Chapter 19: Elder Shu

The light and shadow vaguely outlined the figure of an old man wearing ancient robes and a tall crown. His features were indistinct, but those eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through eternity, were sweeping over the crowd pouring in with lingering anger.

That was the guardian artifact spirit of the Scripture Repository—Elder Shu.

“Elder Shu.” Lu Fengmian bowed once more.

He Shi’an and the others were so nervous that their palms were sweating. They also bowed and said, “Respectful greetings, Venerable Lord!”

Elder Shu’s gaze lingered on Lu Fengmian for a moment, then he gave a cold snort.

“Only you, brat, know how to speak properly.”

He immediately looked at the ten disciples, his tone unfriendly.

“So it was you little brats making noise outside before dawn and waking me from my ‘Ten Thousand Scrolls as One’ meditation? Hm?”

The ten disciples were as quiet as cicadas in winter, their heads lowering even further.

Lu Fengmian spoke at the right moment, his tone sincere.

“Elder Shu, please calm your anger. They also know they were in the wrong. These young people are full of energy and eager to succeed. Considering this is their first offense, and that their hearts are set on the sect, I hope you can forgive them.”

Elder Shu snorted again. The light and shadow seemed to sway slightly, and his anger appeared to fade somewhat.

He was not actually unreasonable; he simply attached extreme importance to rules, and especially loathed ignorant clamor disturbing this pure land of knowledge.

Lu Fengmian’s attitude was sincere, his reasoning was fair, and he had even thrown out “bait” that interested him, giving him a dignified way to back down.

“Fine, fine. I’ll do it for your sake, brat Lu.”

Elder Shu waved the sleeve formed from light and shadow, and several streams of spiritual light flew out from the surrounding bookshelves, turning into ten different jade slips and ten token plaques carved with the character “Quiet”.

“Take them! I picked them according to your cultivation methods. Go to the meditation rooms in the back. Once you get them, hide yourselves away and cultivate! Don’t stand here being an eyesore! Keep quiet while cultivating!”

The ten disciples felt as though they had been granted amnesty. They hurried forward cautiously to receive their respective jade slips and tokens, their hearts filled with gratitude and excitement.

After bowing once more in thanks, they followed the guidance of the tokens and briskly headed toward the meditation area behind the Scripture Repository.

Seeing that group of “troublemakers” finally disappear from sight, Elder Shu seemed to let out a breath of relief, then turned his gaze back to Lu Fengmian.

“Fine, those damned children are gone.” Elder Shu’s voice returned to its usual low tone, though it remained sharp. “So reckless, and they’re still supposed to be the top ten elites? Hmph! They can’t even manage the most basic ‘quieting the mind before entering the repository’!”

After complaining about the disciples, he changed the subject:

“Brat Lu, have you memorized the first volume of 《A Preliminary Explanation of Guiding the Origin of the Abyss》 that I assigned you last time? Recite it for me. If you get even one word wrong, or misunderstand it, heh heh…”

A chill ran through Lu Fengmian’s heart. Here it came! He had known it would not be so easy to pass the test!

Although Elder Shu acknowledged that he was very strong at handling interpersonal affairs, when it came to academic examination, he was famously strict—harsh, even—showing no mercy whatsoever.

Fortunately, he had prepared thoroughly.

That 《A Preliminary Explanation of Guiding the Origin of the Abyss》 was an ancient classic explaining the fundamental circulation of spiritual power and its resonance with the source qi of heaven and earth. The text was ancient, but its principles were profound.

After taking over the sect’s affairs, time had been extremely tight, but he understood Elder Shu’s temperament, so he had squeezed out every spare moment. Relying on the system’s perfect memory and comprehension abilities, he had ultimately mastered the sect’s methods of operation.

He took a deep breath, cast aside distracting thoughts, and, with a solemn expression facing Elder Shu’s light-shadow figure, began to recite:

“The Origin of the Abyss is the beginning of heaven and earth, the mother of all things. The starting point of guidance lies in resonance. Calm the heart and gather the spirit, embrace the source, preserve unity…”

His diction was clear. Not only did he recite the thousands of words of the original text without a single mistake, but he also explained the key points.

