Chapter 98 - 88: Meeting Celestial Master Xu for the First Time

Chapter 98: Chapter 88: Meeting Celestial Master Xu for the First Time

Leaving behind a wide-eyed Sai Chuxue, who stared eagerly at their retreating backs.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

Zeng Anmin counted silently, waiting for her to call him back.

However, he still lacked a bit of social experience. Although Sai Chuxue was practically vibrating with anticipation, the paralyzing effect of her social anxiety was simply too strong. She opened her mouth but did not dare to utter a single word.

The room fell dead silent. A touch of awkwardness crept onto Zeng Anmin’s face.

He thought, "Are you seriously playing it this way? Whatever! There’s no awkward situation I can’t smooth over!"

"Right, I suddenly remembered something. When you left Liangjiang Commandery last time, Ms. Sai, you seemed to have promised me a reward." Zeng Anmin, who had reached the door, suddenly smacked his forehead as if he had just remembered something and turned back.

At the sound of his voice, Sai Chuxue’s eyes immediately lit up. A wave of relief washed over her.

She thought, "Why didn’t I think of that excuse to make him stay?! Thank goodness he remembered. Otherwise, he really would have left..."

Indeed, teenage girls were often their own worst enemies when it came to overthinking. She quickly looked at Zeng Anmin and asked, "What kind of reward do you want?"

He thought, "I want you to work for me for free for the rest of your life." Naturally, Zeng Anmin would not say that out loud.

He chuckled and said, "I’ve long heard that the Profound Array Department is most famous for its Spiritual Artifacts. I am currently engrossed in the art of archery among the Six Arts of the Gentleman, and I happen to lack a good bow..."

"That’s easy!" Sai Chuxue nodded without a moment’s hesitation. She then stood up and walked outside. "Follow me closely. The Arrays in the Profound Array Department’s storehouse are very dangerous."

CLACK CLACK CLACK.

Her small leather boots made adorable, crisp sounds against the floor. The young girl’s silhouette from behind looked faintly delicate, adorned with charming curves.

"Thank you, Ms. Sai." Zeng Anmin grinned, flashing his pearly white teeth, and quickly gestured for Dachun to follow.

After stepping out of Sai Chuxue’s room, Zeng Anmin came face to face with an elderly man taking a stroll in the courtyard. The old man had snow-white hair and a matching beard, holding a pristine white Duster in his hand. Dressed in cyan robes, his expression was perfectly serene. His eyes seemed to radiate a wise light that had seen through the illusions of the mortal world.

"Master!" Upon seeing the old man, a bright and innocent smile blossomed on Sai Chuxue’s face as she greeted him.

Master?!

Hearing this address, the eyes of both Zeng Anmin and Dachun instantly went glassy with shock.

Could the person standing before them be the legendary figure with unparalleled wisdom, unmatched in the world? The one who helped the Grand Ancestor of the Great Saint Dynasty unify the empire? The founder of the Profound Array Department? The old Immortal spoken of by the common people?

Celestial Master Xu?

"Ah, little one, you have friends visiting?"

He did not exude the aloof arrogance they had imagined. Instead, Celestial Master Xu felt more like a kind and amiable grandfather.

"Yes. He is Zeng Anmin, the one who helped me capture Qi Xianlin in Liangjiang Commandery."

"Oh?"

Celestial Master Xu looked over with a smiling gaze. At that instant, Zeng Anmin felt every hair on his body stand on end. He felt as though he had been completely seen through—even down to the color of his underwear—which made him rather uneasy.

"Greetings, Celestial Master Xu." Fortunately, his reaction was quite fast. Suppressing his discomfort, he offered a respectful bow to Celestial Master Xu.

"At ease. Hmm... Zeng Anmin." Celestial Master Xu’s voice remained as gentle as ever, and his face still wore that genial smile. "Is your father that brat, Zeng Shilin?"

Uh...

Zeng Shilin? That brat?

Zeng Anmin didn’t dare show any disrespect. He gave a steady nod. "My father’s name is indeed Zeng Shilin."

"Not bad. You certainly inherited some of that brat’s cleverness."

Uh...

Zeng Anmin looked up and blinked at Celestial Master Xu. He hadn’t expected his father’s relationship with Celestial Master Xu to be... quite good?

"Give him my regards when you go back." Celestial Master Xu chuckled softly, and his body vanished from the courtyard.

Eh?

Witnessing this scene, Zeng Anmin was shaken to his core. This was the true foundation of the Profound Array Department... No wonder no one in the political arena dared to look down on the Profound Array Department, despite their strict policy of non-interference in government affairs. This was the profound heritage of a top-tier sect! A sliver of yearning even sprouted in Zeng Anmin’s heart.

"Let’s go," Sai Chuxue’s voice called out. She looked at Zeng Anmin. "Stop spacing out!"

