"What do you want? Help! Someone, help! The Yunlan Sect disciples are attacking me!" the man screamed in panic.
Even though this street was relatively quiet, the man's shouts still attracted a crowd. People glanced at the book in the man's hand and then at the Yunlan Sect disciples blocking his path.
In an instant, they understood what was going on.
Moreover, in this world where the strong rule, beating someone up— or even killing them—would likely go unpunished, especially if the assailants were Yunlan Sect disciples.
"That guy's finished. He's been dabbling in shady business for a while, and now he's finally run into the real deal."
"Who knows what kind of relationship these two have with the Chen Mo in the book? If it's a close one, he's in for a world of hurt."
Hearing the murmurs from the crowd, Chen Mo realized what was happening. Grabbing the man's robe, he lifted him off the ground and was about to snatch the book from his hand when an illustration fell out.
It was an inappropriate image, depicting a young man and woman who looked unfamiliar to Chen Mo.
But when he flipped through the contents of the book, his face darkened, rage boiling within him like an erupting volcano.
Boom!
A surge of powerful Dou Qi burst from Chen Mo's body, and with one punch, the man was sent flying backward.
"Tell me, where did you get these books?" Chen Mo demanded as he slowly approached, his steps causing cracks in the stone pavement beneath him.
"Junior Brother…" Nalan Yanran, confused about why Chen Mo was suddenly so angry, picked up the book from the ground and glanced at it. Instantly, her face flushed with embarrassment, but as she realized the nature of the book, her expression turned cold.
"Junior Brother, let me handle this."
A flash of light emanated from a delicate ring on her hand, and in the next moment, a pale green, exquisitely crafted sword appeared in Nalan Yanran's grasp. The blade shimmered with a cold aura, revealing her status as a Dou Master with seven stars.
"They're both Dou Masters!"
"Such young Dou Masters... They must hold significant positions within the Yunlan Sect. Given that, they must know that Chen Mo person."
"They're incredibly bold. I heard the book's female lead is even the Yunlan Sect's Young Sect Master. This is a matter of the sect's reputation."
The crowd's whispered comments only fueled Chen Mo's anger. It seemed that these books had spread far and wide.
As the two approached, the severely injured man hurriedly dropped to his knees, begging for mercy. "Please, spare me! I'm just an employee; the bookstore owner forced me to sell these. I didn't want to do it!"
"You're saying these books came from a bookstore?" Chen Mo asked, his voice seething with rage.
"Yes, yes! The bookstore printed a lot of these books and gave them to people like me to sell in secret," the man confessed, too terrified to hide anything.
"A lot of them," Nalan Yanran muttered through gritted teeth, her hand tightening around her sword, ready to strike at any moment.
"Where is this bookstore?" Chen Mo's eyes burned with fury, barely contained.
"Outside the city."
"Lead the way."
Once outside the city, the two flying magic beasts swiftly ascended into the clouds.
Outside the city.
In a secluded mountain valley.
A large bamboo house stood, bustling with over a dozen people working methodically. The floor was covered with freshly printed books.
A rough-looking middle-aged man with a single eye, known as "One-Eyed," was giving orders. "The hype around Chen Mo is dying down. Once we finish this batch, we can shut down this production line. The authorities have been cracking down too hard lately, so we need to—"
Bang!
Before he could finish, the bamboo door was shattered by a blast of sword light.
Chen Mo, holding the pale-faced man, burst in with Nalan Yanran.
"It's over. I'm completely done for," the man thought, realizing that the very people he had betrayed were the protagonists of the books he'd been selling.
Chen Mo threw the man to the ground and scanned the room filled with books, his anger finally boiling over.
"Senior Sister, don't hold back." A black spear materialized in Chen Mo's hand, and he charged forward.
"Wang Cheng," One-Eyed called out to the man on the ground. "Those two—"
"They're Chen Mo and Nalan Yanran," Wang Cheng stammered.
Hearing this, One-Eyed's face twisted in fear, and he turned to flee. But before he could escape, a blood-curdling scream echoed, and Chen Mo, his face splattered with blood, appeared in front of him.
"You're the owner of this bookstore?"
"I—"
"I'll ask you once: Are there any other bookstores printing these kinds of books?"
"I-I don't—" One-Eyed started to deny it, but seeing Chen Mo's murderous expression, he quickly changed his tune. "I do know! Just—just let me—"
Before he could finish, the sound of Chen Mo's spear slicing through the air cut him off. One-Eyed's voice was silenced forever.
"Asking you is a waste of time. Time to send you on your way."
Inside the bamboo house, One-Eyed, the strongest of them all, was only a Dou Master with three stars.
For Chen Mo and Nalan Yanran, taking them down was effortless.
After Nalan Yanran finished off her opponents, Chen Mo didn't even glance at the men on the ground, still begging for mercy. With a flick of his wrist, flames of lightning ignited in his palm.
Moments later, thick smoke billowed up, and the bamboo house was engulfed in flames.
In a dense forest.
By a tranquil pond, the two of them washed away the bloodstains on their clothes and changed into fresh robes.
"They deserved to die," Nalan Yanran said, biting her lip in anger.
She had heard of such books before, but they had always involved other people. Now that she was the subject, her feelings were understandably complicated.
Chen Mo's expression remained calm, but inside, he was unsettled. After killing those men, his luck points had jumped from 40 to 160.
The three-star Dou Master, One-Eyed, had given him a full 100 luck points.
What was this? Another way to gain luck points?
…
Back in Black Rock City.
"Sir, where are you headed?" the ticketing officer asked.
"The eastern border of the empire, to a city near the Tagore Desert."
"The Tagore Desert?" The woman wrote a few notes on a ticket made of magical beast hide. As she handed it to Xiao Yan, she paused. "Sir, are you an alchemist?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?" Xiao Yan asked, frowning.
"No, no problem. According to imperial regulations, alchemists can fly for free and are allowed to use special mounts reserved for them."
"There's such a benefit?"
Xiao Yan boarded the flying magical beast. Shortly afterward, with a loud screech, the beast spread its wings and soared toward the eastern part of the empire.
Elsewhere.
As the sky darkened, Chen Mo and Nalan Yanran arrived in the city where they planned to spend the night.
Xizhen.
In a luxurious inn.
"What? There's only one room left?"
"Yes, all the other rooms are occupied. This is the only one left. Do you still want it?"
"Yes, we'll take it. Open it up."