The sun had just climbed over the courtyard wall, its light hitting the Stone Slab. I hadn't brushed off all the dust from my Sleeve Pouch yet, and the scab on my earlobe had already formed a thin layer of skin. Lu Jiuxuan walked ahead of me, his steps not fast, but each one seemed to step into a seam in time—no more, no less. I looked down at my Shadow, stretched long, just like yesterday, but the heat in my chest hadn't receded; instead, it sank down toward my Ribs, like swallowing a red-hot piece of iron stuck halfway down.
Turning the bamboo fence, the open space ahead already held a dozen people, all newly arrived Menial Laborers and Apprentices who had failed the re-examination. An Old Man in a Grey Robe stood before a Stone Platform, hands clasped behind his back, eyelids half-drooped. He held a broken Compass, its copper rim polished bright, the needle leaning to one side as if it had been bent.
“Three Days,” he said, his voice like sandpaper rubbing wood. “If you can’t fix it, get out.”
No one spoke. I shuffled half a step forward, my gaze falling on the base of the Compass—a diagonally carved spiral pattern, three turns leading to a hook at the end. I recognized it. Three months ago, in the Black Market back alley’s Scrap Heap, I had dug out a scorched navigation Fragment that bore this exact pattern. At the time, I traded it for half a Dry Biscuit and a Rusty Knife.
The Old Man placed the Compass onto the Platform; the metal striking stone made a harsh sound. I reached out to take it. Just as my fingertips touched the base, my chest suddenly burned hot, and the Pendant jumped against my skin, as if struck by something.
I pulled my hand back, pretending to brush off dust, and looked down at my Sleeve Pouch. My palm was slightly damp—not sweat, but in that instant, my fingertip had seeped a little blood without me noticing.
“Next,” the Old Man shouted.
I reached out again and picked up the Compass. The copper casing was ice-cold, but the pattern on the base felt hot the moment I touched it, like it was electrified. Holding it, I didn't look at Lu Jiuxuan, but his position hadn't changed; he stood just outside the crowd, his back to the sun, his Shadow stretching far out, covering half of my foot.
The crowd dispersed, and the Menial Laborers went to collect their tasks. I walked toward the Side Room carrying the Compass, pausing when I passed the Mess Hall back alley. The bucket was still there; the ashes from last night hadn't been cleared, mixed with charred wood shavings and vegetable roots, covered by a layer of broken pottery Fragments. I squatted down and started digging with my hand. My fingertip touched something hard—half a Purple Crystal, its edge chipped, but the core was still bright; it was residue left over after a spirit-guiding array failed.
I slipped it into my Sleeve Pouch. As I stood up, I noticed a Scratches on the corner of the wall, as if someone had carved it with a knife tip: three short horizontal lines and one diagonal hook. The same as the pattern on the Compass base.
After returning to my room, I closed the door and pried open a gap in the bed board, taking out my tool kit. Fine Copper Wire, a whetstone, two iron needles, and a small bottle of gel—found items, the label long gone, but it could bond spiritual tool cracks. I placed the Purple Crystal on the table and used the whetstone to grind it down bit by bit into a cone shape. My fingers pressed too hard, and the chipped edge cut my skin; blood flowed down the crystal surface, seeping into the crack.
The Crystal seemed to gain weight, as if fully saturated.
It was completely dark. The oil lamp was lit, and I disassembled the Compass back casing; the needle was rusted shut, and the spiritual path was broken at the third ring. I wrapped the Copper Wire around twice and inserted the Purple Crystal cone to replace the needle. After reassembling it, the dial showed no reaction, not even a flicker of light.
I bit my fingertip and dripped blood onto the central Talisman Eye.
The moment the blood bead rolled in, the Purple Crystal vibrated with a "hum," and Golden Light burst from the Talisman Eye, spreading across the entire dial like a spiderweb. The Compass lifted half an inch off the table, the needle violently twitched, began to spin rapidly, and finally stopped with a "click," pointing directly toward the top floor of the Library Pavilion.
Almost simultaneously, the Pendant in my Sleeve Pouch shook violently, hot enough to burn through the fabric. I instinctively clenched my left hand, and a sharp pain shot through my palm—the Gold Pattern had resurfaced again, identical to the Light Path on the Compass, down to the direction.
