Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1390 634: Guardianship

Boss Lu returned to the bookstore to have a duel with Xiao Qianshou.

Determining victory and defeat, even life and death, Boss Lu made up his mind, but Xiao Qianshou didn't want to fight.

He knew the quality of the Drachma Calligrapher, and given his current strength, he stood no chance in a direct confrontation with Boss Lu.

His task was to lure Boss Lu back to the bookstore, and now the task was completed. Xiao Qianshou quickly moved towards the door.

Boss Lu waved his hand, and the bookstore door closed, adorned with over a hundred "lock" inscriptions which transformed into real locks, sealing the door and windows tightly.

Books on the shelves floated into the air, thousands of characters rushed like waves, swiftly surrounding Xiao Qianshou.

This was a strategy Boss Lu specially prepared for Xiao Qianshou; the best way to handle Xiao Qianshou was not to give him any room to maneuver.

Xiao Qianshou was in a disadvantageous situation, yet he remained composed. He dared to storm the Lu Family Bookstore because he was prepared; he flicked his right hand, widening his sleeve diameter over two feet, sweeping up numerous characters into his sleeve with a whirlwind.

This was the Thief Cultivation Technique, Sleeve River and Mountain, originally a technique for hiding stolen goods, but now it played a significant role in battle.

The challenge with figures like the First Layer Grandmaster and Grandmaster is how they delve deeply into the Taoist Sect techniques, often creating unexpected countermeasures.

Just by relying on words, he couldn't capture Xiao Qianshou, so Boss Lu changed his approach.

From his sleeve, he fished out a short sword, wielding it in his right hand, thrusting straight at Xiao Qianshou's face.

Xiao Qianshou was startled: "Zhou Badou, you're coming at me with martial arts?"

Boss Lu had decent skills, and this thrust was quick and precise; not even a Cloudtop Martial Cultivator might withstand it.

As for the sword, its chilling edge was intimidating, cutting through the air with a piercing sound akin to ghost cries and wolf howls, lingering inescapably. Even the well-traveled Xiao Qianshou couldn't help but shiver.

Yet, such straightforward attack techniques seemed somewhat frivolous against a Stealing Master.

Xiao Qianshou's fingers trembled, executing a clamping motion, and in a moment, the long sword in Boss Lu's hand ended up in Xiao Qianshou's possession.

"Zhou Badou, you, a scholar, come playing with swords against me? This weapon looks good, but it's wasted in your hands. I'll take it off your hands..."

Before the words finished, the short sword turned into ink, first blackening Xiao Qianshou's palm, then climbing up the wrist, swiftly spreading toward the elbow.

Xiao Qianshou was shocked: "Lao Zhou, this is where you're wrong; I sincerely intended to steal your stuff, and you fool me with a fake!"

This sword was fake, seemingly taken out from the sleeve, but actually, Boss Lu had written the word "sword" with his thumb in his palm, transforming it into a long sword.

The sword's chilling aura was due to Boss Lu carrying the "Xiu Shuang Collection," the three characters on its cover constantly spewing frost and snow toward Xiao Qianshou.

The piercing sound was due to two volumes of Boss Lu's works, "Shouting," on the shelf, continuously shouting at Xiao Qianshou, making him mistake the sound for breaking through the air.

The ghost cries and wolf howls were because of the Hundred Ghosts Map on the adjacent shelf, with over a hundred ghostly creatures and a few wolf demons crying and wailing, setting the atmospheric sound for Boss Lu.

All of this maneuver led Xiao Qianshou to be fooled by the Ink Sword, mistaking it for a real sword and stealing it.

Xiao Qianshou's wrist and palm turned black with ink, but encountering such a situation wasn't worrisome—simply cut off the hand to solve the problem.

However, Xiao Qianshou was no longer as he was back in the day. Though he'd acquired a few hands lately, the quantity was very limited—is he willing to part with them?

Not wanting to cut off his hand means awaiting certain death, so without hesitation, Xiao Qianshou swung his blade to sever his right hand. Without the Sleeve River and Mountain technique, he was again enveloped by characters, facing imminent doom—then suddenly, the door behind him opened.

Boss Lu was stunned; the duel was so intense, yet Xiao Qianshou hadn't forgotten to unlock the door.

The bookstore door with hundreds of locks was effortlessly opened by Xiao Qianshou.

"Lao Zhou, till next time, see you again!" Xiao Qianshou instantly pulled himself from the text trap and left the bookstore.

Boss Lu didn't pursue; he wasn't too familiar with the Outside Provinces. There were some matters that required careful consideration.

Apart from the Magic Box, he had also acquired many items from the Hundred Demons Workshop, which also needed to be organized.

Police sirens were continuous; Boss Lu returned to the bookstore to slightly tidy up the messy books.

Officers came to inquire about the situation; Boss Lu said a few words in response, and meanwhile, he picked up Xiao Qianshou's severed hand.

"Some incidents occurred tonight, please try to stay home and avoid going out."

The police advised a few more words before leaving the bookstore. Boss Lu opened a city map, seeing several places on the map flickering with fire.

There were indeed quite a few incidents tonight.

Boss Lu closed the bookstore door, deciding not to wade into the muddy waters for the time being.

Various shops closed one after another, pedestrians on the streets became fewer, even the barbecue shop run by the couple across the street lost its business.

The store owner stood at the street's edge looking around, then turned to his wife and said: "Let's pack up!"

The shop owner's wife was a bit reluctant: "Let's wait a little longer, today we haven't even made enough for rent."

"What are we waiting for—didn't you hear them say there's something happening tonight, no one's out on the street!"

"What's happening then!"

"How would I know, hurry and pack up, open early tomorrow and it'll be fine!"

The store owner extinguished the fire, and his wife reluctantly tidied up, pulled down the roller shutter, did a bit of organizing, and the couple was about to sleep when suddenly there was someone banging on the door outside.