108: Chapter 108 My underwear was almost pulled off

Hong Shao and Qing Luo's breathing almost stopped in that instant.

Their hands subconsciously pressed against their sword hilts, their muscles tensed up like two leopardesses protecting their food, staring fixedly at the smiling scholar in green robes before them.

Who is this person?

How could he know Master Luo's identity?

The originally noisy atmosphere in the main hall seemed to be cut off by this invisible tension.

Chen Fan did not move.

The jade mask on his face blocked out all emotions, leaving only a cold, deathly stillness.

He just stared at the other person quietly, his eyes exposed outside the mask as calm as an ancient well.

The smile on Mr. Know-It-All's face did not diminish; he picked up the wine pot on his own and filled the empty wine cup in front of Chen Fan.

The clear wine rippled slightly in the cup.

"Your Excellency need not be so guarded," Mr. Know-It-All said, setting down the wine pot and spreading his hands. "If I had any malicious intent, it wouldn't be just me coming here right now, but the Jiang Prefecture's Ti cavalry."

This sentence made Hong Shao and Qing Luo's hearts sink once more.

This person actually has connections with the government?

Chen Fan finally spoke, breaking the suffocating silence.

"What do you know?"

His voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Know-It-All laughed, his bright eyes flashing with the light of wisdom that seemed to see through everything.

"Of all the affairs in the world, I know ninety percent."

What a bold claim.

Chen Fan sneered inwardly, but his expression remained calm.

"Are there any Immortals?"

He asked an earth-shattering question.

This question left the two sisters beside him stunned.

Immortals? Weren't those just ethereal beings that only existed in the stories of storytellers?

The smile on Mr. Know-It-All's face faded slightly for the first time.

He gave Chen Fan a deep look, as if trying to pierce through that mask to see his true appearance.

After a long while, he slowly nodded.

"Yes."

One word, yet it carried the weight of a thousand jun.

"Above the First Realm is the Immortal."

Chen Fan's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Above the First Realm!

In Luo Hengsheng's memories, among the nine Realms of martial arts, a First Realm Martial Artist was already the pinnacle of worldly martial arts, known as a terrestrial Immortal.

Yet, he hadn't expected that there was an even higher Realm above this.

"Where are the Immortals?" he pressed.

Mr. Know-It-All picked up his teacup, gently blew on the steam, but did not answer, merely shaking his head.

That head-shaking motion was full of an indescribable meaning.

Was it that he didn't know, or that he couldn't say?

Chen Fan did not ask again.

He knew that asking again wouldn't yield any results.

This Mr. Know-It-All was far more mysterious than he had imagined.

Mr. Know-It-All set down his teacup and changed the subject.

"Looking at the heroes of the world today, Your Excellency deserves a place among them."

He paused, then sighed faintly.

"And that Chen Jinzhong whom Your Excellency killed also deserved a place. This person was originally unremarkable, but later revealed his brilliance in Shu Province; his spirit and state of mind were both top-tier. Pity, what a pity."

Chen Jinzhong.

When this name was spoken by Mr. Know-It-All, Chen Fan's hand holding the wine cup paused imperceptibly.

He did not speak, merely draining the wine in his cup in one go.

Because Mr. Know-It-All was right: Chen Jinzhong was also him.

Mr. Know-It-All seemed very satisfied with Chen Fan's reaction; the curve of his mouth widened slightly.

"By the way, in three months, there will be a literary gathering in Jiang City. It is hosted by the eldest Young Miss of the Shangguan Family, the number one noble family in Jiang Prefecture, inviting talented scholars from all over the world. Would Your Excellency be interested in attending?"

"Not interested," Chen Fan replied crisply. "I am just a Martial Artist; I don't understand poetry or songs, so why should I go there?"

"That is truly a pity," Mr. Know-It-All shook his head with a look of regret.

He seemed to remember something and continued on his own: "Speaking of poetic talent, I am reminded of someone. Some time ago, a young man named Chen Fan appeared in Shu Province, creating earth-shattering verses like 'Clouds resemble her clothing, flowers resemble her face,' becoming famous throughout the world. But what is strange is that I, Mr. Know-It-All, cannot find any background information on this person. It is truly strange."

Chen Fan.

When his own name was spoken once again from the mouth of this mysterious man, his expression beneath the mask became very strange.

If not for his confidence that no one could know about his Golden Finger, he would have almost suspected that this Mr. Know-It-All was intentionally testing him.

These few sentences mentioned things that were all related to him; it was truly bizarre.

The forces behind this Mr. Know-It-All were definitely not simple.

"That is all for now," Mr. Know-It-All stood up and cupped his hands at Chen Fan. "It was a pleasure speaking with Your Excellency today. This meal is on me."

After saying this, he turned and strolled out of the post station, without the slightest hesitation.

Not until his figure completely disappeared at the doorway did Hong Shao and Qing Luo let out a long breath, their backs already drenched in cold sweat.

"Master Luo, who exactly is this person? He..." Hong Shao's voice carried a hint of shock and doubt.

"Just a mysterious guy, don't worry about him."

Chen Fan shook his head and stood up.

"Let's go, to Jiang City."

...

Leaving the post station, the three of them headed east.

The closer they got to Jiang City, the wider and smoother the roads became, and even official roads paved with bluestone slabs appeared.

The pedestrians and carriages on the road also gradually increased.

The clothing of those pedestrians was noticeably more luxurious than what they had seen before; many were dressed in silk and satin, with leisurely expressions.

When that legendary majestic city finally appeared on the horizon, even Chen Fan could not help but be shocked by its grandeur.

The city walls, of unknown height, stretched on endlessly, impossible to see the end at a glance, built entirely of massive black rock, shimmering with a cold light in the sunlight.

Above the city walls, arrow towers stood in great numbers, and banners blocked out the sun.

A moat dozens of zhang wide, like a jade belt, surrounded the entire city.

"Heavens..." Qing Luo opened her small mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

She had never imagined that there could be such a majestic city in this world.

Hong Shao was also filled with shock, murmuring to herself: "This... is this Jiang City?"

Entering the city gate, a wave of bustling, noisy heat hit them in the face.

The wide main street was enough to accommodate a dozen carriages side by side.

On both sides of the street were rows of shops, and three or four-story restaurants and teahouses were everywhere.

Men and women in gorgeous clothes rubbed shoulders; the air was filled with the aroma of food, the scent of women's cosmetics, and all kinds of novel smells.

The sounds of hawking, shouting, and the clamor of carriages merged into a noisy yet vibrant symphony of life.

Qing Luo and Hong Shao were completely dumbfounded.

They looked around, full of curiosity about everything on the street.

The jewelry store with a Western Regions barbarian sign, the shop filled with various exquisite porcelain, the pastry shop wafting with tempting aromas...

All of this kept them dazzled.

Chen Fan rode on his horse, moving forward slowly.

He looked at the prosperity of the whole city, looking at those well-fed, smiling commoners.

In his mind, he could not help but recall the tragic scene of the scorched earth for a thousand miles in Shu Province.

Separated by a wall, two different worlds.

How absurd.

"Master Luo, look over there!" Hong Shao suddenly pointed to a gorgeous five-story building not far away, shouting excitedly. "What a tall building! What place is that?"

Chen Fan looked up.

He saw that the building had flying eaves and bucket arches, carved beams and painted pillars, and two huge red lanterns hung at the entrance, with three large characters written in a vigorous, sweeping hand.

Yuexian Pavilion.