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1.27% Library of Heaven's Path / Chapter 29: You Must Be Sick!

Chapter 29: You Must Be Sick!

Editor: GaiaNova, Thaddpole&Tortex

“Un?”

Shen Bi Ru, who was the Compendium Pavilion as well, heard the continuous sounds of footsteps and flipping of books. Initially, she didn’t think much into but as time passed, she started to feel that something was amiss with the situation.

One would need to read a book slowly to comprehend its contents. How could it be possible for anyone to flip through it so quickly?

Bewildered, she couldn’t resist walking over to take a look.

After which, she saw Zhang Xuan flipping the books from the first shelf. It was very apparent to see that he wasn’t reading through the contents of the books, but more like looking for something!

“Is this the reason why Elder Mo denied him entry?”

After watching for a moment, she realized that the other party didn’t have the intention to stop. Gedeng, Shen Bi Ru’s heart beat.

Previously, the reason why she couldn’t resist speaking out to help him upon seeing the difference between the current him and his previous self was because she wanted him to work hard so as to be freed from his current awkward position.

However, she would have never imagined that this fellow wasn’t here to study but to look for something!

This was the Compendium Pavilion. Every day, there were innumerable teachers who come in, so it was impossible for there to be anything valuable hidden here. Flipping through these books so casually was almost a blasphemy to this Compendium Pavilion.

How repulsive!

“Perhaps… He knew that I would be coming to the Compendium Pavilion today, so he intentionally waited outside then came in to make such a ruckus to capture my attention… Hmph, this would only provoke my ire!”

The image of the young man in Shen Bi Ru’s heart fell to the pits.

Due to her beauty, many people have tried many ways to get on her good side, as well as to attract her attention. In her opinion, Zhang Xuan wasn’t even trying to look through the books. Rather, he was intentionally making those noises to change her opinion of him.

In reality, she hated it when people made up this kind of show.

After looking at her a moment longer, she ascertained her opinion.

If he was truly here to browse through the books, how could he possibly be reading books of all genres? Furthermore, to be flipping through them at such rapid speed, he was probably unable to even ascertain the name of the manual, needless to say, its contents.

“Hmph!”

With a darkened expression on her beautiful face, she walked over to Zhang Xuan, “Zhang laoshi, what are you doing?”

“Reading books!”

Zhang Xuan didn’t realize that his actions have already been labeled as ‘putting up a show’ and replied casually without raising his head.

“Reading books? Hmph!” Shen Bi Ru harrumphed coldly. Coldness emanated from her jade-like face as she said, “If you think that your actions are cool and would attract my attention, please retract those immature thoughts of yours. I, Shen Bi Ru, do not fall for such petty tricks. Furthermore, your actions will only incur my irritation!”

“Oh! Alright!”

Zhang Xuan continued flipping through his books.

He intended to imprint all of the manuals in the Compendium Pavilion onto the Library of Heaven’s Path by today and time was a little tight for him, so he didn’t have the effort to spare to be chatting with others.

Besides, in his opinion, the other party was simply being too ‘self-important’. What business did she have to do with what he was doing?

[You might be truly pretty, but it isn’t like I have yet to meet a beautiful woman like you. In the previous world, in the era of information, there are all kinds of beauties stored in the hard disk. Furthermore, they are skilled in blowing, pulling, playing and singing… A cold beauty like you does not hold much interest to me!

I don’t have the energy to think of ways to attract your attention.]

“Since you understand it, please leave this Compendium Library. Stop wasting your effort here!” Seeing how the young man’s head remained lowered, still putting on a show, Shen Bi Ru turned and gestured him to leave.

Deng deng deng deng!

The sound of the footsteps of the young man leaving.

“This is more like it…”

Seeing how he gave up readily, Shen Bi Ru nodded her head in satisfaction. Just as she was about to continue to read her book, she heard the sound of the flipping of books echoing in the library once again.

Hualala! Hualalala!

Turning her head to take a look, she realized that the young man had no intention to leave.

“You…”

Shen Bi Ru almost exploded from anger.

[Are you done yet?

