Early morning, at the entrance of the library pavilion in the northeast of South Peak, stood a young girl dressed in white robes.
At this moment, she was tilting her small face upward, gazing at this resplendent and magnificent library pavilion.
Its exterior was an octagonal tower, its spire soaring into the clouds, with pink walls and black tiles, exuding grandeur and opulence.
The girl stood in place watching for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, her eyes filled with awe.
Meanwhile, a man in purple robes in front of the tower had been observing her for a long time.
The Cultivation World was not lacking in beauties, but this young girl was quite different from the various female cultivators of the Tian Zhao Sect.
She was undoubtedly beautiful, but her beauty carried a touch of mortal world vitality—pure and lively, not aloof in the slightest, instead appearing very approachable.
Seeing her remain motionless, the purple-robed man couldn’t help but step forward and ask: “Good morning, fellow cultivator. Are you here to borrow books from the library pavilion?”
“Mm.”
“Alright, please show me your Spirit Register.”
She froze.
What was that?
The girl was Yu Sui Sui. The reason she came here today was to barely complete this month’s quota… no, to find a few secret manuals for Xie Rong Jing’s cultivation practice.
“What’s a Spirit Register?”
She voiced her confusion.
The purple-robed guard smiled understandingly. He had initially thought she was a junior sister who had recently joined the inner sect, but if she didn’t even know about the Spirit Register, then she must be a little maid servant wanting to broaden her horizons.
Generally speaking, he looked down upon such maid servants and immortal attendants who didn’t know their place—if they truly had talent for cultivation, they would have long become inner sect disciples like himself.
Since they weren’t cut out for it, why come to the library pavilion? As if they could understand what they’re reading.
But this little maid before him was quite attractive, so the purple-robed guard was happy to explain to her.
“It’s something every inner sect disciple and core disciple possesses. The sect contribution points earned from completing sect missions are recorded in the Spirit Register. Whether reading in the scripture library, purchasing medicines and magical instruments, or seeking treatment from Medical Cultivators… all these require sect contribution points.”
“Of course, if your sect contribution points are insufficient, you can use Spirit Stones to make up the difference,” the man added.
So that’s how it was.
Yu Sui Sui understood: the sect was like a guild in an online game—you couldn’t take things for free inside, you needed contribution points.
Oh no, she hadn’t made any contributions.
“Then how many Spirit Stones are needed?”
“Ten per hour.” This time it was another guard who spoke, slightly taller than the previous purple-robed one.
!?!?!
So reading was this expensive in the Cultivation World.
The original host wasn’t short on Spirit Stones, but she remembered that Outer Sect Disciples received a monthly allowance of 5-10 Spirit Stones, while Inner Sect Disciples probably received more, around 50?
The purple-robed guard’s eyes flickered uncertainly a few times, but ultimately he said nothing.
If it were just for reading, two Spirit Stones per hour would be sufficient.
But he knew that even with this high price, the maid before him would grit her teeth and agree. These servants waited on their masters all year round, never knowing when they might get a chance to slip out… he had seen this kind of situation many times, so he didn’t feel particularly moved.
“Ten stones? Why don’t you just rob people?” a voice shouted.
The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
Yu Sui Sui turned around: “Steward Niu?”
Steward Niu immediately put on a smiling face.
As luck would have it, he was about to advance to the fourth level, so he had specifically come to the library pavilion to first see what spirit techniques and secret manuals would be suitable for a fourth-level Spirit Cultivator to practice.
All of this was thanks to the young mistress! Steward Niu beamed with delight.
Ever since he was recognized as the young mistress’s subordinate, his days at the Bei Feng Law Enforcement Hall had improved dramatically. He no longer had to perform daily duties diligently, and he was given priority access to the best cultivation resources—a world of difference from his previous life.
While congratulating himself on his foresight in clinging to the young mistress’s coattails, Steward Niu shot a fierce glare at the two guards.
The tall guard was baffled by the glare.
He didn’t know Steward Niu, but judging by the other’s distinctive white attire, he should be from the Bei Feng Law Enforcement Hall.
The guards of the South Peak’s library and the stewards of the North Peak’s Law Enforcement Hall had no connection whatsoever. How could he have offended this person?
Unable to figure it out, the tall guard decided to make friends rather than enemies and smiled amiably at the newcomer.
Unexpectedly, the other party wasn’t having it. Steward Niu planted his hands on his hips and declared with robust energy, “Step aside at once!”
The tall guard glanced at Yu Sui Sui and finally understood. “Is this your daughter?”
