Days passed, and as I healed, I began to experience the advantages of being a personal disciple. Although Xin Ma wasn't a formidable elder with significant influence, he still commanded respect from everyone. He was the kind of elder who would swiftly deal with anyone who dared to hinder me, making everything much more comfortable.
Despite my lingering paranoia about using the spirit stones I had hidden, I doubted anyone would cause trouble if I used them now. The risk of my disappearance would prompt dangerous individuals to investigate, deterring any outer disciples from taking action.
However, I wasn't sure how many people knew about my abundance of spirit stones. Depending on the commotion the arrogant young master had caused when I wasn't there, people might know.
It was early morning, and the trees had turned various shades of brown, with leaves beginning to fall. One might expect the old janitor to clean leaves from the library's courtyard. But he seemed to like staying indoors more as it became colder, likely doubling his tea intake.
As I entered the library, there were fewer disciples around than usual.
With winter approaching, one would think more people would seek refuge from the cold to read here, but it was quite the opposite. Though I was not well-versed in such matters, my chubby friend had explained why this was the case.
During winter, beast waves occurred frequently. Many of the sect's disciples were dispatched to handle these waves, so most spent their time training and preparing for the inevitable conflicts. Newcomer disciples were usually spared, but even they might be sent to places in emergencies.
In any case, I relished the privileges of being a personal disciple when the librarian informed me, "You have access to any floor of the library tower in the outer sect. Just be cautious not to rush into things prematurely, or you might get hurt."
Yes, I could explore the entire library tower in the outer sect!
I concealed my excitement and nodded, "Of course."
"Now, I do not believe I have to warn you about this, but taking books out of the library and giving them to anyone else is forbidden. Among those forbidden acts is also sharing techniques learned here with your clan," he narrowed his eyes, and a spine-chilling feeling ran down my spine. "Because if you do that, I will be the one in charge of chasing you down and killing you. I will also take the blame for anything you do. If it comes to that, and your clan tries to take revenge, the sect will exterminate them. So be very damn careful. The Blazing Sun Sect is not here to act as a stepping stone for any other clan or sect to rise higher."
"Yes, I understand," I nodded.
"The sect doesn't like creating unnecessary enemies, but when they do, they make sure to eliminate them root and stem," he warned me once again before waving me off. "Anyway, you can now go and study whatever you want. I will come by later and teach you what I can, and I also have something you need to do for me."
After that, there was no more room for talking out here, and the handful of disciples already here had their eyes on me as I climbed the stairs toward the second floor. However, I worried little about their gazes and instead had a hard time stopping my racing heart.
With each step I took, I felt butterflies in my stomach, and when I finally reached the second floor, a strange feeling washed over me. Likely, I had passed another array.
Calling the second floor a floor would be an understatement, as some bookshelves were as high as a two-story house. There were ladders around if someone wanted to reach higher, and there were more books here than one could count.
Even a lifetime might not be enough to read all this!
It was more than I had ever imagined; the whole floor was like a maze of books, and I could have sworn it was bigger inside than it looked from the outside.
Maybe it was some kind of array?
I ran my fingers through the spines of many books as I walked past them. Unlike the first floor, there was no librarian here, which was a bit unexpected, and it seemed like Xin Ma was the one who managed this whole library. Just him and his countless arrays.
Unlike the first floor, there were no chairs or tables here, so if I wanted to read something, I would have to do it on the floor. Which I didn't really mind, as it wasn't like I would get back problems with a cultivator's body. Such things were old news, and even cramps were nonexistent!
"I know you think nobody's watching, but please quit acting so weird. And stop rubbing the spines of the books like some pervert," the old man's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Turning around, I saw the old goat in all his glory, cane in hand and a disgusted grimace on his face.
Maybe it would have hurt my feelings if it were anyone else saying those things. But this was the old goat; it would be weirder if the guy didn't throw verbal jabs somehow.
"You said you have a secret tea stash around here. I don't see it anywhere," I called the old guy out on his many quirks. Despite what he might think, I remembered all the small things he had told me since we met.
He smiled and gestured for me to follow him. We walked toward a corner of the library, and Shan Sha chanted under his breath before grabbing a couple of books. Then, a line of light formed around the bookshelf in the shape of a door, and the old guy pulled it open.
On the other side was a small, timeworn room with a bed, desk, and a tea set with two sacks of tea. The room wasn't well-lit, so it was hard to see many things despite my good vision as a cultivator.
"How did you even find something like this?" I inquired and touched the walls to confirm they were actual stones, similar to the stone used to build the library.
"I think it was one of the descendants of the Blazing Sun Immortals who built this. It was constructed many thousands of years ago," the old man explained. "I stumbled upon it while looking for a place to sleep and hang out. Since my place used to be quite far away, and all that climbing up and down the stairs didn't sit well with my body at this age."