I have already said that doing this will just incur my irritation, yet you still persist in doing so. Is there a point to it?]

At this point, her slim figure straightened and she walked up to Zhang Xuan once again, and disgust could be clearly seen in her pitch black pupils, “Did you not hear my words? The more you behave like this, the more disgusted I would be with you! You won’t earn my fancy like this!”

“Are you sick?”

Seeing the other party coming over to bother him again, Zhang Xuan was a little irritated. He stopped his actions and said, “You read your own stuff while I’ll read my own. If you are really bored, you can squat by a corner and draw circles. Don’t bother me here!”

[It is not like I have never met a beautiful lady in my life before, why are you acting so haughtily!]

“You…”

She didn’t expect the young man to speak like this. Shen Bi Ru felt her sight blurring and she almost died from the overwhelming rage welling in her.

Who was she?

Hongtian Academy’s number 1 beauty. Blessed with great talent and looks, almost all of the teachers and students in the academy regarded her as a goddess. Before her, they would act respectfully, not daring to even speak loudly for fear of offending her.

[Yet, you dare to say… I am sick?

Even asking me to squat at a corner to draw circles?

I am a lady, alright? Draw circles, draw your mum’s fat head!]

Shen Bi Ru felt a heavy and stuffy sensation on her chest that she was unable to relieve.

Hualala! Hualalala!

Her face flushed red from anger. Just as she was about to reprimand the other party, she realized that the young man had gone back to flipping through the books after being done with his words, not even sparing her an additional glance.

“Fine, fine! Continue putting on an act! See how I will reveal your true colors!”

Luoluo, Shen Bi Ru gritted her teeth tightly and stomped her leg.

This was the first time that a man had talked to her in such a manner!

[Fine, aren’t you putting on an act of browsing through the books now? Let’s see how long you can put up with it. When you are finally unable to continue on, I will expose you and leave you embarrassed!]

Then, Shen Bi Ru no longer bothered herself with Zhang Xuan and instead, angrily walked back to the manual she had looked for previously and casually took it out. Then, sitting in a corner in the room, she started copying it down.

Initially, her mood was quite good today and she intended to study for quite awhile to boost her knowledge. Yet, never in her dreams would she expect to meet such an infuriating fellow.

In the midst of copying down her notes, she sneaked glances periodically towards him.

The young man still continued flipping through all of the books with the same speed, seemingly adamant to leave no book unturned. It seems that as long as it was a book of the Compendium Pavilion, he would surely flip through it once.

“Hmph! Let’s see how long you can keep up the act for!”

After being rebuked by Zhang Xuan, Shen Bi Ru no longer retained her calmness from before and she intended to make things difficult for him. As she copied down her notes slowly, she waited for the moment when the other party was unable to keep up with the act.

However, what left her bewildered was that the young man repeated his actions over and over again with the same astonishing speed. From the very first bookshelf, he moved from one row to another, flipping through the books, from afternoon to night, not even sparing a single minute to rest!

It had already been six to seven hours, yet the fellow was still persisting on with the same motion. Even Shen Bi Ru found it inconceivable at this point.

If his aim was to attract her attention, she had already clearly told him that she detested such actions, so he should have stopped then. So, how was it possible for him to continue flipping through like this? Not to mention, for such a long period of time?

“Could this fellow’s brain be convulsing or something? Has his cultivation went berserk and he himself became insane?”

Suddenly, a thought popped up in her head.

She had heard that when one’s cultivation goes berserk, one would start to do many abnormal actions. Could it be that flipping through books nonstop here be one of this kind of abnormal actions?

She was looking at the young man with a bizarre expression as she started to think that the young man was abnormal when she noticed that Zhang Xuan stopping in his actions after flipping through the books in the final row.

“So much knowledge!”

After a consecutive six to seven hours of hard work, he had finally imprinted all of the books in Hongtian Academy’s Teacher Compendium Pavilion in the Library of Heaven’s Path in his head.

Through the compilation of flaws and strengths from the Library of Heaven’s Path towards each individual book, he gained a certain level of understanding towards the cultivation technique, battle technique, pills, equipment forging, formations and such.

