Why do I have so many masters?

Time leisurely stepped into August.

In Jianghu, every day brought extremely fresh and interesting events. These intriguing pieces of news, after being filtered and emphasized by the Great Qin and various sects, circulated through various channels among the seventy-two counties.

In recent days in the counties of the Northern Lands, two Middle Third Rank expert swordsmen dueled to death, accidentally injuring many onlookers who had gathered for amusement. In the southern islands, a martial arts duel held once every three years took place. An elder was defeated, and a young martial artist, stepping on the shoulders and backbones of his predecessors, raised his head and proudly stepped onto the stage of Jianghu.

The young man was full of youthful vigor, unaware of those he had stepped on who had once been as spirited in their youth. Nor could he imagine that, if he was lucky enough to survive several decades, he too might face the same fate; but that had little to do with him at the moment.

Right then, he only needed to fully enjoy everyone's admiration and experience what it meant to live freely in Jianghu.

Such news came almost every few days—there had been such occurrences in past years, but this year seemed particularly abundant. Some marveled that it was an unprecedented golden age of martial arts, while some elders stroked their beards and sighed softly, murmuring that a year of great prosperity is often followed by a disastrous one.

Under the barrage of dazzling news, the bookkeeper who used an umbrella as a sword under the Wind Character Tower inevitably faded from people's sight, especially as he intentionally kept a low profile.

Even in Fufeng County City, only a few who had witnessed that sword strike firsthand could not forget the sharp sword light in their minds. A martial artist had lost his position, and the young master of the Murong Family had completely lost the ability to swear, while the rest had completely lost their initial enthusiasm.

For some, a 'god' had been created in those days, and failing to pull this 'god' down was an unspeakably satisfying experience; somewhat uncomfortable, they hid in the shadows, watching the young man in blue, magnifying and distorting his actions.

Waiting for the day when some baseless incident came to light, eager to vent the sullen feelings in their hearts.

Until then, they always remained quite honest.

Except for one person.

Wang Anfeng flipped through the book in his hands, and unable to pretend he didn't notice those two gazes, he sighed inwardly and looked up at the young girl sitting a few steps away from him.

That day, she hadn't worn the vigorous attire from the night they met but was dressed in the deep clothes of the Confucian Sect. The outfit was entirely black, the cuffs embroidered with dark gold dragon sparrows, giving her a dignified and imposing appearance. Her long hair was fixed with a jade hairpin. She wasn't reading but just staring fixedly at Wang Anfeng. Seeing him looking back, she remained dazed for a moment before returning to her senses and responding with a friendly smile.

The young man raised his hand to his forehead and sighed internally, feeling utterly helpless.

How many days had it been?

Since that rainy day, she had appeared here.

Because of the memory of that previous 'attack', Wang Anfeng had always been on guard against this young girl named Yu Wen. However, seeing her coming every day, never initiating conversation, nor trying to provoke him by making a move, just sitting there, staring blankly at him, left him with no reaction.

Wang Anfeng could confirm she was daydreaming.

But in the eyes of others, that blank mechanical stare was called 'meaningful and affectionate'; their lack of communication was seen as her patiently waiting, just a residual glimpse of an eye contact could inspire over ten thousand words in one's mind, writing tales of love like 'flowers wither knowingly, and water flows heartlessly.'

What people loved most was finding thousands of reasons for what they believed in.

Among them, stories of talented young men and beautiful women were most loved in the vast realm of Great Qin, appealing to the young and old alike.

In an environment such as the Academy, rumors were especially prone to arise. These past few days, rumors had been rampant, and the way people looked at him had made it hard for him to find peace. Wang Anfeng himself did not care about the rumors, but with a girl named Xue Qinshuang in the Academy, he could not sit still any longer.

He noted the page number of the book he was holding, then closed it and returned it to its original place. Wang Anfeng walked up to Yu Wen and said,

"...You win, Miss Yu."

"What exactly did you come to find me for?"

Yu Wen woke from a dream surrounded by fine wines, raised her hand to wipe away the non-existent drool, stiffened slightly, and then realized where she was and noticed the strange glances around her. Continuing to raise her right hand, she smoothed over her cheek and lightly arranged her jet-black hair at her temples. Her demeanor remained as graceful as that of a well-bred lady, and she asked,

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing at all, I just wish to become good friends with the keeper of the books..."

Wang Anfeng nodded slightly, raised her hand in a beckoning motion toward the door, signaling to speak outside.

Yu Wen pursed her lips in a light smile, dignified and poised. As she stood up, her body was slightly stiff from kneeling all the while to maintain her image, making her legs and feet numb.

Wang Anfeng stood by the door, turned back to look at her curiously. The girl returned a generous smile, unwilling to show weakness. Her right hand hung down, and she fiercely tore at the inside of her thigh. The sharp pain made the corners of her mouth twitch slightly, but it helped her shake off the numb sensation, allowing her to walk out with some effort.

The two of them walked to the edge of the Wind Character Tower, stopping amidst the green bamboos. Wang Anfeng turned back and said,

"Miss Yu, tell me… the reason you came looking for me, what exactly is it for?"

"If it's just about speaking as friends, you needn't say anything."

Yu Wen smiled, hands clasped in front of her, utterly composed, and unlike her previous military demeanor, she said, Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire

"So, in the eyes of the keeper of the books, aren't you and I already friends?"

Wang Anfeng, with a sword carried on her back and not in the least afraid, was curious to see what she intended and nodded, saying,

"... Yes, of course."

Yu Wen's smile widened slightly, and she suddenly felt more relaxed, even the self-inflicted pain seemed less severe.

She was not good at dealing with people, but bizarrely, after she mentioned this matter to her aunt, that typically reclusive elder proposed to meet this 'good friend.'

She finally understood the principle of 'reaping what one sows.'

After much thought, not wanting to coerce, she resorted to the naive method of begging for candies from her elders during her childhood. She had already given up today and was planning a way to shirk responsibility with her aunt when, unexpectedly, this method proved effective. Delighted, she recalled what she had observed of Wang Anfeng's daily words and actions. Her thoughts in turmoil, she suddenly wondered.

Could this keeper of the books, appearing even younger than herself, contain an old soul within?

Otherwise, why would the approach work on her as it did on the elders?

Suppressing this fleeting thought, Yu Wen looked at Wang Anfeng and said,

"Since we are now friends, inviting a friend to a banquet shouldn't be considered impolite, should it?"

Wang Anfeng was slightly startled, not yet able to respond when she saw the girl in front of her, dressed in deep Confucian robes with a jade hairpin, with a majestic air typical of a military general and speaking in a loud voice,

"Ten days from now, on the mid-autumn of August, my aunt will hold a banquet at her house, and I hope Brother Wang can come for a visit."

PS: Today's first update.

There was a mistake in the earlier chapters; Gongsun Jing's gang should be the Giant Peng Gang, mistakenly written as the Giant Whale Gang; it has been corrected. Please be forgiving (bowing).