He occasionally added some of his own shallow insights as well. Though he did not think these insights especially profound, they at least showed that he had worked hard to understand the text.

As he recited, the dense scholarly atmosphere on the first floor of the Scripture Repository seemed to be stirred.

Faint golden word-shadows appeared in the air, resonating harmoniously with his voice, accompanied by a faint Dao rhythm.

Those disciples who had not gone far and were still searching for their meditation rooms, as well as Steward Zhou, who was still anxiously waiting at the entrance, were all drawn by this voice. They slowed their steps and listened carefully.

Although they could not hear every word clearly, and might not fully understand the ancient scripture, they could sense a certain rhythm contained within the sound.

It seemed to point directly toward the origin of the Great Dao, causing their minds to calm involuntarily.

A look of astonishment flickered in He Shi’an’s eyes, and his heart was full of shock.

“Senior Brother actually mastered such an obscure ancient text to this extent? Where exactly did he find the time?”

The other disciples also exchanged glances, their admiration for Lu Fengmian surging like a rushing river.

Even with a task assigned by such a severe, old-fashioned spirit elder, Senior Brother could complete it so excellently. Such vast learning, such tenacious perseverance.

No wonder he could win the Sect Master’s favor, and even make these proud elite disciples sincerely convinced!

Elder Shu listened quietly, the light and shadow swaying faintly, his expression unreadable.

Only after Lu Fengmian finished the last word and gave a brief summary did silence return to the pavilion once more.

“Hm…” Elder Shu was silent for a moment before slowly speaking. His voice was calm and without ripples, but at least the hostile tone from before had disappeared.

“You did indeed put some thought into it, and you did not perfunctorily deal with me. Although your explanation was not thorough enough, the direction was correct. You have some views of your own, which shows you have a bit of talent. Very well, I’ll count it as you passing.”

Relief washed over Lu Fengmian’s heart, and he respectfully said, “Many thanks for Elder Shu’s guidance.”

“Fine, you can go too.”

Elder Shu waved his hand, and the light and shadow dimmed somewhat, as though he were about to sink back into the state of “Ten Thousand Scrolls as One”.

“Remember to send over the soul-calming incense and that fragment of the Void Inscription you promised me. And from now on, whenever anyone comes to the Scripture Repository, tell me in advance! Next time—come later! If anyone wakes me up again, no matter who it is, I’ll throw them all out!”

The volume of the last few sentences suddenly rose. They were not only meant for Lu Fengmian; clearly, they were intended for everyone outside to hear as well.

He Shi’an and the others were so frightened that they shrank their necks and hastily quickened their pace into their respective meditation rooms, shutting the doors tightly behind them.

“Yes, this disciple will remember it well and will certainly relay your words to all fellow disciples.” Lu Fengmian bowed in reply.

“Hm, then go.” Elder Shu’s figure completely disappeared, merging into the surrounding bookshelves and spiritual light.

Only then did Lu Fengmian straighten up, gently exhale, and turn to walk out of the Scripture Repository.

Outside, Steward Zhou looked at him with a face full of gratitude and admiration. “Martial Nephew Lu, today was truly all thanks to you!”

Lu Fengmian waved his hand. “This is my duty. Martial Uncle Zhou also heard Elder Shu’s words; please remind the disciples to be careful in the future.”

“Of course, of course!” Steward Zhou nodded repeatedly.

Lu Fengmian lifted his head to look at the sky. The morning light had fully risen, and golden sunlight spilled throughout the valley.

Sleeping in was absolutely impossible, and breakfast was probably cold by now.

Still, resolving the crisis of an artifact spirit’s bad morning temper and consolidating his image as a “learned senior brother” in front of the elite disciples seemed like a fairly good trade after all?

He shook his head, leapt onto his sword, and flew back toward Luo Xia Peak.

For the rest of today, things should… be a little easier, right?

Probably.