“With Zhao Ya’s Pure Yin Body, she should cultivate this manual. However, before that, I have to do some preparations…”

After imprinting the entire Compendium Pavilion, he finally understood how he should solve the problem with Zhao Ya’s physical body. He couldn’t resist heaving a breath of relief. He had even found out the loopholes and incomplete portions in the previous 3 dan of his cultivation. As long as he found some time to re-cultivate through them, he could correct and perfect them.

“Gugugu!”

When he was finally finished, he felt an ache in his stomach. After working for such a long period of time, his hunger pangs had already long struck, just that he was oblivious to it then.

Shaking his head, he started to walk towards the exit of the Compendium Pavilion. However, he had only taken a few steps when he saw Shen Bi Ru standing before him, looking at him with a cold gaze.

To think that this woman would still be here after he had flipped through the books for six to seven hours.

Couldn’t be bothered with such a ‘self-important’ fellow, Zhang Xuan continued walking towards the exit of the Compendium Pavilion.

“Stop it right there!”

When he has just walked through the exit, he heard Elder Mo bellowing at him.

At this very instant, Elder Mo’s face darkened to the point that it seemed like the coalescence of numerous storm clouds, ready to explode at any moment.

He had tolerated this young man for too long!

At this moment, there was only a single thought in his head. Troublemaker, troublemaker, and troublemaker!

“Elder Mo!”

Zhang Xuan looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Hmph, Zhang Xuan laoshi!” Elder Mo’s face was cold. With an intentionally harsher tone, he said, “You came to the Compendium Pavilion not to study, but to intentionally cause trouble! From now on, the Compendium Pavilion no longer welcomes you. If you step in here once more, I will break your legs!”

“Causing trouble? Elder Mo, where did all these come from? I have been looking through the books seriously, how did I become a troublemaker?”

Although he had already duplicated an identical Compendium Pavilion in his head and no longer had to come here, he still felt displeased upon hearing those words.

[Why is it that when other people are here, you think of them as studying, but when I am here, you think of me as a troublemaker?

What kind of logic is this?

Aren’t you being too unreasonable!]


Chapter 30: Shen Bi Ru's Shock

Editor: GaiaNova, Thaddpole&Tortex

Shen Bi Ru’s Shock

“Reading seriously?” A wind tugged on Elder Mo’s beard and his face looked so red that it might explode at any moment. “Not jotting down notes to decipher its content and simply flipping the books randomly. Tell me, who reads the way you do?”

“Must reading involve jotting down notes to decipher its contents?” Only now did Zhang Xuan understand why the other party was so mad. He was at a loss to respond.

In his previous life, he was a librarian and his job scope was similar to that of Elder Mo’s. However, back then, as long as one held a borrowing pass, he would be able to enter the premises and no one would bother whether he was eating or drinking inside. As long as one didn’t kill someone or set the place on fire, he was basically free to do as he pleased!

Initially, he thought that Elder Mo was making things difficult for him due to his previous self’s astounding results at the Teacher Qualification Examination. After such a farce, the reason ended up to be just this!

“These books are obtained through the relentless efforts of the academy’s predecessor and every single one of them is the product of their blood, sweat and tears. If you are not here to study, then don’t touch them! Flipping through them the way you do, what can you be doing other than creating trouble?” Elder Mo flung his hands in anger.

“I… Fine, if you insist that I’m creating trouble, then just take it to be so!”

Zhang Xuan wanted to explain, but after thinking it through for a moment, he shook his head and decided otherwise.

The matter with the Library of Heaven’s Path must not be revealed. This also meant that he would be unable to explain his actions of flipping through those books frenziedly.

Since he won’t be here in the future anyway, there was no need for him to clarify it. Besides, his reputation was already as bad as it is, it didn’t matter whether it was sullied further or not.

“At least you’re willing to admit to it! Now, scram!” Upon his admittance, intense loathing could be seen in Elder Mo’s eyes. He waved his hands, gesturing him to leave.

“I’ll be taking my leave!”

Just as he was about to leave, a pleasant aroma surged into his surroundings and a figure appeared before him. Blocking his path, Shen Bi Ru said, “Wait a minute!”