It was interesting, but I just wanted to dive into the endless sea of books waiting to be discovered!
And no, I wasn't buying the old janitor's excuse that he stumbled upon this place. The door required a chant to open, which was like a super-strong password. Someone couldn't just accidentally say the chant and open the door.
Unless the chant was him bullshitting me, trying to make this look cooler than it actually was.
Either way, I wanted to get back to reading!
"Nice place," I said, turning around and leaving.
Shan Sha approached the table and activated a crimson-red array beneath it with strange writings. He placed a teapot atop the crimson array, and in seconds, the tea was screeching. It was almost done instantaneously.
Was the array that good? Or was it some array specifically made to boil tea? What kind of madman would waste time developing a tea array?
I glanced at the old guy while thinking of how many things just perfectly lined up.
"Here, enjoy yourself," he offered me the first cup of tea. "If you feel like drinking tea, then no need to go all the way to the dining hall. You can come here and make some for yourself. Just touch the array under the table, and it will draw Qi from the arrays around the library to heat anything placed on top of the red writing."
"Thanks, old man," I smiled, taking the still-hot cup of tea. It was a bit too hot for my liking, so I let it cool down.
"Just don't take too much, or we'll have trouble," he frowned at me. "I know how you young people are nowadays. So don't develop strange tea addictions or anything silly like that."
I looked him straight in the eyes, trying to keep a serious face. "Really? Have you ever looked in the mirror before?"
"Does it look like there is a mirror in the library?" he asked, looking confused.
For a split second, I almost believed my insults flew over his head. Nothing escaped this old goat's attention; his mind was sharper than a razor, the latter of which he needed desperately to cut his goat-like beard.
"Okay, get out now. A man my age needs his midday naps," he said, closing the door behind me.
"I was already out," I grumbled under my breath. However, my annoyance dissipated as I laid eyes on the library before me.
So many books, and so much to learn! The biggest problem I faced was where to even start with all this!
First, I should focus on subjects I already had some knowledge of techniques, body strengthening methods like the Turtle Body Shell, and movement techniques. After that, I would delve into arrays, information on monstrous beasts, history, alchemy, sword techniques, and whatever else piqued my interest along the way.
I took out my notebook and began jotting down topics one by one, preparing to delve into them. "Damn, I forgot to ask the old man if there was a way to get food here. There probably is, since he was living here. Also, wasn't there supposed to be some kind of free tea thing, or was the old goat only referring to his own tea maker?"
Shaking my head, I resolved to focus on one thing at a time, starting with the...
…
I spent hours scouring the books in the library. But because of its vastness and lack of organization, I only gathered about forty books on fist techniques and a dozen more on the theoretical knowledge of throwing punches with maximum power.
There were probably many similar books scattered around, but continuing the search would consume the rest of my day. So, I found a secluded corner, piled the books, and settled down, leaning against one of the sturdy bookshelves.
Usually, I would worry about toppling a shelf by leaning on it. However, the shelves were tall and looked immovable, likely secured by some inscription array.
So far, I had only skimmed the first pages of some books to get a rough idea of their contents. Some contained very peculiar techniques, requiring unconventional training methods. Among them, the weirdest was one I was called Iron Tiger Body, which hardened the skin like iron but demanded the consumption of tiger hearts during training.
Yet, none of the defensive techniques had stood out enough to replace the Turtle Body Shell technique, which had shown remarkable progress with no discernible weaknesses.
I considered myself extremely fortunate to stumble upon such a treasure trove. Even before I had entered the second floor.
Then, I heard footsteps approaching the second floor. I immediately tensed, dropping the book from my hand and preparing for anything.
Turning toward the stairway, I saw it was just the librarian carrying a book. He met my gaze and raised a questioning brow. "It seems like you have already started."
"I couldn't resist," I admitted.
"Well, I don't blame you," he said, handing me the book—a fist technique. "As your teacher, it's my duty to help with your training. For now, this is the best technique I could find for your level. It complements the Piercing Fang Fist quite well, and it seems to have been developed by a skilled martial artist who completed the Piercing Fang Fist to the next level. That is the advantage of widespread techniques like Piercing Fang Fist—there are many variations to be found, and some people have even improved it."
I read the title of the book, "Sonic Fang Fist?"
"Yes, it's more of a shockwave attack. Techniques like this are usually found on the third floor, so you may need to progress from the fist techniques on this floor before mastering something like this," the librarian explained, launching into one of his typical informative lectures. "While all Mortal Grade techniques are considered at the same grade, there are vast differences among them. The Sonic Fang Fist can be considered as close to Earth Grade as a Mortal Grade technique can get."
He explained things so clearly; he was born to be a teacher. My opinion might be skewed now that he had given me a technique like this. I was about to thank him, but he spoke before I could.
"Oh, before I forget, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." His expression shifted, his tone serious.