Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 542 Ruojun
"Father, are you alright?"

Upon seeing Dong Wenshu emerge from the city lord's mansion, his children surrounded him, scrutinizing and questioning him.

Dong Wenshu glanced at the woman doing odd jobs in the shop, shook his head and said, "It's nothing, let's go back."

After a harrowing experience, the family descended the mountain.

When I returned to the library entrance, I was surrounded by neighbors who were all chattering and asking what had happened.

There were some things the Dong family didn't want to talk about, saying it was nothing and that it was all a misunderstanding. But the neighbors still made all sorts of guesses about the scars on Dong Wenshu's body.

At this point, the value of good character becomes apparent, and no one believes that Dong Wenshu's family could do anything wrong.

The family entered the house and immediately closed the door. After changing his clothes, Dong Wenshu gathered everyone in the family for a talk and explained that the reason for their arrest was that they had been implicated by Wang Ping.

The children of the landlord, who had not yet been tried, were very surprised. Could Wang Ping, who seemed harmless and without desires, really be a bad person?
In their normal understanding, which is often unaware of the situation, someone must be a bad person or have done something wrong to cause such trouble.

Immediately afterwards, Dong Wenshu took out a money bag and pushed it in front of the woman doing odd jobs. "Xianglan, our family doesn't want to go through this again, and we don't want to drag you down with us. This is two months' wages. You should find another job."

That could be considered an excuse.

The old man in black wanted to bring in his distant relative, and he couldn't refuse him out of courtesy or reason. It was a lesson learned; the academy had been facing a series of deadly setbacks, and he had even used up his life-saving jade token. Having a relative of a big shot here wasn't a bad thing.

He was forced to face reality.

The library simply couldn't afford to employ two menial workers, so they had to dismiss one of them.

The Dong family's children were all surprised and tried to say a few good words for the woman, but Dong Wenshu's attitude was firm. The Dong family's traditions were upheld, so the children had no choice.

After pleading in vain, the woman could only wipe away her tears, pack her things, and leave.

After the woman left, Dong Wenshu revealed to his children the harrowing experience of how they escaped danger. He explained that the favor the Demon Queen had bestowed upon the Dong family ancestors had already been used up, and since the old man in black had saved their lives, they couldn't refuse him out of both gratitude and reason.

The Dong siblings then understood their father's good intentions and realized that the family had just been on the brink of death.

"What exactly did Wang Ping do? Why would even a major sect like the Extreme Fire Sect target him? How could someone with that kind of influence possibly be working odd jobs at our library?" Dong Liangze, with his youthful spirit, expressed his confusion.

Before the family could recover from the shock, there was another knock at the door. Dong Liangze ran to the door and returned with several city guards, which immediately put the family on edge again.

Unexpectedly, the visitor came to express his apology on behalf of the city guards. He put down a box and said, "Mr. Dong, this is a misunderstanding. I am here to apologize on behalf of the city guards. This box contains 10,000 gold coins as payment for Mr. Dong's medical expenses and to help everyone calm their nerves."

Their manner of speaking was incredibly polite, with them bowing and scraping.

Although the news of the Empress's intervention was blocked from above, he was informed before his arrival that his master had a powerful backer who was not to be trifled with, and that he must be extremely polite.

Although Dong Wenshu had integrity, he did not refuse the money, because he felt that the city guards had acted recklessly without any evidence and should apologize.

The only thing that made Dong Wenshu hesitate was whether a compensation of 10,000 gold coins was a bit too much.

He guessed that it was because of the Empress's influence that the man was being given the money. Although he hadn't seen what the old man in black's relative looked like yet, he was already thinking about giving the relative a bonus.

After seeing the guests off, Dong Liangze hurriedly opened the box. It was filled with a pile of flaming gold ingots, so dazzling that the siblings looked at each other in disbelief. They had never seen so much cash in front of them before, especially since it belonged to their family.

Dong Liangze couldn't resist reaching out and grabbing a handful, listening to the rustling sound as the drops fell between his fingers.

Third Sister Dong Liangying patted his arm, "Stop playing around, this is what Father earned with his injuries."

Dong Wenshu pondered for a moment and said, "The guests who came to the library today were disturbed by unexpected troubles. Let's take stock of the guests who paid and refund all their money tomorrow."

