Chapter 426: Tearing Off the Disguise

"So strong!"

Putting the Jade Bead away, Shen Yu felt a heaviness in his heart for reasons unknown after the scene he had just witnessed.

Looking up at the sky, Shen Yu could not even tell if the sky he was under was the same sky as the one the Jade Bead's owner had inhabited.

To transform one's body into an invisible barrier—he did not know what level of courage and ability that required.

Yet, through the Jade Bead, he could vaguely sense the other person's power; that aura, as vast as heaven and earth, left one without even the thought of trying to compare oneself to it.

In this world, who would idly think of trying to measure themselves against heaven and earth? That would be nothing but asking for humiliation.

Gradually, the light on the Jade Bead began to converge, until in the end, it seemed just like a night-luminescent pearl, flickering with a dim, non-blinding glow.

The surrounding Spirit Qi surged into it without stirring up the slightest ripple, though this light seemed not to be contained, appearing to radiate light and heat at any time and place.

Shen Yu tried to make contact with this light; under the illumination of the bead, the light transformed into strands of peculiar energy that surged into his body, capable of subtly transforming his physique and strengthening his soul.

If even someone at his current level could feel an improvement, let alone others.

Wearing the Jade Bead on his person, under its subtle transformation, it might not take long to create an expert. If placed in the Jianghu, it would surely be a treasure that everyone would break their heads to obtain.

Rising and rubbing his head, Shen Yu sighed silently. Previously, he had felt he was strong enough, but now he realized he was just a frog in a well.

First Mu Zishan, and then this person whose name he didn't even know; the waters of this world were far deeper than he had imagined.

It was just a pity that those old monsters had all been taken away by Mu Zishan before he left; otherwise, if he had hacked down two more, he might have triggered a grand prize and allowed his strength to grow another wave.

As for now, he could only wait for the next batch of old monsters to awaken.

However, the world is vast, and evil is always hidden within it. Before that, he was not without opportunities to strengthen himself.

Accumulate more grain, improve more; only in this way could one meet the changing with the unchanging.

Finding a nearby city, he located a teahouse, sat down, and ordered some items; this was where the seat of Dongming Prefecture was located.

Outside the teahouse, it was bustling, filled everywhere with vigorous cries of peddlers. It seemed the strife outside and the Spiritual Qi Surge had not brought any major impact here.

The commoners here all had normal expressions and no sense of unease, looking no different at all from before the Spiritual Qi Surge.

A little inquiry revealed that this was all thanks to the Prefect of this Dongming Prefecture. The Prefect here was a burly middle-aged man who had been frustrated in his ambitions his whole life, but whose Martial Arts were terrifyingly strong.

It was just a pity that this Prefect probably didn't know how to handle people in the past; he had sat in the Prefect's position for eight years, and simply hadn't seen his seat budge an inch.

Otherwise, based on this level of martial prowess, he should have been promoted long ago. It could only be said that he was very strong, but not strong enough.

The Spiritual Qi Surge gave him an opportunity, as if his Ren and Du meridians had been opened, and his strength shot up instantly. His strength, which had originally been on par with the major forces in the city, suddenly became unfathomable.

Previously, Dongming Prefecture had indeed seen some chaos; some Jianghu people felt they were capable again after their strength greatly increased, and began to act arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone.

One by one, they prepared to flex their muscles, vying for power and profit, and completely disregarded the local yamen.

The Prefect here was also a fierce man; he went and challenged them one by one. In the end, even when the remaining people joined forces, they were soundly defeated by him, and he single-handedly suppressed all voices of opposition.

Moreover, whenever anyone dared to stir up trouble or harm the commoners, this Prefect would go personally, and he wouldn't leave until he had peeled off a layer of skin to give the commoners an explanation.

It was precisely because of this that it was so quiet and peaceful here. With such a burly Prefect, who would dare to act out?

Believe it or not, if you dare to cause trouble today, he could be at your house tomorrow, wielding a blade and demanding an explanation.

"The Prefect here is quite interesting!" Taking a sip of tea, Shen Yu couldn't help but smile and shake his head after listening to the conversation of the surrounding tea guests.

