of them. Xiao Yan, Xiao Li—did you two pick out what you want?”
“Got them, brother!” Xiao Yan dashed over, clutching a small stack of books. “These are the ones Xiao Li and I picked!”
“Good,” Lu Qing said. “Boss, tally up the total.”
“Right away, sir!” The owner’s smile widened.
He began counting the books and started tapping his abacus with practiced speed.
After a moment, he looked up. “All done, sir. The total comes to…”
Lu Qing nodded. He wasn’t surprised.
Books in this world were never cheap—especially well-written, beautifully bound ones. A single volume could cost over ten taels of silver.
Given that, the price the owner offered was actually quite generous.
“I don’t have that much silver on me,” Lu Qing said. “Do you accept gold?”
“Of course! Of course!” The owner practically jumped.
Gold was less common in circulation, but far more valued than silver.
“Good,” Lu Qing said. “Here.”
He reached into the money pouch Wei Fu Ren had given him and handed over two small gold ingots.
The owner took them carefully, examining the weight.
Then, as he spotted the tiny [Wei] mark stamped on the bottom of each ingot, his expression shifted—suddenly, he looked even more respectful.
Wei Family.
These two weren’t just customers. They were guests of the Wei Family Residence.
With reverence, he weighed the ingots, then handed back several taels in loose silver as change.
“Sir, here’s your change. I’ll wrap your books right away.”
“Go ahead,” Lu Qing said. “Take your time. We’re not in a rush.”
When Lu Qing stepped out of the bookstore, he found the time still early.
Deciding to wander a bit more before heading back, he relaxed his pace.
This time, he strolled with no particular aim—leading Xiao Yan and Xiao Li wherever the crowd was thickest, letting the two little ones indulge their curiosity.
The townsfolk, seeing Lu Qing’s fine attire and Xiao Yan’s unusual small beast on his shoulder, instinctively stepped aside, giving them space.
No one dared press too close.
Clothes like that meant wealth or high rank—someone not to be trifled with.
So despite the bustling crowd, Lu Qing and Xiao Yan moved through the market with ease.
Then, as they wandered deeper, they passed a sudden commotion—people gathered in a dense circle, voices rising in argument.
With nothing better to do, Lu Qing decided to join them, cradling Xiao Yan in his arms.
Pushing through the crowd with his superior physique, he reached the front.
The stalls on either side were filled with jars, bottles, and old antiques—clearly, this was the kind of street reminiscent of the antique markets from his past life.
The argument still raged.
A wiry man with a sharp nose and two thin, upward-curving mustaches clutched an old man’s arm, shouting.
“Old man! You broke my antique vase! If you don’t pay today, you’re not walking out of here!”
The old man, dressed in patched clothes, looked terrified. His face was dark with sweat.
“I didn’t touch it,” he stammered. “I swear, I didn’t even come close—this thing just fell on its own!”
“Liar!” the mustached man snapped. “It was perfectly balanced. No wind, no rain—how could it fall by itself? You must’ve bumped it!”
“I was several feet away!” the old man pleaded. “I swear, I didn’t even touch it!”
“Don’t care,” the man growled. “I saw you pass right by, and the vase fell. Who else could it be? Either you pay me twenty taels, or we go straight to the County Magistrate’s Residence!”
The moment “County Magistrate” was mentioned, the old man’s face drained of color.
He’d heard stories—ordinary folk who entered that place, no matter their innocence, always came out worse for wear.
He looked around desperately, hoping someone would speak up, to say he hadn’t touched the vase.
But no one did.
Everyone just watched, amused, like it was a show.
Then he glanced at the two burly men standing behind the mustached man—his eyes widened.
He knew.
He was going to lose this.
“Fine,” he said weakly. “I’ll pay. How much?”
“Twenty taels,” the man declared. “No less.”
“T-Twenty?” The old man’s voice cracked.
“Exactly twenty,” the man said coldly. “Want to go see the magistrate?”
His two companions stepped forward, looming over the old man.
The old man trembled.
“How much do you have?” the man demanded.
The old man began patting his pockets.
After a long moment, he pulled out a worn leather purse.
“Only three taels…”
Lu Qing had been watching silently.
He already knew—this old man was being scammed.
But without knowing the full story, and with the crowd just watching like spectators, he held back.
Instead, he activated his Abilities, wanting to see what the truth was.
First, he looked at the broken vase on the ground.
A faint gray light shimmered.
[Broken Vase: A newly shattered porcelain vase.]
So it really was broken.
Then he turned to the mustached man.
A pale white glow appeared.
[Chen Wen Cai: Nicknamed “Coyote Wolf,” infamous in the marketplace for his deceitful ways.]
[Sharp-eyed, skilled at reading people. Loves preying on farmers from the countryside and traveling merchants.]
Lu Qing’s eyes narrowed.
Now he understood perfectly.
Just as he was about to deactivate his Abilities, his gaze swept over the old man’s purse.
And then—his entire body froze.
His eyes widened in shock.
(End of Chapter)
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