"A method to earn big bucks from nothing, from scratch?" Ijohen scoffs. "What kind of stupid idea is that?" he laughs.

"I'm not interested in your schemes." he shakes his head.

"If you want big money then come to my house, I've got plenty." he scoffs. "I'll even lend you some of it if you need it."

"It'll take too long. Anyway, there are too many restrictions in your house. It's easier to make money using my way, you know?" Rihan shakes his head.

After listening to Rihan’s words, Ijohen and Sung Li staggered for a moment. They’re unable to imagine where Rihan got his confidence from.

"That's impossible," Ijohen scoffs, "I've heard of people making a living from gambling, but they're all scumbags. I'm sure you're one of them."

"Brother! If you're in need of money, you can just ask me. I may just be a commoner but," Sung Li begins to speak, his hands gesturing widely as he talks, "I'll help you out. I don't care if you're a low-rank noble or not! Don't go gambling, you'll lose your life with your rotten luck!"

Ijohen scoffs, turning his head away from Sung Li. He then glances at Rihan, seeing that his friend was watching Sung Li carefully.

"Don't give me that look," Rihan scolds, "And I'm not from a low-rank noble. I'm from a mediocre-rank noble family." he sighs.

Ijohen sighs as well, rolling his eyes, "You know, you're not fooling anyone."

Rihan chuckles, shaking his head, "Don't underestimate me." he laughs quietly, "I know you don't believe me, but it doesn't matter if you don't trust me; just watch."

Ijohen sighs, crossing his arms. "Fine," he grumbles.

"That's the spirit!" Sung Li cheers.

Being punished and standing together for years has caused them to produce a strong brotherly relationship regardless of their status.

They have a lot in common, which makes them easy to understand each other.

Even in his past life, Rihan recalled as they had fought and saved his life many times and now that he’s back, he’ll naturally help them fulfill their dreams too.

But he will also need to keep them safe, especially Sung Li, who's still young and naive.

Rihan takes the lead, walking through the streets, the sound of the rain had just started pattering on the pavement.

The air is crisp, and the scent of flowers in bloom fills the area. The Winter Lily Festival is near, and the scent of the winter lilies permeates the street.

Rihan leads the others into the market, passing by the flower street, weapon stalls, and a bookstore as he walks. The store's owner is standing behind a counter, reading a book as he sells books to customers.

His muscular body is covered by the leather armour he wears everywhere, his muscles bulging underneath it as he stands on the wooden floor.

As soon as the bell rings, the store's owner looks up from the book, glancing at the four people approaching the shop.

His sharp gaze falls onto Sung Li, making him stop dead in his tracks. He doesn't look like a bookstore owner, instead, he looks more like a seasoned warrior.

He has short, black hair, his bangs covering half of his face, and a scar running from his left eye to his chin.

The shop's name, "The Page Age Bookstore", is stitched on the side of his jacket.

A few students can also be seen browsing through the shelves. Rihan approaches him, placing a single coin on the desk and asking for a few specific books.

The young man takes a glance at the piece of paper and grins before taking it. He opens his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth, "You'll be wanting the 'Diary of a Noble's Daughter' series, yes?"

Rihan nods his head, smiling, "Yes."

"And the others including A Beggar F* the Kingdom, The Bitter Truth of the Giant Dick, The Dark Side of the Moon, The Taste of the King, The Scent of the Queen, The Wrath of the Giant T*t and…" the shopkeeper repeated the list, his smile growing wider the more titles that came up.

Ijohen and Sung Li's faces dropped in horror. The titles of these books are vulgar, obscene, erotic, and disgusting! They don't have a chance of getting a hold of them. They'd rather die than read such trash.

The longer the shopkeeper lists the titles, the worse it gets, until he finally stops, "Oh, I almost forgot. I have a new novel, which is just released today. Would you like to check it out?"

Rihan's eyes widen, "Really? Sure, why not." he says.

"Are these all for you?" he asks looking at the small piece of paper.

Rihan's smile widens, nodding his head, "Yes!"

Now Ijohen and Sung Li stared at the little piece of paper like it was cursed. Their hearts are racing as the shopkeeper hands the note to his assistant, "Take this to the back."

The two boys exchange glances, their eyes widening.

The shopkeeper's assistant says, "I'll go get it." before disappearing towards the back of the shop.

"Alright, let's go to the back." the shopkeeper says, leading them to the storage room. Inside were rows upon rows of bookshelves. "This is the place where I sell my rare and valuable items."

He took a key from his pocket and opened a door, revealing a hidden passageway.

"Please follow me," he says, entering the dark tunnel.

"Where is this going to?" Sung Li whispers, glancing around.

"To the underground library!" the shopkeeper answers cheerfully, "We have over 100,000 books in here." he continues, lighting a candle with his flint.

Ijohen's eyes widened, "You have a secret library?"

The shopkeeper nods, "Yes. My family has a history of keeping secrets tomes, and 'special' books." he replies, opening another door, "Come in. Be careful of the rats, they're everywhere," he says, waving his hand.

***

The Secret Library of The Page Age Bookstore.

They enter, finding themselves in an expansive and spacious chamber, with walls covered in books.

There are no windows, only candles that provide light, and shadows of rats exploring the underground chambers.

Mr. Hemmogo's voice echoes in the dimly lit space, "Please, feel free to browse."

Mr. Hemmogo goes to the shelf on the side, opens a hidden door, and pulls out a giant box.

"This contains the rarest, most expensive, and best-selling books. Maybe even rat's cultivation books," he says, placing the box beside the entrance, "Could explain how the rat is so rampant down here. Hehe, anyway, feel free to pick one if you wish, or you may leave it untouched."

Sung Li picks up a book and reads its title aloud, "'The Secret of the Dragon's P-" but he stopped himself mid-sentence when he realized what the word meant.

His face turned red immediately and threw the book deeper into the abyss.