After Jiang Yun left, he wasn't aware of the bargaining between Hu Qing and the representatives of the Moonshadow Sect. However, for him, these matters weren't his concern. After tidying up his place, he headed to the Scripture Repository.
The old man was still guarding the entrance of the repository when Jiang Yun arrived. The old man looked at Jiang Yun with drowsy, blurry eyes and asked, "Why are you here again? Didn't you go to the Forget Sorrow Valley?"
Initially, the old man noticed Jiang Yun casually, but he quickly sensed the faint aura of sword intent emanating from Jiang Yun's body. He squinted his eyes, studying Jiang Yun for a long time. His expression turned somewhat strange, as if he had come across a long-lost acquaintance.
"From where did you learn the Qingyang Sword Art?" the old man's voice carried a hint of age and a tone of nostalgia.
"How does Senior know that this junior knows the Qingyang Sword Art?" Jiang Yun was intrigued.
Although the old man's body didn't radiate any spiritual energy, he had sensed the sword intent in Jiang Yun at a glance. Furthermore, he recognized that Jiang Yun had learned the Qingyang Sword Art. Jiang Yun speculated that this old man was anything but ordinary; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to detect the sword intent on him.
Jiang Yun believed he was quite adept at concealing his aura. It was difficult for most people to detect the sword intent within him. The fusion of the Easy Muscles Classic and the sword intent made it hard to discern the sword energy, unless the observer's realm was far beyond Jiang Yun's. Even someone like Luo Qi wouldn't be able to perceive it.
While Feng Lun's strength was relatively high in the Sword Sect, he could only sense the emanating sword intent from Jiang Yun, but he didn't know it came from the Qingyang Sword Art. This indicated that this old man had a significant connection to the Qingyang Sword Art.
However, the Qingyang Wuzun had lived decades ago, even before the current Sword Sect Master. Judging by the old man's age, he seemed to be from the same generation as the Qingyang Wuzun. Could he be a hidden expert of the Sword Sect?
Jiang Yun grew cautious; one should always be vigilant. The old man's strange behavior made Jiang Yun wonder if he was truly related to the Qingyang Sword Art. Jiang Yun watched the old man warily and inquired, "Did Senior know Qingyang Wuzun?"
Soon enough, Jiang Yun realized he had overthought things. The old man's expression quickly reverted to its initial lazy appearance. He wasn't curious about the sword energy emanating from Jiang Yun. The old man said, "Never mind, that's all in the past. Young man, why have you come to the Scripture Repository today? Looking for something?"
The old man didn't mention the Qingyang Sword Art, and Jiang Yun certainly wouldn't proactively bring it up. After all, his sword energy was his greatest asset, and he would never casually discuss it with others.
"Senior, you've misunderstood. I'm not here to find something this time. I've come to accept my punishment," Jiang Yun smiled. The matter of open punishment but hidden reward was something that ordinary people wouldn't easily understand. As expected, the old man also seemed puzzled. He asked, "You're here for punishment?"
Jiang Yun didn't leave the old man to guess by himself. Considering the old man's advanced age, his mind might not be sharp anymore. Jiang Yun voluntarily explained the situation with the various sects to the old man.
"Alright, since you're here for punishment, then you should look the part. How about this? No one has cleaned the second floor for quite some time. Go and clean it," the old man said.
Whether the old man genuinely misunderstood or deliberately acted as if he didn't understand, he actually believed that Jiang Yun was here for punishment. He handed Jiang Yun a broom and directed him to the second floor of the repository.
Without saying much, Jiang Yun thought it was only appropriate to help with cleaning. He took the broom and proceeded to the second floor.
The Scripture Repository had three floors in total. Compared to the spacious first floor, the second floor appeared much smaller. It had about forty to fifty bookshelves in total. A significant portion of these shelves was covered in a thick layer of dust. Jiang Yun spent a considerable amount of time cleaning.
While cleaning, Jiang Yun noticed that the second floor's bookshelves mostly held profound sword techniques of the Sword Sect. Previously, Lu Yao's Solitary Wind Twenty-One Sword Techniques had been here too. Jiang Yun picked up a few of them to glance through before placing them back on the shelves.
There were numerous sword technique manuals on the shelves, but not many caught Jiang Yun's eye. With his understanding of sword techniques from his previous life, he had a unique perspective. Although these sword techniques were considered profound in the Lingwu Continent, Jiang Yun didn't find them particularly remarkable.
However, these manuals weren't useless to Jiang Yun. Studying different sword techniques could help him improve his own. Jiang Yun memorized the locations of these manuals while cleaning. After he finished, he planned to carefully review them.
Half an hour later, Jiang Yun had cleaned most of the second floor. He thought that if the second floor was already in such a state, the third floor must be even dirtier. Since he had taken on the cleaning task, he felt obligated to clean the third floor as well. He ascended the stairs to the third floor.
After Jiang Yun had gone to the third floor, the old man downstairs, who had been half-closed eyes and resting, suddenly opened his eyes. He glanced at the entrance to the second floor and a nostalgic expression appeared on his face as he got lost in memories.
Jiang Yun had no idea that his every move in the repository was within the old man's awareness.
Jiang Yun had expected the third floor to be dirtier than the second, but to his surprise, it was spotlessly clean. Sunlight streamed in through the open windows, making the third floor bright and airy.
Compared to the crowded shelves on the first and second floors, the third floor felt spacious. Only a few rows of bookshelves stood against the walls on both sides of the room. In the middle, a set of tables and chairs had been meticulously cleaned.
Seeing how clean the third floor was, Jiang Yun put down the broom. He moved towards the bookshelves with curiosity about the books stored on the third floor.
However, upon getting closer to the shelves, Jiang Yun realized that his assumptions had been off track again. Instead of profound sword techniques, the books on the third floor were volumes of the sect's history. They recorded the achievements of various prominent figures in the Sword Sect throughout its history.
But soon, Jiang Yun's attention was captured by the stories of these individuals. Most of the characters described in these books had legendary qualities, making their lives read like novels. Jiang Yun quickly skimmed through the contents of one bookshelf, then moved on to the next.
"The Power and Meaning of Sword Intent"
Jiang Yun casually pulled out a book from the second bookshelf. The title on the cover immediately caught his attention, filling him with surprise. He hadn't expected to find a book on sword intent on the second bookshelf. For Jiang Yun, this was an unexpected delight.