“What is it now?” Zhang Xuan looked at her helplessly. “You read your own book while I read mine. Surely I didn’t bother you then!”

“Hmph!”

Normally, when she stopped someone else, the other party would be leaping in joy. Yet, this fellow looked at her with an annoyed expression. Shen Bi Ru frowned, “It isn’t about that. Didn’t you say that you were reading books in there? After reading for such a long period, surely you would remember some of its contents!”

“What do you mean?”

Not sure what kind of tricks this woman was playing now, Zhang Xuan stared at her doubtfully.

“It’s simple. I noticed that you read 《Eight Methods of Pill Refinement》. It just happens that there are some parts of it that I am unable to comprehend, so I would like to consult you on it. Surely you won’t reject my request?” Shen Bi Ru asked.

Actually, her plan was simple. Wasn’t this fellow before her putting on an act by flipping through all those books?

Thus, if she questioned him on the book and he was unable to answer her queries, his lie would be exposed!

“Eight Methods of Pill Refinement?” Zhang Xuan’s consciousness jolted as the book appeared in his mind. Indeed, he had flipped through this book previously. “If there’s anything you are unsure of, feel free to ask and I will answer your queries. However, I have to eat soon and don’t have much time to spare, so do hurry up…”

“You…”

Clenching her fists tightly, Shen Bi Ru almost fainted from anger.

[His tone is as though a frustrated teacher answering the questions of a student seeking clarification.

Firstly, I am a beauty. Secondly, I am a high-level teacher and one of the popular teachers of the school! If I ask you a question, it is obvious that I am testing your standards. Why does it sound like I am learning from you?

Everyone has a field of specialty that expertise in, so teachers in the academy often consult one another to learn from each other. However, as a fellow who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, what makes you think that you are qualified for me to be consulting you?]

Suppressing the rage within her that was on the verge of erupting, Shen Bi Ru grinded her teeth, “Just a moment ago, I read a phrase in the book ‘If the herbs scatter, it would be difficult for the pill to form! If the herbs agglutinate, a yellow pill will form!’ I find these words a little bizarre and incomprehensible. Can Zhang laoshi clarify its meaning for me?”

When she said the word ‘clarify’, her teeth almost shattered from the intense force between them, and the sound of its grinding was clear to hear.

As a great beauty, if it wasn’t to embarrass him, she would never seek guidance from a trash.

“You still want to ask questions despite that memory of yours…” He didn’t expect the other party to ask such a question. He pursed his lips and replied, “The phrase should be ‘If the herbs agglutinate, it would be difficult for the pill to form! If the herbs scatter, a yellow pill will form!’ Its meaning is simple. When refining a pill, the moment that the herbal fluid or powder clumps together, it would be impossible to meld their medical properties together. On the other hand, if they are separated and mixed together thoroughly, the pill that would be formed will look like the yellows of an egg!”

After flipping through all of the books in the Compendium Pavilion, he was able to retrieve the correct method for the refinement of the pill with just a jolt of his consciousness. She might be able to stump others with such a question, but directing it towards him? What a joke!

What’s worst was that… She even recited the question wrongly! Her standard was too sub-par!

“How, you can’t reply it, can you! Ah… What did you say?”

She thought that the young man would be unable to reply her question. Not even in her dreams would she fathom that Zhang Xuan would be able to answer the question so casually. Unprepared for such a twist, Shen Bi Ru was dumbfounded, her beautiful eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

She intentionally recited the phrase wrongly, so that he would offer the wrong guidance. In her viewpoint, this fellow was just making up a show in the Compendium Pavilion, not absorbing the slightest bit of knowledge in those books at all. If she were to casually whip out the contents of a book, he would be foreign to them!

Thus, she recited it inaccurately, so that he would make a fool of himself!

Who knew that… he would see through her inaccurate reciting and even offered the most correct answer!

[How… How is this possible?

Could it be that this fellow has really remembered the entirety of 《Eight Methods of Pill Refinement》 just by flipping through it?

But that’s impossible!

He is a fellow who scored zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, how could he possibly be knowledgeable in something as unconventional as pill refining?]

