Zhuang Buzhou had a clear understanding of himself: he was merely a novice who had just stepped into the Mysterious world. He was a newcomer as new as could be, and the danger level of the Red Mansion had already exceeded imagination. Rushing in now, let alone solving the problem, he would be solved first.
"Let's wait. According to Gu Yuqing, the Red Mansion appearing here should have a purpose. Once its purpose is achieved, it might leave on its own. The most important thing for me now is to quickly increase my cultivation strength and understand more information about the Cultivation World. The things I know now are really too scarce."
Zhuang Buzhou pondered to himself.
He walked step by step towards the entrance of the Red Mansion.
As Gu Yuqing said, this Red Mansion truly allowed free entry and exit.
As long as one did not enter the pavilions inside the Red Mansion, one could easily walk out. Zhuang Buzhou also naturally stepped out of the Red Mansion. Looking back, the two large red lanterns still flickered with an enchanting red light. He didn't know why, but he didn't feel cold. There was only a faint excitement.
This was truly touching a corner of the extraordinary.
"Lianqishi (Qi Refiner), Spirit Master, what are the differences between them, and how are they categorized? Is a Lianqishi (Qi Refiner) a Spirit Master, or is a Spirit Master a Lianqishi (Qi Refiner)? What is the connection between them?" A hint of confusion flashed through Zhuang Buzhou's mind.
Returning to South Street, it felt like a lifetime ago. Inside and outside the Red Mansion, it was as if two completely different worlds.
Dong dong dong!!!
Dang!!
Suddenly, a crisp sound of a night watchman's drum came from his ears.
"Dry weather, be careful of fire."
Following the sound, an old man with a somewhat bent and aged body walked by.
He carried a lantern, a gong, wore a cloak, a coir raincoat, and bamboo tubes.
That was Hu Bo, the night watchman.
Pa!
As he walked past, an ancient book fell from him without warning, landing right in front of Zhuang Buzhou.
"Hu Bo, wait, your book fell."
Zhuang Buzhou saw it and called out to Hu Bo.
Hu Bo stopped, turned to look at Zhuang Buzhou, grinned, and smiled slightly, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, saying, "Captain Zhuang, this book is quite old and has been eaten by worms. I was just about to throw it away. Since it fell, then I'll trouble Captain Zhuang to help throw it away."
As his voice fell, he started beating the gong again and disappeared around the corner.
"One Hundred Questions on Cultivation."
Zhuang Buzhou bent down and picked up the ancient book in front of him. He held it in his hand and glanced at it. The words on the cover immediately stirred waves in his heart. From the name, it could be seen that this was a classic involving Cultivators.
Moreover, this book had no wormholes at all; it was clearly very well preserved.
It fell in front of him so coincidentally, and he was so naturally asked to help throw it away. This was clearly meant to be given to him, not explicitly stated, but implicitly given.
He casually opened the book, One Hundred Questions on Cultivation.
The first page presented a question.
Question: "What is a Lianqishi (Qi Refiner)?"
Answer: "A Lianqishi (Qi Refiner) swallows mist and drinks dew, Awakens a Spiritual Root, using the Spiritual Root as a bridge to communicate with Heaven and Earth, sensing and absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, refining Spiritual Qi, condensing Innate One Qi, enhancing cultivation and magical power. One Qi gives birth to myriad laws. With Great Divine Ability, one can achieve Longevity, become Immortal, pluck stars and grasp the moon, reverse Yin and Yang. Cultivating the True through the false, one can be a Cultivator, and also a Spirit Master."
It very directly explained the origin of a Lianqishi (Qi Refiner).
He withdrew his gaze from the book, looked at the spot where Hu Bo had left, and bowed. This book was clearly more detailed than the "Record of Cultivation World Oddities" he had obtained before, and it would be of great help to him in understanding the Cultivation World and extraordinary powers.
He owed Hu Bo this favor.
He didn't say much at the moment. Zhuang Buzhou knew very well that he had just become a Cultivator and was not qualified to make any promises. He would keep it in mind and repay it later if the opportunity arose.
Silently, this book, "One Hundred Questions on Cultivation," had already been placed within the Other Shore Space.
Looking at the sky, it was probably around eight or nine in the evening. The streets in the city began to thin out.
"It's time to start preparing for my future."
Zhuang Buzhou took a deep breath, scanned his surroundings, and walked towards a large building that was still brightly lit.
"Come, come, come, place your bets, place your bets, everyone gets a share."
"Open, open quickly."
"Big, big, big."
"Small, small, small, not big, small."
As he approached, he heard a clamor of voices inside. The entire building was decorated very lavishly. This was a casino called Qingyun Casino. The fact that it was named Qingyun showed how strong its background was. It had been in existence for more than twenty years.
