Ren Jie contemplated for quite a while before he was finally able to endure the urge to cultivate. There were some things that just could not be rushed. He should first understand the things which he needed to learn about before finding a chance to explore that cultivation technique. Furthermore, his current location was unsuitable for cultivation.
After deliberating about that, Ren Jie stored that jade memory tablet carefully and tidied the shattered jade case and the broken fragments of the ten middle-grade spiritual jades. Afterward, he continued what he was doing before—reading and reading even more.
Ren Jie's reading speed accelerated. He could finish books in a sweeping glance if they had some similarities with the books that he had read before.
In the Ren family abode situated at the most prosperous region of the Jade Capital, there was a wooden lodge located in the middle of a unique natural forest.
"Library pavilion? You're saying that he is still in the library pavilion after twenty-two hours?" The sixth master Ren Tianzong was weaving some adorable little animals using grass with his own hands. Upon hearing the news, he paused once again and looked at Wan Hong in surprise.
Wan Hong nodded in confirmation. "I was astounded too when I first heard the news. I even went to check it out secretly. I observed him for two full hours. He was indeed reading in the library pavilion," he replied.
"What books were he reading? Bring them over for me to have a look." The sixth master Ren Tianzong could not convince himself to believe what he heard. He could relate if that rascal learned to behave perversely. Ren Jie might have been suppressed for too long such that he ended up having an outburst after not being able to tolerate the old guys anymore. However, how could he be reading? Since he was young, that rascal would turn sleepy every time he read.
He had been punished many times when he was younger because of that. Despite how they punished him, Ren Jie would still turn sleepy whenever he read. Even if there was someone monitoring him while holding a wooden rod, he was still unable to continue reading.
"This… Sixth Master, this might not be very convenient," Wan Hong said in a troubled tone.
"Is it because he is still reading those books? If that's the case, bring them over once he has finished reading them." The sixth master Ren Tianzong thought Wan Hong was concerned that those books that Ren Jie read were still left in the room, making it inconvenient to bring them over immediately.
"That is not the issue," Wan Hong said with a bitter smile. "The family master read too many books to be carried over. The total number is now approaching two hundred, and the figure is continuously rising at the moment."
"Two hundred books?" The sixth master Ren Tianzong thought he had heard it wrongly, or it could be that Wan Hong had reported the wrong number.
"There are indeed two hundred books, and that figure is still rising currently." Wan Hong asserted before continuing with his report, "The family head was reading at a very fast speed. It seemed as though he only spent a short while on each book. If it was not for the fact that such a long time has passed, I would not have dared to believe that he was really reading."
What use was there to finish hundreds of books in a short span of time? When one reached a certain cultivation stage, he could record some information swiftly using his divine sense. Once his divine sense reached an even higher threshold, everything he read would leap to the eye. However, Ren Jie was only at the Body Refinement Realm. How was it possible that he possessed that skill?
Could it be that he was searching for something?
"I'll tell you what—bring me a catalog of all the books that he read. Bring the first dozen or so books he read too." The sixth master Ren Tianzong contemplated for a while before immediately giving Wan Hong his orders.
Soon after, the sixth master Ren Tianzong looked at a list filled with book names. Afterward, he casually picked up some of the books on the table.
History of the Clear Jade Dynasty, Travels to a Hundred Countries, Introduction to Cultivation Basics, Ren Family Clan Records…
The sixth master Ren Tianzong looked at the books and discovered that the initial books that Ren Jie read were all the most basic things. However, he could somewhat discover a hidden pattern behind the books Ren Jie chose. Could it be that after Ren Jie was beaten badly, he could not stand the suppression by the family clan elders and finally decided to be ambitious? If that was the case, Big Brother could truly… be assured.
"OK, put these back. It is time to change the people in the library pavilion. Go and choose a new batch of people to manage the library pavilion and send those original people to secluded cultivation. Without my orders, no one is to meet them. Additionally, the whereabouts and information about the family head should not be available to the family clan in the future. Send all the news to me directly. If anyone else were to be found tracking the whereabouts of the family head, either control them immediately or get rid of them directly."
"Yes." Upon hearing the order, Wan Hong felt his blood boiling in anticipation. When he was young, he had always hoped to rule the world while staying by the sixth master's side and follow his orders. However, he was too young at that time and was only able to participate in small scale battles occasionally. When he was older, the sixth master had withdrawn from outside matters and lived here in solitude. After all those years, he finally managed to hear the sixth master issue orders again.
Ren Tianzong watched Wan Hong leave as he stood up and returned to the house. He tidied the few strands of hair lying messily on the bed after being blown by the wind. He said softly, "Feng'er, Big Brother only has this one child. I cannot leave his matters aside. Although the Ren family is currently at the pinnacle of power, there are secretly problems arising from within. The exterior circumstances for the Ren family are even more turbulent. If Big Brother was around, everything would be fine. But now that he is not, it is hard to perceive what will happen to the Ren family. If this rascal is to continue muddling around, nothing bad will happen since he is not obstructing the others. However, if he wants control over the Ren family, he will be in grave danger if others were to find out. Even if he merely wants… to do something, he will be treated as a thorn in their flesh. We'll see. If this rascal is only momentarily enthusiastic and still remains as hopeless as before, I'll let him muddle along and live his life in riches. If he really wants to accomplish something, the thing that Big Brother entrusted me…"
The accommodation in the Jade Imperial Academy was top-notch. Even ordinary disciples had individual rooms for themselves. Those disciples from family clans that possessed real power each had a house for themselves.
In the few residences situated along a river, within one of the Chinese courtyard houses that contained three courtyards, there was a lady that looked upset. She had a beautiful figure and a slightly pointed chin.