Uh…
She and Steward Niu didn’t look like family at all.
Steward Niu was even more agitated than she was. How dare he presume to be Yu Sui Sui’s father? If possible, he’d rather call her father.
“Are you blind? This is the young mistress!” Steward Niu acted like every lackey by a domineering female side character’s side. “The young mistress of Tian Zhao Sect has arrived. Scram!”
Yu Sui Sui: …
She hadn’t expected… this line to actually be spoken.
Help.
A small mercy in this misfortune: at this hour, the Spirit Cultivators were all cultivating, and there were hardly any people near the library.
The two guards didn’t find the statement problematic at all. They hastily bowed in fear and let the young mistress step into the tall octagonal tower.
Only after entering did she realize: the library had nine floors, and each higher level required additional payment.
Adhering to her frugal principles, she decided she wouldn’t spend a single Spirit Stone.
According to The Self-Cultivation of a White Moonlight, to become someone’s white moonlight, one could try first playing the role of their golden finger.
Yu Sui Sui speculated: Xie Rong Jing was most likely still a Ghost Cultivator. After all, he had methods to kill people, and his techniques were so sinister—it was probably done through ghost manipulation.
If she could find some secret manuals suitable for Ghost Cultivators, it should count as a small golden finger, right?
She strolled casually through rows of bookshelves, as leisurely as if she were walking in a garden.
The first floor covered the largest area, but there were simply too many beginner-level secret manuals. The shelves couldn’t hold them all, so bundles of bamboo scrolls and books were haphazardly piled on the floor, like common cabbages everywhere.
How could anyone find anything in this mess?
Good thing she hadn’t gone upstairs.
Tian Zhao Sect was a major Spirit Cultivator sect, and 99% of the books here were related to Spirit Cultivator cultivation. Occasionally, there were a few on pharmacology or sword and blade techniques, but they were buried among piles of Ten Common Fire Element Techniques and Fifty Tips for Cultivating Spiritual Qi.
Sui Sui was tired. Sui Sui wanted to rest.
Originally, after slacking off for a week, she had planned to symbolically find a Ghost Cultivator manual for Xie Rong Jing to make a show of it… but this was way too hard to find.
It was understandable: Ghost Cultivator techniques were too sinister. In an orthodox sect like Tian Zhao Sect, it was difficult to find such secret manuals.
Yu Sui Sui sifted through the information about Ghost Cultivators in her mind, knowing it was similar to summoning in online games—where the main body doesn’t fight but summons a group of minions to help battle monsters.
It’s just that some of the summoned things didn’t quite align with socialist core values.
If she had been patient enough to search thoroughly, she probably wouldn’t have come out empty-handed, but staying longer would require paying two more Spirit Stones…
Out of the corner of her eye, Yu Sui Sui spotted a yellowed bamboo scroll: “Beginner’s Guide to Array Cultivation.”
Alright, you’ll do.
Array cultivation only required spiritual energy in the early stages, and even without Meridians, the great villain could learn it. It could barely count as a mini golden finger.
Yu Sui Sui emerged from the octagonal tower, cheerfully holding the bamboo scroll as she went to visit Xie Rong Jing.
The weather in May wasn’t as cool as before, especially under the midday sun, which was bright and intense.
As she passed by the North Peak, she saw groups of Outer Sect Disciples gathered together. Some were cultivating together, while others were sparring with each other, creating a harmonious and friendly scene.
Without even looking, she knew Xie Rong Jing wouldn’t be there.
She had thought Xie Rong Jing would be hiding somewhere alone, secretly practicing. To her surprise, he was still near that flower field.
Unlike the previous scene, today the flower field was lush green, emitting a faint green glow even under the sunlight, with not a trace of red in sight, resembling a massive piece of jade.
Xie Rong Jing was in the shade beside the flower field, where there was a wooden bench and a stone table.
His eyes were closed, his right hand propping up half of his face on the table. His sleeve had slipped all the way to his elbow, revealing a forearm with clean, streamlined contours.
One had to admit, the great villain’s looks and aura were truly striking—long eyelashes, a tall nose bridge, and even sitting casually, he resembled a painting of laziness and elegance.
Aside from his intermittent episodes, he was perfect in every way.
As Yu Sui Sui approached Xie Rong Jing, his closed eyes suddenly snapped open without warning. He leaned forward and gripped her soft neck.
!!!
It all happened too fast. Before Yu Sui Sui could even gasp, his hand naturally released her.
When he spoke, his attitude could be described as refined and elegant.