"Right, right."

Zeng Anmin snapped back to reality. Burying the image of Celestial Master Xu deep in his heart, he followed Sai Chuxue forward.

Before long, the three of them arrived in front of an enormous building. The entrance to the building was much like that of a student dormitory, sealed by a light barrier shimmering with a pale cyan glow.

Sai Chuxue reached out with a fair hand, took the Jade Pendant from her waist, and gave it a graceful wave toward the cyan barrier.

SWOOSH!

The cyan barrier vanished, revealing a pitch-black doorway.

"Come in quickly. The Jade Pendant can’t hold it open for long," Sai Chuxue urged.

"Okay."

Moments later, Zeng Anmin followed Sai Chuxue into a spacious room. Looking at the dazzling array of Spiritual Artifacts lining the walls and scattered across the tables, Zeng Anmin felt like he had just walked into a local farmer’s market.

He thought, "Seriously? Spiritual Artifacts, which rumors claim are rarely seen even once in a decade in the outside world, are being treated like cheap cabbages here?!"

"Don’t touch anything on the tables. You can pick whatever you want from the walls," Sai Chuxue said, her eyes repeatedly drifting toward Zeng Anmin’s chest. The look of desire in her gaze was painfully obvious.

"Oh."

Zeng Anmin curiously glanced at the weapons on the table. There were sabers, swords, bows...

"Is there some kind of hidden mystery to the Spiritual Artifacts on the tables?"

In his eyes, Sai Chuxue was already his future employee, so he spoke to her rather casually.

Sai Chuxue replied, "The ones on the tables all have flaws and cannot be used directly."

"Fair enough."

Zeng Anmin scanned all the Spiritual Artifacts on the four walls and instantly found himself paralyzed by choice.

"I’m not very familiar with these. Could you give me an explanation, Ms. Sai?" Zeng Anmin asked, looking at her curiously.

"Didn’t you want a bow?" Sai Chuxue’s gaze landed on a longbow on the wall. She pointed a fair finger at it and said, "That bow has a Spirit Resting Array, which reduces the consumption of Spiritual Power in your body when you use it. It also has an Explosive Flame Array, which coats the fired Arrow Fletching with fire poison. It’s incredibly powerful."

Zeng Anmin looked over and saw a fiery red longbow radiating a faint warmth. He frowned, then turned to Sai Chuxue. "Do you have one that... just shoots far? Nothing else matters, as long as it has a long range."

Sai Chuxue was a bit puzzled. She had never heard such a request before. However, Zeng Anmin was carrying the item she was desperately yearning for in his robes, so she indulged him.

"If we’re only considering range..." Sai Chuxue furrowed her delicate brows, gently tapping her head with her slender index finger. Her gaze then shifted to the few Spiritual Artifacts on the table.

"Mr. Yu did make one where he engraved Delayed Arrays onto every possible surface. But doing so meant he couldn’t engrave any Walking Assistance Arrays, causing the physical strength required to draw the bow to increase exponentially...

"Even with seven Power Arrays inscribed on his own body, he still couldn’t fully draw this bow."

Sai Chuxue walked up to the table and picked up a Black Gold Longbow. The longbow was carved with exquisitely gorgeous patterns. Just by looking at it, one could tell it was incredibly valuable.

Hearing her words, Zeng Anmin’s eyes instantly brightened. Feigning curiosity, he stepped forward, picked up the Black Gold Bow, and asked, "How far can it shoot if fully drawn?"

When it came to professional matters, Sai Chuxue’s eyes became unprecedentedly serious. Like a seasoned scientist, she exuded a convincing aura.

"If drawn fully, it can shoot at least seven hundred paces." Sai Chuxue looked at the Black Gold Bow with a solemn expression. "The main issue was that the material wasn’t taken into consideration when manufacturing this bow. If top-tier materials were used, surpassing a thousand paces would be a breeze."

Excellent!!

Fantastic!!!

This is the one!!

What kind of concept was seven hundred paces? Paired with the Martial Artist’s Heart, the amplification of his Martial Arts Aura’s power would reach a terrifying... twenty-eight times!!

At the entrance of the Profound Array Department.

"Alright, Ms. Sai, no need to see me off. If the stuff in the porcelain bottle isn’t enough, you can come find me at the Minister’s Mansion. Although the material is a bit precious, I still have the means to get more." Zeng Anmin mounted his horse, carrying the Black Gold Longbow on his back.

"Thank you," Sai Chuxue said, tightly gripping the porcelain bottle in her hands and giving Zeng Anmin an exceedingly friendly smile.

"You’re welcome. The Great River may have two banks, but you and I are one family!"

Zeng Anmin slowly rode off into the distance, leaving Sai Chuxue with only the sight of his retreating back.