In this day and age, officials with this kind of strength and mettle are truly rare.

"Here are the snacks you wanted, take them!"

"Many thanks, Shopkeeper!"

While drinking tea, a pleasant, crisp voice suddenly reached Shen Yu's ears; his gaze happened to shift over, and he saw a pure and lovely young girl of about fifteen or sixteen.

It was just that this young girl was dressed as a maid; if one looked only at her appearance, this young girl before him should have been a young lady of status, yet unexpectedly, she was just a maid.

And the shopkeeper opposite the young girl also seemed to have something to say but hesitated, though in the end, he just shook his head silently and said nothing.

This young girl was a clever and bright girl, but unfortunately, she followed a master who was no good, living so roughly; it was a pity.

"Little girl, whose maid are you?"

Just at this moment, two young gentlemen suddenly walked into the doorway, both holding folding fans, looking like dashing and talented scholars.

When they walked into the teahouse, they suddenly saw the young girl preparing to leave, and were momentarily stunned.

The young girl before them was delicate and exquisite, possessing a unique sense of liveliness, as refined as a small porcelain doll, giving one the feeling that just by looking at her, one would want to pull her into their arms and dote on her.

Moreover, looking at her attire, she wore plain cloth and a wooden hairpin. Although she looked neat and clean, one could tell at a glance that the clothes were washed white; her master must be someone without power or influence.

To buy a maid without money, and such an exquisite little girl at that—isn't this a waste of a heavenly treasure?

Seeing the young girl did not reply and was preparing to bypass them to leave, one of them unobtrusively blocked her path.

"Little girl, I'm talking to you. Whose maid are you? Looking at your clothes, you shouldn't be from a wealthy family. It's truly a pity for such an exquisite beauty like you."

"How about this: I will buy you, give your master a large sum of money, and you can follow me from now on. Fine clothes and gourmet food every day—that's better than wearing plain cloth and wooden hairpins like this."

The words spoken by this young gentleman were somewhat lewd, and the people inside the teahouse could hear them clearly; this was no kindness, but clearly lust at first sight.

However, they didn't care; the person before them was just a lowly little maid. To be honest, asking for her opinion was giving her face.

Finding her master directly and buying the person back—wouldn't she be his own then?

In this era, even concubines were frequently gifted between friends. If a word was spoken in good spirits, gifting a concubine to each other was a normal phenomenon, wasn't it?

As for molestation? When those rough men do it, it's called molestation; when talented scholars like them do it, what's it called? It's called mutual affection, a romantic affair.

If this were to spread, it wouldn't be criticized; instead, it would be treated as a romantic tale of literati. Who told them to be the ones holding the pens?

Are we forcibly seizing a common woman? No, we are saving someone from fire and water. Letting her escape her life of poverty and hardship to leap into a superior life of fine clothes and gourmet food—this is doing a good deed.

Look at what's written in those storybooks: scholars and young ladies, scholars and maids, and even scholars and married women, etc. —those romantic affairs are praised by everyone.

Therefore, whether the matter is right or wrong doesn't matter; the key is who writes it. If I think it's right, I can make you think it's right too. It's a romantic affair, men and women falling in love—isn't that human nature?

If you dare to stop it, then you are a black-hearted villain, a bastard destroying a relationship.

What? You say this woman is from your house? Do you know what love is? Love knows no class, no status. Do you understand? What you should do is facilitate it, not criticize or interfere; otherwise, you are a big villain!

If these scholars have no other skills, don't they at least have the skill to hoodwink people?

Like now, encountering a maid on the street, falling in love at first sight, not minding her low status, and thus generously opening their purses to redeem her from some mean and heartless master.

This was saving her from fire and water; it wouldn't be excessive for the other party to offer herself in marriage, and then, after the two returned home, he would dote on the young girl in every possible way.

No matter who tells it, it is a good story of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman meeting.

As for whether that talented scholar gets bored of that little girl later, whether he casually dismisses her or gives her to someone else, it is not important; no one will investigate these things. People only care about the beginning of a love story; who would care about the outcome?

After all, they are talented scholars; how could these mundane affairs disturb them? They still have to go and pursue the next beautiful romance.