“Nice to see you again, Miss.”
Yu Sui Sui felt that gasp stuck in her throat, neither rising nor falling: “Good afternoon. This is for you.”
She took out the bamboo scroll from her Storage Bag and handed it to Xie Rong Jing, who hooked his fingers to receive it.
“Beginner’s Guide to Array Cultivation,” he read slowly, then lifted his eyes with a gracious smile. “Miss seems to care about me a lot.”
That smile was nearly dazzling, but unfortunately, Yu Sui Sui felt as if she possessed a demon-revealing mirror—a male demon like Xie Rong Jing had nowhere to hide under her gaze.
She put on her all-purpose perfunctory smile: “Study hard, improve every day.””
Cultivators weren’t limited to a single cultivation path. As long as they had time, energy, and ample Cultivation Resources, they could easily explore multiple disciplines.
For example, Madam Qin, who taught her to play the zither, was a Triple Realm Sound Cultivator and also a Fourth Realm Spirit Cultivator.
Xie Rong Jing was still a villain in his growth phase—he definitely wouldn’t mind acquiring a few more life-saving skills.
Sure enough, the great villain raised an eyebrow and began flipping through the bamboo scroll with a rustle. He seemed genuinely interested, even taking out a brush and draft paper from his Storage Bag, scribbling and sketching as he read.
The air was filled with a fresh, grassy scent. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting two pale golden spots on the stone table. Occasionally, one or two bird calls echoed in the quiet forest.
Yu Sui Sui rubbed her neck, calmly sat down on the bench, and pulled out another book she had borrowed from her Storage Bag.
Running all the way from the library to here was exhausting even with a Flying Sword, so she decided to rest for a while.
Swish—
Xie Rong Jing turned a page.
His eyelids twitched slightly, but he said nothing.
The book Yu Sui Sui had borrowed resembled more of an illustrated album, vividly depicting the customs and cultures of various places in this world with both images and text.
While she couldn’t bring herself to study cultivation Secret Manuals, reading something like this was just right.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, with neither of them speaking—only the rustling sounds of turning bamboo scrolls and pages filling the air.
If it were back when she had first transmigrated here, she would never have imagined that one day she’d be peacefully reading alongside Xie Rong Jing.
Thinking this, Yu Sui Sui stole a sidelong glance at Xie Rong Jing, who remained quiet, propping his cheek with one hand while unconsciously twirling a brush with the other.
It carried a distinct flavor of tranquil serenity.
Yu Sui Sui was startled by her own description.
The great villain and these four words weren’t just poles apart—they were completely unrelated.
Time flowed quietly by.
Yu Sui Sui finished flipping through the thick illustrated album. The sun still hung overhead, seemingly far from setting.
“I’m heading back now,” she said cheerfully, standing up. “That book can be borrowed for a week, so take your time reading it. I’ll come back for it next week.”
Hearing this, Xie Rong Jing turned and handed the bamboo scroll to Yu Sui Sui.
Oh.
He didn’t want to read it anymore either.
She took the scroll and casually flipped through it, realizing that while she recognized every character individually, put together, they made no sense. Additionally, it was filled with strange symbols, vague descriptions, and extremely abstract illustrations.
…No wonder Xie Rong Jing couldn’t get through it.
Having always been an average student throughout her life, Yu Sui Sui felt a subtle sense of camaraderie with the villain.
“Next time, I’ll find you something else to read. This one really is a bit difficult…”
Xie Rong Jing glanced at her, then bent down to pick up a few gray stones, arranging them into a small circle. Inside, he drew several lines—some straight, others crooked.
Then, he stepped into the circle of stones.
—Xie Rong Jing, who had been standing right in front of her moments before, suddenly vanished without a trace.
Yu Sui Sui: …?
Her pupils trembled in shock.
“Can you see me, Young Lady?”
Xie Rong Jing’s voice came from very close by, but though she could hear him, she couldn’t see him.
Had the Array activated?
Yu Sui Sui was so astonished that she forgot to respond at first.
Not that she needed to—Xie Rong Jing could tell everything just by looking at her expression. He moved one of the stones aside, and the vanished Xie Rong Jing reappeared once more.
It felt even more impressive than some live magic shows where people disappear and reappear.
“A small Illusion Array,” Xie Rong Jing explained. “Those outside the Array can’t see the person inside. If you layer it with a Soundproofing Formation, even sound becomes inaudible.”
As he spoke of these things, his expression was gentle, his demeanor composed, showing no trace of the great villain he was known to be.