Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1197 588: Above the Clouds – The Summit (Part 3)

"When will you be able to reach Above the Clouds?"

Boss Lu shook his head, "I will never reach Above the Clouds."

"Is it because you lack talent?"

Boss Lu frowned, "Do people from other provinces not speak politely? Can you speak like that? I don't want to go to Above the Clouds because I took a different path. Even if someone from Above the Clouds comes, they may not be my match."

As he put away the scroll, Boss Lu was about to lead Yu Yaoming downstairs when they suddenly heard the bell on the front door ring; a customer had entered the bookstore.

Yu Yaoming turned around, wanting to run upstairs, but Boss Lu gestured for him to stay put and just stand there by the second bookshelf.

Boss Lu went around the third bookshelf and came to the entrance of the bookstore, where he saw He Jiaqing walk in.

"Young Master He, haven't seen you around lately." Boss Lu greeted him and promptly instructed the clerk to make tea.

He Jiaqing waved his hand, "No need to bother; I just came back from the tea house with a stomach full of tea. I'm here to see if you have any new books."

Boss Lu chuckled, "There are new books on all the shelves. Take your time browsing."

He Jiaqing walked alongside each row of bookshelves, pausing slightly longer at the second shelf.

He felt the person he was looking for was nearby, yet despite using several methods, he couldn't catch a glimpse of their figure.

After making a round, He Jiaqing purchased a set of "Xiu Shuang Collection."

The "Xiu Shuang Collection" is an anthology of stories comprising twenty-seven volumes, gathering over six hundred folk tales of worldly allure. It's often said that you can carry through three volumes of "Fragrant Words," but not even one volume of "Xiu Shuang," demonstrating the power of this book.

Boss Lu teased from the side, "Young Master He, you have no shortage of girls around you, yet you still like this set of books?"

He Jiaqing shook his head, "Boss Lu, you're an insider. The charm in this book cannot be found on any girl."

The two exchanged smiles.

The twenty-seven volumes were really too heavy, and He Jiaqing didn't want to carry them on him, so he left an address for Boss Lu to deliver them.

Boss Lu agreed, and after seeing off He Jiaqing, he waited for roughly ten minutes before coming back around the third shelf to find Yu Yaoming by the second shelf.

Yu Yaoming was also reading the "Xiu Shuang Collection," his hands trembling incessantly.

Boss Lu said, "It's time we left."

Yu Yaoming shook his head slightly, "Why don't we go another day? Today, I want to do some studies in the bookstore."

"Finish what we need to do first, then come back and study. There's plenty to learn in my bookstore, and you don't know how many years it'll take."

The two of them took the "Fragrant Words Tales" and left the bookstore, heading onto the street.

Yu Yaoming lowered his voice, "Can you at least disguise me a bit? Coming out like this is too conspicuous."

After coming to Puluo State from another province, Yu Yaoming changed into a Zhongshan suit and black leather shoes, tidied his hairstyle, but did not make any other facial disguises.

Boss Lu shook his head, "I've thought this through; those looking for you aren't ordinary folk. Even if I disguise you, they'll instantly see through it. We'd rather not hide anything; it won't draw attention."

Boss Lu's idea was correct, but today's situation was special; they were being watched by an ordinary person.

Qin Tianjiu was handling matters at the jewelry store across the street.

This jewelry store was run by Shen Jinzhong of the Three Heroes Gang's Great Gold Seal. The business used to do well, but it had recently been frequently targeted by thieves.

Previously, a female Food Cultivator openly robbed the place. Although they burned her clothes and pockets, she still managed to steal some jewelry. The items weren't recovered, and the person wasn't caught, which made Shen Jinzhong furious.

A few days later, a group of Thief Cultivators came and looted the store again. Initially, no one noticed until they received a thank-you letter from the Thief Cultivators, and upon inventory, realized they had lost items.

This group of Thief Cultivators was too arrogant, and Shen Jinzhong not only lost money but also reputation, almost closing the jewelry store in anger.

If the store had indeed closed, it would have been simpler, but after much consideration, Shen Jinzhong couldn't bring himself to give up this business and turned the pressure onto Qin Xiaopang.

For the sake of Li Qi, Shen Jinzhong didn't want to trouble Little Fatty too much, but Little Fatty couldn't swallow his pride and could only stay near the jewelry store to monitor.

Today, he just happened to see Boss Lu taking a man out of the bookstore. Initially, Little Fatty didn't pay much attention and only assumed the man was Boss Lu's clerk.

But after a couple more glances, Qin Xiaopang felt something was off; he seemed to have seen this man somewhere before.

Where was it...

Qin Xiaopang remembered that Li Qi had shown him a photo, and this man was called Yu Yaoming, a person from outside provinces. Li Qi suspected he had come to Puluo State and asked him to keep an eye out, and if there was news, not to tell anyone but to immediately contact Luo Zhengnan and relay it to Li Qi.

He had searched Greenwater City many times without finding a trace of him, never expecting he was right across the bookstore!

Qin Xiaopang pulled out a simple telephone, about to dial a number, when he saw Boss Lu taking Yu Yaoming into an alley.

Where are they headed?

With Boss Lu taking this person away, it's uncertain if they'll return, and by the time Brother Seven gets the news and arrives here, the two might have gone somewhere else.

Boss Lu is just a bookstore owner, and Yu Yaoming doesn't have much combat strength. Qin Tianjiu is already a Fourth Layer Food Cultivator; following them shouldn't be too difficult.

Let's follow them for a bit, at least figure out what they're up to, and then send word to Brother Seven.

Qin Tianjiu instructed his men to keep watch over the jewelry store while he followed Boss Lu toward Yangjiao Garden.

Recently, a lot of incidents have occurred in Yangjiao Garden, prompting Liao Zihui to activate the surrounding Boundary, sealing off more than half the garden.