88: Chapter 88 Invitation, Conference

Late at night, on the south side of the capital.

The cold wind swept up a few withered leaves, creating a rustling sound against the bluestone slabs.

This residence was in an excellent location; while it could not compare to the grand mansions with vermilion gates in the inner city, it was certainly not something an ordinary commoner could afford to live in.

He only used this residence for rest, rarely venturing out, and he was not even acquainted with his neighbors.

It was so late now; who would come specifically to disturb him?

Knock, knock...

The knocking sound was exceptionally distinct in the silent night, and a few specks of dust fell from the wooden door as it vibrated slightly.

Chen Ran's gaze narrowed as he looked toward the source of the noise.

The person outside, seeing no movement from within, paused for a moment before knocking lightly a few more times.

Click.

The wooden door opened a crack.

The handsome young man had half his face hidden in the shadows of the night, and only a pair of eyes, calm to the point of near-deathly stillness, could be seen through the gap in the door.

Chen Ran looked at the person before him.

Standing outside the door was a man wearing a standard-issue robe, with an exquisite orchid embroidered on the hem.

The man stood quietly in place; although he possessed Qi and blood, his strength was only within the lower three Realms.

"Who are you looking for?"

Chen Ran's voice lacked even a ripple.

Hearing the voice, the man hurriedly raised his head.

Upon seeing that the person behind the door was so young, he was momentarily stunned before speaking:

"Are you Young Master Chen?"

"I am."

The man steadied his mind and withdrew two invitations from his sleeve.

"The Poetry Conference is about to begin soon, and my Young Miss has asked me to invite you. If you are interested, you are welcome to come and take a look..."

The invitation was elegantly decorated, outlined with gold thread, and emitted a faint scent of ink unique to Wenxin Hall.

"Poetry Conference?"

Chen Ran's gaze swept over the invitation, which had a few lines of small, fly-head-sized regular script characters written on it.

"That is correct, Young Master Chen."

The man delivering the invitation smiled as he introduced it, his attitude extremely respectful.

"If you wish to attend at that time, you can use this invitation to enter directly and enjoy the treatment of an honored guest."

This invitation was no ordinary one; it was an invitation privilege exclusive to the inside of Wenxin Hall.

Usually, in the capital, these were highly sought-after items that money could not buy, and countless high-ranking officials and nobles would break their heads trying to get one.

Although he did not know the true identity of the young man before him, remembering Miss Su's reminder before he left, the man's attitude became even more humble.

"An invitation, huh..."

Chen Ran ran his fingers along the edge of the invitation, feeling the delicate texture of the rice paper.

"If I have the chance, I will go."

He pondered slightly before taking the object.

...

A few days later, in the evening in the capital.

The twilight sun shone on the streets, coating the bluestone slabs in a layer of dark golden warmth.

Vendors on both sides of the street enthusiastically advertised their wares, and the smell of ink mixed with the oily smoke from fried food stalls, filling the air with the atmosphere of the bustling marketplace.

"Please come in, sir. This is an autograph from the champion of the previous session; you won't be able to buy it after some time..."

A shopkeeper pointed at the calligraphy in his shop, calling out to passersby.

Many passersby were attracted to it.

"Is this thing of yours real?"

A young man dressed in brocade robes with his hair tied up walked in.

He wore gold and silver jewelry on his wrists and a high-quality jade pendant hanging from his waist; one look at his attire revealed him to be from a wealthy family.

Compared to the other ordinary people, his temperament seemed so out of place, even carrying a hint of ostentation.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up as if he had seen a fat sheep.

"Of course!"

The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together and went up to him with a fawning expression.

"Back then, that talented young man had not yet won the championship. His family was poor, and he relied on writing books for others to support his family; he was quite famous throughout the entire capital."

"Sir, you probably do not know, but he left behind quite a few autographs back then, and we have collected a few of them here."

"Oh, is that so?"

Chen Ran looked at the calligraphy before him with great interest.

Four large characters were inscribed on the calligraphy with vigorous brushwork.

"Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent."

The more Chen Ran looked at it, the more pleased he became.