According to what Zhuang Buzhou understood, behind the casino, various Families in Qingyun City, and even officials, had a share. There were quite a few dividends every month. It was the money bag for many powerful figures. Even when he was a captain before, he never touched the huge chain of interests behind this casino.
If he were to touch it, whether he could survive would be an unknown.
Night was the busiest time for the casino.
Even standing outside the door, one could feel the heated atmosphere inside the casino, with large numbers of gamblers with red eyes flutter on the gambling tables.
The myriad aspects of life were displayed here vividly.
Some became rich overnight, some lost everything, their wives scattered and children separated. Some laughed, some cried.
"Gambling kills people. Once addicted, it will be extremely difficult to quit. Without strong willpower, it is almost impossible. Especially some deeply addicted gamblers, they are already beyond help. Such people are the best targets for harvesting time."
Zhuang Buzhou murmured to himself.
He had no good feelings for gamblers at all. In the past few years in Qingyun City, he had personally witnessed countless cases of families being broken and scattered due to gambling, almost to the point of utter detestation. Everyone has a gambling nature, but those who cannot control their gambling nature are just a bunch of scumbags. Gambling nature is also a reflection of character. Although one cannot condemn everyone, most gamblers are scumbags, and there is absolutely no doubt about that.
Even the best person, once tainted by the word 'gambling,' will change.
The word 'gambling' harms people deeply.
However, Zhuang Buzhou had no intention of forcibly rescuing these gamblers. He came here for a reason; gamblers possessed something he needed.
Standing in a shadowed spot outside the casino entrance, Zhuang Buzhou merely watched quietly, motionless, with no aura. Even if someone glanced over, they would unconsciously overlook his presence.
He hadn't stood there for long.
He saw a young man walk out of the casino entrance with a dejected expression, slapping himself on the face as he walked.
"It's over, Zhao Si, Zhao Si, why can't you control this hand of yours? Why did you go into the casino again? Why can't you control yourself? Xiao Cui is still waiting for me at home to buy rice. How can I go back now? Without rice, how will we live this month?"
Zhao Si slapped himself in despair and regret.
The sound of the slaps was quite loud.
"Still a gambler."
Zhuang Buzhou saw this and shook his head slightly, his eyes unperturbed. He had seen too many such things. Most gamblers walked into the casino excitedly, with the mentality of taking a gamble for wealth. Once they lost everything, regret would immediately appear, but this was definitely not repentance. Next time they had money, they would still walk in. Not a single word they said could be believed. If you listened, it was a lie.
Their words were not credible.
In the face of gambling, without enough willpower, it was truly terrifying.
Stay away from casinos, stay away from gambling.
Although he disliked such gamblers, they were currently one of his best clients.
With a thought, a card resembling a bank card appeared in his hand. This card was green, and it was precisely the one-time card he had refined in the Other Shore Space earlier. It could open a passage to enter the Other Shore Space, receive guidance, and contained a faint spatial-temporal power.
With this spatial-temporal power, in the next second, this Other Shore Flower invitation card disappeared from his hand and appeared on Zhao Si's body. Silently. Even Zhao Si himself didn't know. Of course, when he discovered it, it would be the moment of choice.
Zhao Si quickly left, and at the casino entrance, people continued to come and go.
Gamblers like Zhao Si kept appearing, some going in, some coming out.
Zhuang Buzhou placed invitation cards on the targets he had already selected. He placed over a hundred cards, then turned and left, disappearing into the shadows.
From beginning to end, he never revealed his face in front of people.
The most important thing about doing this kind of thing was secrecy, before he became strong enough. This matter was destined to be done in secret, out of sight. Even after becoming stronger, he still had to maintain secrecy.
Hiding oneself was the capital for survival.
Zhuang Buzhou left the South District and walked towards the East District.
As soon as he stepped into the East District, he could immediately feel a different kind of distinction.
For example, the various buildings were all grand mansions and villas, with the smallest courtyards being three-entry and three-exit. Some large mansions were even more magnificent, and that aura of wealth could be clearly felt. People without status and position simply could not live here.
Of course, Zhuang Buzhou was used to it. Class always existed, and a utopian world was just an impossible ideal.
Unconsciously, he had arrived in front of a huge mansion.
The mansion covered a vast area, and even artificial mountains and lakes could be seen inside. There were layers of overlapping buildings. In the entire Qingyun City, it was among the top-tier mansions and residences. A plaque hung in front of the gate.
On the plaque were several large, gilded characters—Liu family!!
The owner of this mansion was the Liu family.
The Liu family was a prominent and influential Family in Qingyun City, one of the four great Families. They were powerful and highly respected, involved in many various industries. Most importantly, they operated casinos. The casino he had just visited, the Liu family held the largest share of it.
