Author: Read the auxiliary chapter in volume 0 first
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An elevated place somewhere.
The bookstore Shaolan was walking toward was the Imperial Bookstore. This bookstore was a little different from the public bookstores, and there was a lot more choice. It was only accessible to people with a certain status.
Access to knowledge in the fire nation was not really controlled, but the nobility liked to feel privileged. Nobles didn't necessarily like hanging out with ordinary people and places.
Arriving at the door, Shaolan was stopped by a rugged-looking guard who carried a spear. The girl didn't go out much, and few people were familiar with her face.
"Who are you, girl?" Staring up Shaolan with disdain, the guard, who didn't seem very friendly with guests, said to her idly. "Do you want to get inside? You will have to show me a birth certificate and an identity document."
"I don't have any." Shaolan replied with poise. She didn't have her papers in order, as she didn't leave her house much.
"What do you want, then?" The guard laughed with one of his fellow workers. "If I were you, I would turn around nicely, young lady. You're well-dressed, but we're used to shams like you dressing up to solicit a few eligible bachelors. You won't be the first or the last. Young aristocrats are used to it by now, and not all are reluctant to this kind of practice, but we're no longer fooled."
"Hahaha, come on missy, shoo off nicely." The other guard who was laughing said. This one looked more immature than his strong-looking companion, but was not more courteous with his words and actions.
"An advice, scram before these two sapheads get physical. I saw them drop a girl your age down the stairs just last week." An even younger and nicer looking guard approached her and suggested with a whisper. He came out less timeserving than the two yobboes.
Shaolan didn't know if it was because he was enamoured by her immature yet good-looking face, but she didn't care.
She had no interest in the male gender, and had a way to enter the library through the backdoor.
Finding out that she could literally shit gold, her business making ideas were given up. Her only interest besides the improvement of her strength was the chase of beauties.
In the opposite order stated, one could be done easily with the other.
Stunning the guards quiet with gold coins, Shaolan confirmed her distinguished status in a way that embarrassed them.
A bit embarrassed, but richer than seconds before, the guards let her enter without too many queries.
After they used their brains, it became obvious to them that a young girl of Shaolan's age was born in a great house. She had no other way to throw so much money out the window for such a small issue, otherwise.
Stepping through the gates, Shaolan didn't announce who she was still. She could have told that she was Ukano's daughter, War Counselor of Ozai... But as happy as she would be creating trouble for her father, she was heading in to steal books.
… To avoid unnecessary trouble, and catastrophes, some things were better done quietly.
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Inside the Imperial Bookstore.
In the corridors between the shelves of books, Shaolan acted cautiously.
She was stealing all the books she was interested in, one by one, with just one small, quick touch. Each time, after taking a look around.
Shaolan didn't know much about LOHP. But according to the wiki, In the latter parts of the novel, Zhang Xuan could steal books with a glance.
But then again, she wasn't Zhang Xuan, the system was. It told her how it couldn't use that ability.
In fact, Shaolan wasn't even using Zhang Xuan's most basic stealing ability. She was simply fusing the books with her before letting the system devour them after she left.
With her fusion skill, Shaolan didn't need an inventory.
The only reason she couldn't directly integrate a planet inside her was because it was inhabited by people who could refuse her fusion waves.
For planets where life had no soul, no mind, or better, where there was no life at all, there were no such limitations.
She didn't need to worry about any of this for now, however. Even if she could travel, live and breathe in space one day, there was no advantage doing so in ATLA.
Or was there?
Leaving the bookstore with an innocent look, humming, Shaolan was relieved to see she didn't get caught. One of the librarians at the desk only glanced at her normally.
Arriving outside the building once again, though, she was face to face with someone who looked familiar.
After checking up with the system, Shaolan found out that it was one of the Ty sisters called Ty Woo.
Before she could find out more about her and her personality, Shaolan blocked the way. She also stared too long and inappropriately at her chubby body and face. Which all turned out to be big mistakes seconds later…