I immediately flung my hand away, pressed the Compass into the broken basket under the bed, and covered it with an old cloth. I hadn't blown out the lamp yet, but the Golden Light was suppressed. I sat against the wall, catching my breath. My palm was still warm, and the Gold Pattern slowly faded, but the feeling of being pulled by something remained.
There were Footsteps outside the window. An Inspector disciple passed by; his Shadow swept across the window paper, paused for a moment, and then moved on.
I took out the Pendant and pressed it against my palm. It was no longer hot, but it was still vibrating faintly, as if listening to something.
“What exactly are you looking for?” I whispered.
It didn't answer, but I could feel that the force directing toward the Library Pavilion was still there, steadier than before.
I tucked it back inside my clothes, stood up, and blew out the oil lamp. The room went dark, and the Compass lay quietly at the bottom of the basket, like a piece of scrap metal.
But I knew it wasn't.
The next morning, I took the Compass to the tool room. The door was locked, and the sign read, "Low-Rank Menial Laborers Forbidden." I circled to the back window; a piece of wood was wedged in the gap, probably left by someone who hadn't closed it properly last time. I reached inside, felt for the latch, and pushed it up half an inch, but couldn't reach the Lock Clasp.
Just as I was thinking about finding a piece of wire, Footsteps sounded behind me.
I immediately shoved the Compass into my Sleeve, turned around, and saw Lu Jiuxuan standing three steps away, holding a cloth bag, looking like he had just returned from the Pharmacy.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Looking for something,” I replied. “Just passing by.”
He glanced at the window, then at me. “There’s nothing you want inside.”
“How do you know what I want?”
“Your eyes are drifting,” he said, taking two steps closer. “And I smell blood on your Sleeve Pouch.”
I looked down; my Sleeve Pouch was indeed stained a bit, from scraping the Purple Crystal last night, and I hadn't washed it clean.
“Minor injury,” I said, tugging my sleeve. “It’s nothing.”
He didn't ask further and handed me the cloth bag he was holding. “Take this.”
I accepted it; it was heavy. Opening it, I saw several complete Purple Crystal Fragments, their purity much higher than the one I found in the Scrap Heap.
“Where did you get these?”
“Pharmacy surplus,” he said. “Use them if they’re useful.”
I didn't refuse and immediately tucked them into my chest. “Thanks.”
He nodded and turned to leave, then suddenly stopped. “Don’t be too conspicuous about the Compass.”
“I know.”
“I’m not reminding you,” he said, looking into the distance. “I’m reminding yourself.”
I understood. Conspicuous things always attract attention.
After returning to the room, I took out the new Purple Crystals to compare. I found their crystal lattice arrangement was different from the piece I had used; their energy was more stable. But the Compass was already Activated; changing the Materials now might break that connection.
I decided not to touch it.
I tried again that evening.
The lamp was out, and the Compass sat on the table. I unfastened my collar and exposed the Pendant against my skin. It rested there quietly for a moment, then slowly grew warm. I reached out and touched the Compass; the needle swayed slightly, and the Golden Light spread from the Talisman Eye again, brighter than last time.
When the Light Path extended to the seventh ring, the Pendant suddenly jolted, and the Gold Pattern on my palm reappeared. This time it didn't vanish; instead, it crawled an inch up my arm along the Blood Vessels.
I quickly pulled my hand back, and the light extinguished.
The Compass settled back onto the tabletop, the needle still pointing toward the top floor of the Library Pavilion.
I stared at it for a long time, then disassembled it. In the base's interlayer, I inserted a Shadow-Concealing Talisman Paper—the one Lu Jiuxuan had "accidentally" given me yesterday. After pressing the Talisman Paper in, the Light Pattern on the Compass surface dimmed slightly, but the direction remained unchanged.
I put it back into the basket and covered it with the cloth.
Before sleeping, I touched my earlobe; the scab had fallen off, and the new skin felt a little itchy.
Outside the window, the wind swept a Withered Leaf over the eaves and slapped against the window paper, making a sound.
I closed my eyes. The Pendant rested against my chest, warm, as if waiting for something.