I looked at Princess Xue, noticing a flicker of hesitation cross her face before she turned to me.
"Young Master Zaitian. I don't think I can continue this tour," Princess Xue said, her tone that of someone genuinely troubled.
"Huh. We haven't even gotten to the good part yet. Right, Mei?" A little confused, not quite grasping what was actually wrong.
"Young Master Zaitian is right," Mei said, giving Xue a meaningful look.
"I'm just not in the mood," she said, still firm.
"Then let's head back — I don't want someone with wrinkles trailing behind me on this tour anyway," I said, playful, trying to lighten the mood a little.
She shot me a glare and said nothing.
"Young Master Zaitian, don't provoke Her Highness," Mei said, more seriously than usual — like someone who knew exactly how bad Xue's temper could get.
"As you wish, Mei."
Without me needing to explain, she already understood the moment I called her name — off she went to arrange things with the guards about our departure.
She waved her hand, and from her spatial ring drew out a void boat the size of a pebble, which expanded to about half a zhang once infused with qi. That drew a few stares, since city rules technically forbade flying within it.
I didn't care either way. My mind was already somewhere else entirely.
*I really need to get my hands on a spatial ring of my own.*
"Come aboard, Young Master, Your Highness," Mei said, bowing respectfully.
We climbed in, and with a zoom the void boat carried us out of the city, back toward the clan.
Xue settled into meditation, the boat gone quiet around her. Mei and Lian talked quietly about something I couldn't quite catch.
I made my way to the deck, looking out over the crowds and the land stretching below.
*System. I think it's time I visit the library. I've got questions that need real answers — I want to actually understand this world I'm in. Long overdue, honestly. Look at how sharp Xue is by comparison.* A little troubled by the thought.
*You're right. Better late than never, though,* it said, almost comforting.
*Hmm. No sarcasm, no blame — you feeling okay?* Suspicious.
*It's not really your fault, is it. You only know what the previous Zaitian knew.*
*Yeah. Just that his knowledge was pretty pitiful,* I complained.
Mei approached, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Young Master. Hope I'm not intruding," she said, respectful.
"Something on your mind?" I asked, ignoring her question entirely.
"Not really — just wanted to say you did well today," she said, respectful.
"I know the clan's already heard about what happened in the city." Calculating, cold.
She gave me a look — surprise mixed with something like understanding — and stepped closer. "How did you know that, Young Master?" Testing my reaction.
I gave her a look of my own. "I know exactly the kind of man my father is, and how the clan generally sees me. Some of them think I'm a waste. I intend to change that."
*After all, when I visited my father's courtyard, those servants weren't just servants — they're his eyes. They've probably been watching me the whole time.*
She didn't respond directly, only said, "Young Master Zaitian, my loyalty is yours. I won't betray your trust." Serious.
I didn't answer that, just said, "I want my own spatial ring. And once we're back at the clan, I'm heading to the library." No emotion in it.
"As you command, Young Master." She turned to leave.
I turned to look at Xue and saw Lian standing beside her, looking a little sad — she must have already heard something from Xue.
*I need to grow stronger — both in power and in knowledge — if I want any chance of protecting what I actually care about. Unless I want to die with a second regret.*
It wasn't long before we arrived back at the clan. Xue opened her eyes, Lian already at her side. "Young Master Zaitian. I don't think I'll be staying at the clan any longer. I need to return to my family," she said, sudden and serious.
"I understand. But, Your Highness — if you ever need help, don't hesitate to reach out. You're not alone in this," I said, firm.
She looked at me. "Then I won't bother with formalities." She turned to Lian. "Prepare the carriage. We leave at dawn."
"As you wish, Your Highness." Lian bowed and vanished.
Xue turned back to me. "I won't need your escort. I can manage on my own." A slight courtesy bow, and then she was gone — flying off at a speed that put her out of sight within a blink.
"Mei. Take me to the library." Cold.
"As you wish, Young Master."
She piloted the boat toward one of the floating peak mountains.
"Mei. That middle mountain, surrounded by the other nine — what is it?"
"That's the resting place of the Supreme Elders and the clan's ancestors. The clan's tomb is there as well."
"Okay."
Unlike the trip back from the city, this one didn't take long — she pushed the void boat to its full speed.
We arrived at the mountain housing the library — an expansive palace covering the entire mountaintop.
"Mei. You can head off now," I said, already walking toward the palace without looking back.
As I approached, I noticed a beast curled up in the shape of a stone, a middle-aged man seated atop it in a bored-looking meditation pose, and beside them, a stone inscribed with the names of those who'd contributed greatly to the clan.
I turned to read the inscription and found a rule that didn't quite make sense at first: *"Making noise in the library — the punishment that follows is having a drink with Elder Zhao."*
I glanced at the man again. *Is this guy Elder Zhao?* Deciding not to dwell on it, I kept walking toward the library.
He didn't so much as open his eyes as I passed — though his beast cracked open one eye, studied me for a moment, then closed it again. I didn't waste breath on either of them, just kept walking toward the door, which opened on its own.
The moment I crossed the threshold, it closed gently behind me. What I saw inside was beyond anything I'd imagined — by my estimate, it rivaled the Milky Way of my old life, in both scale and height.
There was no ground floor to speak of. Shelves, glowing orbs, and books drifted freely, sorted by section, the whole space wrapped in a cool, serene atmosphere that made settling into calm feel almost effortless.
There was no rigid layered structure — just a simple rule: the deeper you went, the more significant the material became. And from what I understood, if your rank, position, or contribution to the clan wasn't sufficient, you wouldn't be able to step a half foot, let alone an inch, past the boundary set for your level.
Since this was my first visit, I had no real sense of direction — until I spotted a glowing orb marked with an insignia explaining its purpose and contents.
A touch was enough to absorb its knowledge, and once I had my bearings, I headed northeast — toward the section holding historical knowledge and the realm's geography.