True to her nature, Xu Yin's enthusiasm for "studying" lasted no longer than half an hour. After aimlessly flipping through the pages of her chosen books, she began to yawn. Then, with an exaggerated stretch, she announced her departure.
"I'm going to play outside, big brother," she said cheerfully, already skipping toward the exit. "Good luck with your books!"
Xu Fang didn't even look up from his growing stack of tomes. He merely waved a hand in her direction. "Yeah, yeah. Have fun."
The sound of her retreating footsteps brought a sigh of relief. Alone at last.
Now, the real ordeal began.
When Xu Fang had arrived at the library earlier, he'd asked the librarian—a stern-looking middle-aged woman with silver-rimmed glasses—for guidance. "What books would you recommend for someone preparing to attend Azure Flame Academy?" he had asked.
The librarian's sharp eyes had glinted behind her glasses as she called for several attendants. Within minutes, a towering stack of books was placed in front of him.
And now, staring at the mountain of tomes on his desk, Xu Fang felt his soul leave his body.
"Why did I even ask?" he muttered, rubbing his temples.
Xu Yin had taken one look at the intimidating stack, made a face, and bolted out of the library without a second thought. Xu Fang couldn't blame her. He wished he could do the same.
If only this world had technology, he lamented for the thousandth time. Back in his previous life, all he would've needed was a search engine. A few keywords, a few clicks, and he'd have summaries, references, and even video tutorials at his fingertips. Here, however, everything had to be done manually.
Why couldn't I have been sent to a sci-fi fantasy world instead? he grumbled to himself. At least then I'd have holo-displays and AI assistants to help me out. But nooo, I get stuck in a place where books are the height of knowledge-sharing technology.
But what was done was done. He couldn't change his circumstances now.
Resigned to his fate, Xu Fang began the grueling process of filtering through the books. He sorted them into two piles: relevant and irrelevant. The Azure Flame Academy was a scholar academy, meaning its curriculum focused on intellectual pursuits rather than physical or martial training.
From what he'd gathered, the academy emphasized five core areas of study:
Government Matters – Administration, laws, and governance.
Military Strategy – Leadership, tactics, and logistics.
Ceremonies – Rituals, traditions, and etiquette.
Literary Arts – Poetry, storytelling, and philosophical discourse.
Cultural Studies – History, art, and the preservation of knowledge.
Anything outside these categories—like martial techniques, cultivation theories, or alchemy—was considered secondary lesson without exception.
By the time he was done sorting, the mountain of books had been reduced to a smaller, yet still daunting, pile.
Progress, he thought grimly.
Next, Xu Fang arranged the remaining books in order of importance. After some deliberation, he decided to tackle the history books first.
He shuddered as he pulled the first tome off the pile.
"History," he muttered, staring at the title on the cover. "Why does it always have to be history?"
Of all the subjects, history was the one he dreaded most. It wasn't that he disliked history itself—he appreciated the value of learning from the past. But the sheer volume of dates, names, events, and places was enough to make his head spin. And from the size of the book in his hands, this was going to be no different.
With a heavy sigh, Xu Fang opened the book and began to read.
The text was dense, filled with formal language and endless details about dynasties, wars, treaties, and cultural shifts.
It was a far cry from the streamlined documentaries or interactive history apps he'd used back on Earth. Here, every piece of information had to be absorbed the hard way—through sheer perseverance.
By the end of the first chapter, Xu Fang was already rubbing his temples.
"Why did I think this was a good idea?" he groaned.
Still, he pushed on. For all his grumbling and complaints, Xu Fang wasn't the type to give up easily. Back in his previous life, his stock scalping had required an immense amount of focus and patience. He'd spent countless hours analyzing trends, poring over data, and making calculated decisions.
That same mindset kicked in now.
As much as he hated it, he knew he needed this knowledge if he was going to survive the academy. The more prepared he was, the easier it would be to navigate the challenges ahead.
Page by page, Xu Fang worked his way through the book. Occasionally, he paused to jot down notes, summarizing key points and marking passages to revisit later. His old habits as a student began to resurface, and he fell into a steady rhythm.
Hours passed, and the library grew quieter as the sun dipped lower in the sky.
By the time Xu Fang finally looked up from his book, the light streaming through the library windows had turned golden. He stretched, feeling the stiffness in his back and shoulders from sitting for so long.
"Ugh," he groaned, leaning back in his chair. "This is going to be a long two months."
But despite his complaints, there was a small sense of accomplishment in the back of his mind. He'd made it through the first book on his list, and while it wasn't much, it was a start.
For now, he could only take it one book at a time.
With a determined sigh, Xu Fang reached for the next tome in the stack. Military Strategy was the title embossed on its cover.
"This is going to suck," he muttered, opening the book.
And yet, despite his grumbling, he couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of curiosity. After all, this was a new world with its own history, culture, and way of life. As much as he hated studying, he couldn't deny that there was something fascinating about uncovering the secrets of this place.
For now, he would focus on learning. The rest—the academy, his future, and whatever surprises this world had in store—would come later.