Throughout his journey of Cultivate, he had relied entirely on his own step-by-step efforts.

These four characters were practically tailor-made for him.

"What a fine 'Heavenly Dao rewards the diligent.' I'll take this."

Chen Ran waved his hand grandly, full of heroic spirit.

"Right away!"

The shopkeeper enthusiastically took down the calligraphy, placed it in an exquisite wooden frame, and handed it to the young Young Master with both hands.

After paying, Chen Ran walked to an antique mirror on the side to examine himself.

In the mirror, he saw the appearance of a dashing, refined, and easy-going young Young Master, with a hint of naivety between his brows.

He naturally could not have come in his original appearance; he had disguised himself this time.

Chen Ran tugged at the corner of his mouth, and the muscles beneath his skin rippled like water.

He reached up and pinched the space between his eyebrows, and seeing there were no flaws, he sighed inwardly.

"This disguise technique is even more powerful than I imagined."

"Indeed, one cannot underestimate the people of this world; even the methods of the dregs of society have their unique insights."

As he focused his attention, a screen of light appeared before his eyes.

[Cultivation Technique: Disguise Technique (Perfection)]

This was a hidden Cultivation Technique he had found in the Heavenly Prison; the culprit was a veteran thief.

Relying on this technique, he would bully men and women in the capital and amass wealth on a grand scale.

Every time he appeared, he would change his appearance; let alone arresting him, ordinary constables did not even know what the person looked like.

Unfortunately, the last time he committed a crime, he used the skin of a beautiful woman to deceive a general who had just returned from the battlefield.

He had provoked the wrong person.

Before he could disguise himself again, he was suppressed by a single palm strike from the commander and thrown into the Heavenly Prison.

Now that this Cultivation Technique was in Chen Ran's hands, it had been directly instilled to the Perfection Realm by the Heavenly Book.

Let alone ordinary constables, even if his relatives from this life stood beside him, they would likely not discover his true appearance.

"Young Master, you must be careful when going out recently."

The shopkeeper had collected the silver and was in a great mood, so he could not help but add an extra word.

"Recently, many Jianghu travelers carrying swords and blades have come to the capital, and they all look fierce and menacing."

"Even the government constables do not dare to intervene; it is very chaotic!"

Chen Ran nodded slightly and did not say much else.

He picked up the calligraphy and turned to walk out of the shop.

...

Meanwhile, dozens of miles outside the capital.

In an ancient temple that had long been abandoned.

Weeds were overgrown, and the broken Buddha statue appeared exceptionally hideous under the moonlight.

An old man in black stood respectfully below the Buddha altar.

His aura was as deep as the sea; even just standing casually, the surrounding air was faintly distorted.

"Young Lord, everything in the capital has been arranged properly."

The old man lowered his head, his voice hoarse.

On the Buddha altar, a figure was leaning casually against a broken stone chair.

By the moonlight, one could see his pale face and a pair of eyes filled with mockery.

"Is that so..."

Que Wuhua was toying with a withered leaf in his hand.

His voice was very light, yet it carried a strange, penetrating power, as if it could drill directly into the depths of a person's mind.

Following his words, the surrounding air produced a strange resonance, and the withered leaf instantly turned into fine powder at his fingertips.

"Wenxin Hall's Poetry Conference..."

Que Wuhua chuckled, his tone full of mockery.

"That stubborn old fool Zhou Jingzhi thinks that by holding a conference and muddying the waters, he can protect that thing?"

He stood up and brushed the dust off his hands.

"No matter how deeply a Cultivation Technique is hidden, it cannot be hidden from a backstab by someone close by, right?"

Que Wuhua looked with a smile at the man kneeling not far away; the man was dressed in Confucian robes and trembling all over.

Upon hearing that voice, the man managed to force a smile.

"Young Master, please rest assured. At that time, many people in Wenxin Hall saw it; that scroll is hidden on him."

Que Wuhua nodded slightly and spoke casually:

"Notify everyone that the Poetry Conference will proceed according to plan."

Que Wuhua looked toward the direction of the capital, a flash of cruel excitement in his eyes.

"I want to dig out that scroll of Cultivation Technique with my own hands!"