This was Dong Liangying's business, so she immediately agreed, "Okay, I understand."

Just then, there was a knock on the side gate outside the courtyard.

I don't know who it was, but they didn't use the main entrance.

Usually, only familiar neighbors know that when the library is not open, it is troublesome for people in the inner courtyard to run to the front to open the door, so neighbors usually knock on the side door.

The task of showing his face in public naturally fell to the fourth brother, Dong Liangze. He quickly ran to open the door, just as he was about to see which neighbor it was, but to his surprise, a pretty woman in a bright red dress stood gracefully at the door, her large red flower at her temples particularly eye-catching, and her neck was fair.

Even a young man was stirred by that unexpected charm.

The woman in red nodded slightly to him with a half-smile.

Dong Liangze paused for a moment. This wasn't a neighbor; he couldn't possibly not remember such a prominent neighbor. So he tried asking, "Who are you looking for?"

The woman in red said, "My distant cousin sent me here to work odd jobs at the library, read books, and get some exposure to literature. He said he's already spoken to the librarian."

"Uh..." Dong Liangze immediately realized who the other person was. It was the relative of that important person his father had just mentioned. He quickly responded with an "oh" and gestured for the person to come in.

As soon as the door closed, he quickly ran to the front and whispered something to Dong Wenshu and the others.

The fact that they arrived so quickly surprised the whole family.

The woman in red approached the family and looked them over one by one, noticing their discomfort.

The situation made her seem like the hostess, while her family, feeling awkward, looked like they were there for a job interview.

"Is this the owner?" the woman in red asked, staring at Dong Wenshu. Then she introduced herself, "Just call me 'Ruojun,' and I hope you'll take care of me in the future."

Dong Wenshu politely responded with a few words, somewhat surprised that the old man in black's distant relative was a woman of unusual charm. Then Dong Liangyi led the woman in red to choose a room. The Dong family's courtyard was not small, and there were quite a few rooms, most of which were empty, so they could choose freely.

In the evening, Dong Liangyi went into the kitchen to work, and the woman in red had somehow sneaked in as well.

I don’t know if she counts as helping in the kitchen, as she occasionally does a few casual, perfunctory actions.

For example, while Dong Liangyi was washing vegetables in a basin, she suddenly picked up a ladle, scooped up water, and poured it into the basin in a long stream.

It's true that she likes to add firewood to the stove. Sitting in front of the stove, the red firelight illuminated her red dress. No, there was a smell of alcohol. Dong Liangyi turned her head and saw that she had somehow acquired a delicate wine jar slightly smaller than her palm. She had one foot on a wooden stool and, under the red firelight, she raised her fair neck and drank from the jar.

That scene was truly beautiful, a kind of carefree beauty amidst the mundane world, which captivated Dong Liangyi. Then, the smell of burning appeared in the pot, causing her to panic.

In the firelight, the woman in red, her lips glistening with dew and her cheeks puffed out with a mouthful of wine, turned her head and realized that she had been so focused on tending the fire that she hadn't paid attention to the heat. She knew the fire was too big, so with a flick of her finger, most of the firewood in the stove was immediately pulled back towards the stove opening, and she swallowed the wine down her neck.

When Dong Liangyi saw her again, the woman in red presented her with a wine pot held in one hand, indicating whether she wanted a sip of wine.

Dong Liangyi shook her head repeatedly, then buried herself in her work. Some people said that the dishes she cooked were not tasty and that she needed to put more effort into them, but the wine smelled really good.

Just then, the library door was knocked on again.

A man and a woman stood in front of the library gate. The newcomer was none other than the goddess Feng Qingping and Qiu Ben, the head of the Martial Hall of the Extreme Fire Sect.

They didn't put on airs at all, and didn't bring any attendants; they were just like two ordinary, unremarkable people visiting.

After the Demon Queen's sect leader and the Phoenix Clan Chief personally visited her and presented her with a generous gift, the matter was considered settled.

Of course, the matter originated from the Extreme Fire Sect, and the Phoenix Clan's grand gift was also from the Extreme Fire Sect.

If you turn a big problem into a small one, then naturally you'll turn a small problem into nothing.

The matter arose from offending the owner of Chaoyue Pavilion, causing them to suffer. Upon learning that the owner was backed by a demon queen, they had no choice but to apologize.

