Hong Luo SI exited the Martial Camp after completely healing up. Dark clouds hid the night sky when she logged out of the barrel.
Lau Su excitingly watched the news. Min village was not the only one that held a junior tournament. All other spawn points had similar events. There was no other village though that had a player emerge victorious besides hers though.
"Sister, sister. Did you hear, someone won the tournament in your village. I heard it's a girl and she is Chinese as well. She is also the first to reach the 3rd stage. Do you know her?"
"Umm… yes I do know her." She said with a straight face, but did not look him in the eyes as she was weak to his gaze.
"Really? You must be lying. I can see your eyes avoiding me. I heard that people do that when they lie. It is okay sis; I won't be mad at you." Lau Su softly patted his sisters' shoulder.
Dong*
His comforting was paid with a fist on the head.
"Hmph, no more sweets for the week."
"Au… I'm just joking sister." Lau Su held the bulge with both hands, no longer comforting the other. "If I had known you were on your period again, I would not have said a thing." He wimped in a low voice as he wanted to go to bed.
"Did I say week or month, I can't remember." The elder sibling yelled.
Lau Su dashed like the flash into his room, afraid to dig a deeper grave. "Sister, why are you so mean?"
The living room became silent with the television's switch flipped off. Different from it there was another noisy room.
Without competition, the light dimly shone from the highest window inside the Min village. Two black shades were casted on the paper wall facing one another. The tinier one held his head low.
"Tell me. How did you lose that match? Especially against one of those banal apes, a girl in particular." The village chief was in a bad mood. A flat piece of charcoaled wood tapped on his hand as he looked at his son.
"Father this… you must get justce for me." Jidan was hesitant under his father's direct gaze.
"Shut your mouth. You lost against a puny girl. What justice?" He was looking his son up and down two things fell in his sight. The sword on the waist, the thin layer of leather garment. Solely in terms of equipment, his son had an advantage against his fellow practitioners. Not to mention the fine medical smell. As a father he had even gone so far as to help him achieve a great break through and opened up more meridians than usually with great expense.
"Hn." Min Song held his chest, just thinking about money. Angrily he lifted the rod making his offspring flinch for what was to come.
The office door creaked up however, the office door creaked up and two individuals entered.
"Sir. I've brought him." The secretary held onto a boy's right shoulder.
"And you!" The still lifted rod and mean gaze pointed at the 4th person. "Have I not been like a second father to you? Have I not given you a home and shelter? I even gathered the remains of your folk's inheritance."
The brought boy did not falter like Jidan did though but still looked down on the small spear. Hop's rage was on par with the village chiefs. "That demon, she is definitely one of them. Those cold-hearted b*****s must burn. All of them."
"What did you say?" Shan Hop's words made the old man rethink the tournament through.
He himself had some thoughts about Luo Si's advancement, feeling that something was off. "So, it's like that. Then that degenerate soul must pay for sure."
'To think you would dare make a deal with the devil.' Fu Hantian's smirk appeared in his mind. "Since this problem involves money, then it will be solved with it." He said in a deep voice.
The secretary gave an understanding bow. "Shall I request help from him?"
"No. With how things are, getting the Sects attention is the last thing I want. Do you want this situation to get out of control?" A couple of watery beads formed on the chief's forehead from just thinking about it.
"Of course not, Sir. Then how about we do this the usual way. I know some who have been in this business for a long time." She corrected herself quickly. "Their price might be a little on the high end, but they have completed every job so far."
"En. That is what I want to hear." The candle flames extinguished.
Luo Si walked up to the book house the next day. The guard walked up to her and paid a bow out of respect.
"Are you here to collect your prize? You can also exchange your prize for 100 gold." The guard offered.
The prize he spoke about was that the winner of the tournament had 2 incense sticks worth of time on the 2nd floor for one book. The second prize, won by Jidan was just 1 incense, but as the village chiefs' son it didn't matter much. He only participated for the glory, which was not just ruined, but snatched away in the finals as well.
The exchange prize of 100 gold was very enticing and actually dedicated to those of the Martial Learner stage, as it was not really much time to grasp a new skill.
"Yes, but I will stay with my decision to visit the second floor." Luo Si was not moved by the counter offer. Such a sum of money, she could easily make in a week or two.