“Alright, do you have any other questions?” Stroking his shriveled stomach, Zhang Xuan hurried her.

“I still have more!” Despite the overwhelming shock, upon seeing the impassive look on his face, Shen Bi Ru immediately recovered and posed another question, “There is another phrase that I don’t understand. ‘When refining a metal in flames, never meld them when it is impure!’”

After finishing her words, she smiled coldly as she awaited for the stumped look on the other party.

The question she asked previously was on pill refinement while this one was a dictum on weapon forging. This was a phrase she saw on an ancient book. She was unable to understand the saying even after analyzing it for a month. In the end, she only managed to clarify it after consulting a master blacksmith!

Initially, she only wanted to embarrass the other party to let him know the price of offending her. Yet, she didn’t expect him to be able to explain the meaning of the words in the Eight Methods of Pill Refinement!

This provoked the competitive spirit within her, inducing her to come up with a difficult question to leave him speechless.

“This…”

Standing by the side, Elder Mo was surprised when Zhang Xuan was able to answer the first question. Even so, he wasn’t particularly shocked.

Eight Methods of Pill Refinement was a basic manual that innumerable rookie apothecaries would have to learn, similar to what Hongtian Nine Dan Formula was to cultivators. Even if one didn’t learn pill refinement, it wasn’t peculiar for them to know a thing or two about it.

When Shen Bi Ru asked the second question, he was stunned. That’s because even he found it hard to decipher the meaning of these words.

“When refining a metal in flames, never meld them when it is impure!” Just when the two of them thought that he would be incapable of answering, Zhang Xuan shook his head and looks at Shen Bi Ru as though he was looking at an idiot. “What is so hard to comprehend about these words? It just means that when forging weapons, one must first refine the respective materials in fire to thoroughly to clear away all impurities. Only then can the weapon be melded together more effectively! May I trouble you to ask some harder questions? This basic knowledge can be grasped easily after reading more books!”

“This…”

Shen Bi Ru’s slim body jolted.

She had to consult many different people before she got an answer to this question of hers. Yet, this young man managed to point out the crux of the dictum instantly, this…

Not just her, even Elder Mo almost fainted from astonishment.

For Zhang Xuan to answer a question he didn’t know the answer to, could it be that… he was studying seriously when he was flipping through all those books?

“Zhang Xuan laoshi, your answer seems to be incorrect though. I remember that there is an explanation of it on 《Discussions of Miscellaneous Disputes》 which is different from what you claim. It states that if one wants to add metal material to a pill, one would have to refine it first, otherwise it would not coagulate as one!”

In a state of disbelief, Elder Mo spoke up.

“You remembered it wrongly, there isn’t such a phrase in 《Discussions of Miscellaneous Disputes》, neither there is anything of that sort written in it. The one you read must be 《Discussion of Miscellaneous Theories》 written by senior Liu Ze. There is a phrase similar to it in there, but what is written is ‘When refining a metal along with a pill, never mix them when it is impure’, and not refining a metal in flames!”

Zhang Xuan waved his hand majestically.

He wasn’t aware that the both of them were testing him. He truly thought that the both of them couldn’t remember the contents clearly and thus, he casually continued, “Oh, this book is at the corner of the 9th row in the Compendium Pavilion. The words that you just said are recorded on the 49th page! As for the question Shen laoshi just asked, if you hold doubts about my explanation, you can browse through 《Three Arts of Fire Crafting》 left behind by senior Du Qu. It is by the corner of the 15th bookshelf and the explanation of it is written on the 24th page!”

“Let me take a look!”

Shen Bi Ru looked at him with doubtful eyes. She hurriedly rushed back into the Compendium Pavilion and in a short moment, she came back with two books in her hand, 《Discussion of Miscellaneous Theories》 and 《Three Arts of Fire Crafting》. Flipping to the page that the latter said, she staggered and almost passed out on the spot.

[To think that it would be… identical to what Zhang Xuan said, there is not even a single discrepancy!

Not only did he remember the contents of the book, he could even point out which book it came from, its location and even the page number?

Is this for real?]


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