Chapter 87 An Encounter in a Small Town
The doors and windows on the third floor of the inn were half-closed.
At around 5 a.m., the streets of the entire town were deserted.
A figure swiftly approached Youjian Inn, and upon reaching the front door, leaped up to the third floor like a monkey soaring into the sky, slipping inside through the door and window.
The next morning, the sun was high in the sky.
"Teacher, it's time to go downstairs for lunch."
Liu Bowen was outside paying his respects. Having figured out the meaning of money, he was refreshed and in excellent condition.
Creak.
The door opened, and Li Boyang, who had just finished his morning lessons, stepped out dressed in a scholar's robe, looking calm and composed, as if his nighttime visit to Quanzhen Temple had nothing to do with him.
Let's go.
The two prepared to go downstairs for breakfast.
On the long street outside the inn, two carriages slowly approached.
One of the carriages was covered in silk on all four sides, and its windows, inlaid with gold and jewels, were covered by a light blue crepe curtain. The horses pulling the carriage were also extraordinary, well-proportioned and tall, with shimmering coats. It was Shen Rong's carriage from Huangjue Temple.
In another carriage sat a middle-aged man who was only six feet tall and somewhat overweight. He was dressed very simply in ordinary silk clothes, but he exuded a faint sense of authority and a touch of nobility, which made people dare not underestimate him.
This man was Shen Wansan, the richest man in Jiangnan. He came to the Quanzhen Sect to participate in the prayer ceremony of Qiu Chuji, the Master of Changchun.
"Miss, I never expected this town to be so lively. Isn't Zhongnan Mountain a place where the old Taoist priest practiced seclusion? I thought it was deserted."
“Cui’er, you don’t understand. There are thousands of disciples in the Quanzhen Sect alone. These people need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves every day. Many industries in this town actually supply the Quanzhen Sect. Even our Wantong Trading Company has a branch here.”
Shen Rong's words revealed her extraordinary insight. The two opened the carriage door and chatted casually while looking at the scenery outside.
Inside the inn, Li Boyang and Liu Bowen had just finished breakfast and were about to wander around when they stepped out of the inn.
Liu Bowen was in high spirits. Whenever he passed by a shop, he would stop for a while to observe the goods, the flow of people in the shop, and the number of transactions, in order to deduce the shop's marketing.
The carriage slowly drove along the long street. Suddenly, Shen Rongxiu's eyes lit up as she pulled back the curtain. A figure appeared before her, a figure that gave her a strange sense of familiarity.
"Mr. Boyang? It really is you."
The carriage continued to move slowly, gradually passing behind. Shen Rong turned her head and her face instantly lit up with surprise.
Li Boyang, who was walking down the street, heard someone calling his name. He immediately looked towards the source of the sound and saw a beautiful face emerging from the carriage. It was none other than Shen Rong.
Li Boyang glanced at her briefly, then pretended not to see her and continued walking slowly forward, not wanting to get too involved with Shen Rong.
“Mr. Boyang, it’s me, Shen Rong. Don’t you remember me?”
Little did she know that Shen Rong, who was in the carriage, thought that Li Boyang had not recognized her, and emphasized her words again.
"Teacher, this isn't right."
Liu Bowen, who was walking beside Li Boyang, paused, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke softly. As shrewd as he was, how could he not see that his teacher had actually recognized Shen Rong but was pretending not to see her?
"Don't you dare interrupt."
Shen Rong spoke so loudly this time, clearly he couldn't keep up the act any longer. He lowered his voice, scolded Liu Bowen briefly, and then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"So it's Miss Shen. I didn't expect to meet you here again. What a coincidence."
"I am also very surprised to meet you here again, sir. It is truly fate."
When Shen Rong spoke, she unconsciously emphasized the word "fate".
The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart. When Shen Rong heard Li Boyang's words "destined," she clearly misunderstood and blushed slightly.
In fact, Li Boyang was just out of words and said something casually, but Shen Rong interpreted it differently.
"parking."
Law! Law!
"Rong'er, what happened?"
The carriage in front stopped, and Shen Wansan, with a slightly dignified expression, pulled back the curtain and fixed his gaze on Li Boyang.
Shen Rong was clearly a little afraid of Shen Wansan, and quickly explained, "Father, he is the Mr. Boyang I mentioned last time. He was the one who helped me and Cui'er at Huangjue Temple."
"oh?"
Shen Wansan carefully examined Li Boyang, looking him up and down, scrutinizing him closely.
Li Boyang disliked the other person's gaze, which seemed to scrutinize and examine a criminal, as if trying to see through the secrets hidden in the other person's heart.
Just as Shen Wansan's gaze fell upon Li Boyang's eyes, Li Boyang's eyes suddenly sharpened, and an unstoppable aura erupted from his body, pressing down on Shen Wansan.
This is the principle that Li Boyang comprehended during the Transformation stage: the world is his enemy, and he must forge ahead without hesitation. This aura is telling others this principle. After entering the Qi Refining stage, this aura alone can suppress ordinary people so much that they cannot lift their heads.
As soon as their eyes met, Shen Wansan felt a pressure bearing down on him, forcing him to lower his head. A sense of danger arose, but before he could react, the pressure suddenly disappeared.
Li Boyang's aura was perfectly controlled, subtly and silently teaching Shen Wansan a lesson.
Shen Wansan was horrified. Just who was this scholar in front of him? When did this woman meet such a terrifying person? He had only ever experienced this feeling with those experts at the Innate Realm.
"I must thank you for your help to my daughter, sir. If she ever encounters any trouble in the future, please come to Wantong Trading Company and give me a chance to repay you."