"As you wish. Please follow me." The guard walked into library and put a hand on the girl's shoulder when passing the barrier to the second floor.
Jidan was walking down the stairs at the same time. The finalist's eyes met. Luo SI could see a tint of fear in his eyes, but it disappeared when Jidan's body started to turn red and emitted heat.
"Oh, so young lord Jidan has decided on a body cultivation skill 'Brave Vulcan walker' and even reached the minor fresh hold. I congratulate."
"Hmph, my brother told me enough about the book." Jidan proudly said and left with his chin held high.
"Number 213." He mockingly passed by.
"Lord Hothead." She equally countered with a smile.
Jidan nearly slipped hearing her goodbye, while the guard only facepalmed hearing those childish mockery. He let out a slight giggle though, nonetheless.
When they got on the second stage the guard asked. "Are you looking for anything specific? You know, you can decide on one book and one book only."
"Hmm, I think I'm choosing a body cultivation technique as well." She answered.
Books based on the body were very rare and hard to practice, so the earlier one started the better, but it was even more important to choose the one that suited him/her the best. Else they could only cry in regret for wasting their time.
"Alright. The body cultivation techniques are to your left, in the third last shelf."
She made her way as time was ticking.
Moving a cold finger through the shelve, to not get exposed, she looked for a suitable one. To her great disappointment though, there was none. Not even a single one. Only other elementals and a handful of non-elementals.
She took out a book called 'Weightless Fairy Queen.' "None of these books really suit my need."
Sigh*
Most of the body cultivation methods inside the Min Village circulated around fire veins and hard Yang styles. Wu Ji Quan on the other hand, although able to replicate Yang energy, was a soft type of fighting style. The ice vein did not make things easier either.
"I can only cope with one of these for now. To find blessing, I must at least go there." The high tier selection might be appealing to anyone else, yet to Luo Si they were just rubbish.
She breathed out the remaining ice qi in regret. She was about to go with it, when there was a faint signal answering to her released breath. She put the book back since she had not looked into it, at least wanting to know what had answered her call.
She walked up to the last shelf.
Only a dozen objects were placed inside. All burned or ripped or damaged otherwise. She took out a book.
"Frozen glacier body," Read the title. Some of the last pages were burned, but the rest looked fine.
"It might be incomplete, but it's still better than settling on one of those trash."
"Is that the book you are choosing?" The guard had appeared behind her and nearly gave her a shock. The respectful manner had slightly diminished when he saw Luo Si holding a book from the nearly empty shelf.
"Yes." Luo Si nodded with confidence.
"OK, then I will take my leave. You have 2 incense sticks of time. If you leave the second floor, the rest of your time will be dismissed. If you touch any other book in the second floor, you will be banished from the village." With that said he left from where he came from.
Luo Si's eyes contracted. This was not an advice, but a threat to those who took things from the last shelf. She knew that those of the fire village hated on the objects of the ice tribe. 'The ripped-out pages must have been burned by the Min villagers.'
"Whatever. Let's fill my brain with knowledge." She sat down and opened the book.
'The Frozen glacier body is best suited for people who have awakened an ice vein. The Surface is smooth and so shall be the skin. Ice is hard as shall be the bones... -be feared.'
"He-he, I like the description."
The mental storage was filled up with new knowledge. Time passed and she only finished storing everything up after one and a third of the next stick burned down, though it solely made her more excited.
When she left the library, the guard spoke up again. "So, you finished. Did you gain any insights?"
"No." She plainly replied.
"Good."
Good?
'Good indeed, for I will never return to this library.' She did not tell the Guardian. In annoyance she would be hunted down instantly if she revealed anything.
The guards' mood had changed and Luo Si really wanted to cough up blood or kill him for mentally celebrating in her told misfortune.
"Are there any new events coming up the next days?" Luo Si probed the water, and tested the guard's goodwill after bathing in his good mood.
"No, but there will be an envoy coming from a sub-sect next week. But don't get your heads up to soon. They usually only take martial artists and those who have opened at least 16 Meridians." The guarding answered with an ignorant smile.
"Good." Luo Si replied and walked away.
"Good?" The guard's puzzled gaze sent her off.