This was also the intention of the Extreme Fire Sect Master and the Phoenix Clan Chief.

Dong Liangze, who opened the door, didn't recognize them either. After the two introduced themselves, he was really startled and almost thought they were scammers.

Eventually, the host and guests met, and a polite exchange was inevitable.

Dong Wenshu wasn't stupid; he naturally knew that she had come to embarrass the demon.

The woman in red was watching the commotion from nearby.

Feng Qingping and Qiu Ben would occasionally glance at the woman in red sitting on the railing of the small bridge, dangling a small wine jar on one leg and taking a sip now and then.

Before they arrived, they had thoroughly investigated the staff composition of the library and had never heard of such a person.

During the conversation, I couldn't help but ask.

Dong Wenshu agreed to keep the old man in black's name a secret, only saying that he was a newly hired handyman.

I see. Feng and Qiu didn't ask any more questions. Whether they should find out more later was a matter for the future.

After offering a verbal apology, Feng Qingping glanced at Dong Liangyu standing to the side and suddenly said, "I heard that your second young lady, Dong Liangyu, has been weak since childhood and is not suitable for cultivation. If she is interested in embarking on the path of cultivation, my Feng clan has miraculous elixirs that can cleanse the marrow and transform the meridians, which can change her constitution. I wonder if the second young lady would be willing to become a disciple of my Feng clan to cultivate?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Liangyu herself was immediately moved, not to mention others. Having been physically exhausted for many years, she longed for good health.

Of course, the family knew even better that such a miraculous medicine was extremely valuable and expensive. If ordinary people could obtain it, Dong Liangyu wouldn't have had to wait until now.

Qiu Ben glanced at the other children of the Dong family and spoke up at the right moment: "Although my Extreme Fire Sect is a demon cultivation sect, it has no shortage of human cultivators who worship it. It is no exaggeration to say that it has many experts in the cultivation world. It also has no shortage of cultivation techniques for human cultivators. If Mr. Dong is willing, you may let your children join my Extreme Fire Sect to cultivate. My sect will definitely not be stingy with cultivation resources to support them. With the guidance of famous teachers, they will surely be extraordinary in the future."

It was another invitation that made the Dong family siblings' hearts flutter. They all knew that for normal people, entering such a large sect was a rare and precious opportunity, especially with strong support.

An opportunity to change the family's fate was suddenly presented to them.

Even Dong Wenshu couldn't help but fall into deep thought and hesitation.

Feng Qingping and Qiu Ben exchanged glances, both knowing what the other was thinking. They both wanted to turn a bad situation into a good one and take the opportunity to deepen their relationship with the Empress Dowager.

Ordinary people wouldn't receive such strong support if they joined their sect, and they believed few could resist such temptation.

The woman in red, perched on the bridge railing, watched coldly, glancing in their direction every now and then.

After careful consideration, Dong Wenshu shook his head and declined, saying, "I am very grateful for the Goddess and the Hall Master's kindness, but I am extremely apprehensive and dare not agree rashly. Please allow me to consider it further."

In reality, he felt that his family had no connection with the Demon Queen. He had already used up the favor from his ancestors. He was well-read, dutiful, and knew the principle that fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Human cultivators joining demon cultivator sects was already an anomaly. Once the relationship with the Demon Queen was tarnished, the more he took now, the greater the backlash he would suffer in the future. He didn't want to take this shortcut and harm his children.

Feng and Qiu couldn't force him, so they each left him a mother-child talisman so he could contact them anytime he wanted.

Dong Wenshu only gave a perfunctory verbal reply.

When Feng and Qiu left, they apologized again and each left a small box as a gift to atone for their apologies.

Dong Wenshu dared not accept it and repeatedly refused, but with his cultivation level, how could he possibly put it back? The guest left the gift box in the mansion.

Dong Liangze, who had many hands, thought it was another two boxes of ten thousand gold coins. When he picked them up, he felt that the weight was wrong. They were very light. When he opened them, he found that they were a stack of bank notes. He counted them and was shocked. Each box contained ten million gold coins!
Seeing the family in a state of chaos over the 20 million, not knowing what to do, discussing whether to send it back and how to do so, the woman in red sitting on the bridge railing smiled, looked up at the sunset, and slowly kissed the mouth of the jar to pour the wine.

(End of this chapter)