His character and appearance were impeccable, and many young ladies from prominent families often paid attention to Zhuang Buzhou. This was not self-praise; Zhuang Buzhou, having undergone Transmigration, possessed a unique aura, a quality that set him apart from the masses.
Whether dealing with commoners or the powerful, he treated them all with almost no distinction. He could interact with the powerful without being servile or arrogant, just like any ordinary person, and with common folk, he could converse and laugh with ease and mastery.
While this was a normal demeanor in his previous life, in the eyes of others, it was a special kind of charisma.
Although it had only been a short time, Li Yueru still retained a deep impression of him in her heart.
"Brother Zhuang is a very good person, but, Xiao Cui, you also know that my fate is not good. If I were truly with Brother Zhuang, wouldn't I be harming him?" Li Yueru said with a complicated expression.
Nothing bad happened yesterday because the two of them had not yet formalized their relationship; they had only just met, so the power of her fate had not manifested. If they were to get engaged or marry, she feared that Zhuang Buzhou would immediately encounter misfortunes and difficulties in everything he did.
She wanted to be with him, yet she didn't want to see him get hurt.
This contradictory feeling tormented her heart.
"Master had someone calculate it. Captain Zhuang's fate is extremely strong; he is the most suitable husband for Young Miss and should not be affected by Young Miss. As long as they can successfully complete the wedding ceremony, everything will be fine. Captain Zhuang agreeing to meet Young Miss certainly means he has already given his approval."
Xiao Cui said with concern.
This was a matter of utmost importance. How could they not seize such a rare Opportunity to find someone who wasn't afraid of her husband-killing fate?
Young Miss was not young anymore.
If she didn't marry soon, she might truly end up alone for the rest of her life.
"I heard that Captain Zhuang has already resigned from his public office as a captain. He must have time now. Why don't we take advantage of these good weather days to go out and explore? We could see the scenery outside the city. It could also help us get to know each other better and deepen our feelings. What do you think, Young Miss?"
Xiao Cui's eyes darted around, and she suddenly suggested.
"This..."
Li Yueru heard her and was somewhat moved, but also hesitant. Would doing so be a bit too unreserved?
"Don't hesitate, Young Miss. A good person like Young Master Zhuang is hard to find. If you miss him, he'll be gone."
Xiao Cui said anxiously.
"Alright then."
Li Yueru listened, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement.
"Come and see, freshly made pancakes, big and delicious pancakes!"
"Tanghulu, delicious and sweet tanghulu!"
"Fish for sale, fresh fish just caught from the lake! Buy early to get some, buy late and they'll be gone!"
Zhuang Buzhou pushed open the door and walked onto the street, listening to the familiar cries of vendors. A slight smile played on his lips, and his mind and body relaxed. This was the aura of the Mortal World, and the aura of life.
"Captain Zhuang, Brother Zhuang."
As he walked below the Qingyun Restaurant, a sudden shout came from upstairs.
Looking up, he clearly saw a portly man calling out to him from a window seat.
"Brother Zhuang, come up and eat something with us. We have excellent Daughter's Red, specially obtained from the shopkeeper, a ten-year aged wine," the Fat Man chuckled, inviting him.
"Gulp!!"
Zhuang Buzhou heard him, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and then smiled, saying, "Alright then, Zhuang will respectfully accept your invitation."
He knew this Fat Man. He was Zhang Jinbao, the fourth Young Master of the Zhang Family, one of the four prominent families in the city. His character was neither particularly good nor bad. The Zhang Family dealt in grain, so they naturally ate delicacies, which was evident from his plump figure. This Fat Man loved food and women. He was a regular at various brothels and pleasure boats. He had a wife at home, but his interest in outside pleasures remained undiminished.
However, he had one redeeming quality: he only frequented brothels and pleasure boats and never forced respectable women into prostitution. He had never done anything to compel good women into becoming prostitutes, so he still had some moral bottom line. His visits to brothels were purely transactional, not involving emotions.
The Family flower was the Family flower, and the wild flower was the wild flower. He had no intention of bringing wild flowers home.
Therefore, Zhuang Buzhou's impression of him was not bad.
Everyone is willing to befriend someone with a bottom line.
"Many strangers have arrived in the city today."
Upon entering the restaurant, Zhuang Buzhou immediately noticed many unfamiliar faces he had never seen before. Qingyun City was not that large; having been a constable for several years, he might not know everyone, but most people had left an impression in his mind. Even if he didn't remember names, he would remember their figures. Yet, many of those he saw now were definitely people he had never encountered before.
Immediately, light flowed in his eyes.
Numbers appeared on the strangers, representing their remaining lifespan. Upon seeing this, he realized, as expected, that most of the strangers were not ordinary people.
Spirit Masters!!
These were Spirit Masters who had come from other places.
"Is the Red Building's appeal really that great?"
Zhuang Buzhou pondered to himself, a thought flashing through his mind.
Normally, there weren't so many Spirit Masters in Qingyun City. Their sudden appearance here clearly indicated they were pursuing the Red Building. But the question was, whether they could gain benefits from the Red Building remained unknown. The inherent dangers were even harder to fathom. Yet, they still came.