"Alive? How could he still be alive? Even though the simple-minded and athletic Gao Fei is only at the ninth level of the Body Refinement Realm, because he practiced external martial arts, his enraged punch with his full strength should be equivalent to that of someone who has perfected the Body Refinement Realm. How could that useless person still be alive?"
The person who spoke was Fang Qi, one of the three crowned beauties in the Jade Imperial Academy. She normally appeared polite and demure to everyone. If the many guys who liked her saw her now, if they saw the ruthlessness in her eyes, they would definitely think that she was possessed and had her body taken over by someone else.
"It's true, Miss. I saw him board the cart with my own eyes. Afterward, I got someone to find out about that especially. Today is the day when that puppet family head had to return and attend the Elder Conference Day. I heard that the elders were very unhappy that he was late and specifically sent someone to rush him. It looks like he really has a charmed life. That blow did not manage to beat him to death." There were two maidservants standing beside the lady. One of them was clad in martial arts training gear specially assigned someone to investigate that incident.
"He's such a coward of a family head. It looks like his expenses will be cut once again. I bet he will be begging for forgiveness. I heard that he spent fourteen to sixteen hours bugging the elders last time just to increase his allowance from forty thousand to fifty thousand. That's equivalent to just five thousand jade coins. That's even less than the allowance of normal lineal descendants, not to mention family leaders and the young masters of the various aristocratic family clans," the other maidservant said in a condescending tone. The disdain in her voice was apparent. Those matters about Ren Jie had already spread throughout the entire Jade Capital, thus no one cared if he was the family head. After all, he was not his father Ren Tianxing.
"Humph!" Fang Qi snorted in anger. "It was enough that this useless person used to keep pestering me even though I never bothered with him. How could he defame Big Brother Tian with someone else in front of me? What gave such a useless person like him the right to criticize Big Brother Tian? Although Big Brother Tian does not have any family clan background, he is the most outstanding genius in the entire Jade Essence Academy. He is nothing compared to Big Brother Tian. Big Brother Tian will definitely accomplish great things in the future. If he dares to defame Big Brother Tian, I will claim his life in exchange. He might be lucky this time, but I'm not letting this matter rest. Send this news to Gao Fei immediately. Also, spread the news that not only did he try to pester me, but he has also attempted to molest me. Inform the other guys using some other information conduits that I really appreciate what Gao Fei did for me."
The two maidservants responded in acknowledgment and immediately carried out their respective tasks.
"There are just so many brainless idiots who think they can court someone out of their league. However, these idiots might be useful at times." Fang Qi had a smug smile on her face. "Aren't you guys trying to find ways to please me? I'll make you believe that I will be happy as long as someone manages to teach Ren Jie a lesson. Ren Jie, you are such a useless person. Even if I was not able to eliminate you this time around, I will chase you further away from me in the future. I will show you what I can do. I will make you learn your lesson for bad mouthing Big Brother Tian."
Initially, she was unable to vent her pent-up anger hearing that Ren Jie did not die. However, at that moment, thinking about how those idiots courting her would harass Ren Jie on their own accord, how Ren Jie would not have a moment of peace and the punishment by his family clan after word about this incident got out, Fang Qi could not withhold her smile as she covered her mouth with her hand.
Big Brother Tian had joined a trial. She had to work harder so she could engage in dual cultivation with Big Brother Tian in the future and bypass the Divine Power Realm to become one of the prominent youths in the Jade Capital. When that time came, with the support from Big Brother Tian, not even those in the Fang family could defeat her.
That useless person Ren Jie was a puppet family head, but she was going to be the true family head of the Fang family. She would be the family head of the most powerful family clan in the Clear Jade Dynasty.
Ren Jie had stayed in the library pavilion for nearly forty hours. He had only rested for slightly more than two hours in the process. The rest of the time had been spent engrossed in reading. Occasionally when he stopped to eat, he would sometimes recall the things on Earth. He thought about how he could easily obtain at least a few degrees after only studying for a few days if he possessed a similar capability and memory on Earth.
The Ren family library pavilion was massive. Even with Ren Jie's incredible reading speed, the books that he finished reading after a day and night were incomparable to the total volume of books available. The good thing was that Ren Jie did not really plan on conducting scholarly research. He merely wanted to fill the void in his brain so that he at least had a clearer understanding of the universe he was in.
Many other things definitely could not be learned from books. He merely wanted to satisfy his craving. That resulted in him reading many multifarious books in the process.
When Ren Jie left the library pavilion, the sun was already setting. The sunset glow painted the sky red. The sky looked incredibly higher and more vast than it was in his previous life. He stretched comfortably and looked at the line-up who escorted him out through the other door. He found that there was not one familiar face from yesterday.
Maybe they have changed shifts. However, these people look like newbies, Ren Jie thought casually. He had already ordered someone to prep the carriage heading for the academy.
If he had thoroughly gained control over the Ren family like his father, he would definitely be one of the most influential persons in the Clear Jade Dynasty. Although he was currently the family head, he had to complete his studies in the Jade Imperial Academy like those young emperors who ascended the thrones.
Luckily, the Jade Imperial Academy was also known as the Academy for the Pampered. It did not have high expectations regarding their studies. Of course, ordinary pampered children who did not meet their basic expectations would still be dismissed or expelled. However, Ren Jie was a lineal descendant of the Ren family, one of the five biggest aristocratic families. He had even succeeded as the family head. No one dared to chase him out or expel him. That was the reason the original Ren Jie agreed to attend school there.
After returning to the Ren family for the elder conference, although he had an outburst, Ren Jie found that the Ren family was a spiral for disputes. Therefore, after leaving the library pavilion, he immediately decided to first return to the Jade Imperial Academy.