Upon entering the Red Building, and within its various distinct sub-buildings, one could obtain an Opportunity by passing the trials. Passing all of them would grant the hongchen immortal wine. Many people didn't intend to pass all of them, but many felt they had a certain grasp of passing one or two.
"My fear is that the Red Building might not be as harmless as imagined, and could lead to other terrifying unforeseen developments, which would truly be difficult to control," Zhuang Buzhou secretly sighed.
He shook his head slightly and then walked towards the second floor.
Upstairs, he could see an even greater number of strangers, including men, women, old, and young.
"Brother Zhuang, come, come, come, sit here."
As soon as he went upstairs, Zhang Jinbao was already smiling and waving, calling out to him.
Without formality, he walked over generously and sat down in front of Zhang Jinbao, asking with a smile, "Young Master Zhang, why do you have the leisure to dine here? The chefs hired by your Family's Drunken Moon Tower prepare dishes that are absolutely superb, much better than here."
His gaze, however, turned to a young man in green robes sitting beside him.
"Haha, while Drunken Moon Tower is good, one can get tired of eating there too often. It's nice to come out and try something different, change the flavor. Besides, meeting Brother Zhuang makes it all worthwhile. Come, come, come, drink! This is good wine."
Zhang Jinbao said with a slight smile, "Brother Zhuang, this is a distant cousin of my Family, my younger cousin, Zhang Yinlong. He used to be in the distant Sanjiang City. He's here this time, first to visit relatives, and second, he has something to attend to."
"Captain Zhuang's great name is well-known. Zhang Yinlong greets Brother Zhuang."
Zhang Yinlong also showed good manners, saying, "I've long heard my cousin speak of how Brother Zhuang is a household name in the city. As a constable, he ensures peace for the region, and the city's common folk all praise him. Yinlong has long wanted to befriend someone like Brother Zhuang."
His words carried a hint of familiarity.
In this world, when making friends, people naturally prefer to befriend those with good reputations and good character.
This is true even for villains.
Everyone hopes that the friends they make are good people, people of high moral standing, and trustworthy.
And Zhuang Buzhou's actions over the years have naturally led people to believe that he is a person of noble character with a strong moral compass. As a friend, he is naturally the best choice. No one would refuse to be friends with such a person, and Zhang Yinlong was no exception.
The sincerity in his eyes also revealed his true feelings.
"It's nothing, Zhuang is no longer a constable. From now on, Zhuang is just an ordinary commoner here."
Zhuang Buzhou said with a calm smile.
"Even though you're not a constable and don't hold an official position, with your ability, whatever you do will surely flourish. You are bound to achieve great things," Zhang Jinbao said with a smile, clearly thinking highly of Zhuang Buzhou.
"Tell me, you called me up here, surely not just for idle chatter."
Zhuang Buzhou said calmly.
"Brother Zhuang is indeed straightforward, so I won't beat around the bush. Actually, my cousin has something he wants to ask Brother Zhuang. It's about the Red Building," Zhang Jinbao's expression suddenly turned serious, and he said slowly.
"That's right. I came here this time because I heard that traces of the Red Building have appeared in Qingyun City. According to my understanding, whenever the Red Building appears, there will inevitably be great disasters, and various bizarre phenomena will continuously gather, causing great harm to the city."
Zhang Yinlong took a deep breath and said decisively.
"You are a Spirit Master."
Zhuang Buzhou looked at Zhang Yinlong and spoke, his tone both questioning and certain. If he wasn't a Spirit Master, why would he inquire about this, as if he thought he had lived too long?
"That's right, I am indeed a Spirit Master, an Innate Realm Spirit Master. This time, I am precisely following the Red Building," Zhang Yinlong pondered for a moment, then finally nodded, revealing his identity.
"Do you want to obtain the hongchen immortal wine?"
Zhuang Buzhou looked calmly at Zhang Yinlong and suddenly asked.
Zhang Yinlong's body trembled, and his gaze towards Zhuang Buzhou immediately changed drastically. He said, "Indeed, Brother Zhuang is not an ordinary person either. You must also be a Spirit Master. Did you Awaken a Spiritual Root, or did you contract a cursed relic?"
There is a fundamental difference between these two; from the outside, it is impossible to distinguish them, and referring to them collectively as Spirit Masters is not wrong.
However, he clearly didn't expect Zhuang Buzhou to reveal it himself. Whether one can Awaken a Spiritual Root has always been the deepest secret of every Spirit Master and is not easily disclosed. It concerns one's own foundation, and no one foolish would easily expose it.
Zhuang Buzhou just smiled when he heard this, noncommittal, and said nothing more.
"How can a treasure like the hongchen immortal wine be something we can covet? My purpose in seeking the Red Building is merely to obtain a professional Legacy from within the Red Building."
Zhang Yinlong shook his head and continued.
"Professional Legacy? Hundred Arts of Cultivation, Exquisite Skill Tower."
A flash of inspiration crossed Zhuang Buzhou's mind.