Chapter 225 - 224: Biting Off More Than I Can Chew? I Say Skills Are No Burden

Jianghai Martial Arts Academy.

Tengfei Building, office.

"What? You’re saying he wants to go to the Library?"

Elder Li put down his zisha teacup, holding the phone to his ear with one hand. Li Qinghe’s voice came from the other end.

The news had returned faster than expected.

He had just finished discussing it with Li Qinghe this morning, and by early evening, the message had already come back.

And the reply was quite unexpected.

"Is this what Young Friend Qin wants?"

Elder Li leaned back in his office chair, stroking his white beard. He pondered for a moment before asking, "Other than that, he has no other requests?"

"Mm... Not for now, Elder Li."

On the other end of the line, Li Qinghe nodded lightly, walking along the main path outside a library. "He just told me that he’s heard the academy’s Library is very famous. He wants to go in and have a look, to see if there are any Cultivation Techniques suitable for him.

He hopes you can give your approval, Elder Li."

"This..."

Hearing this, Elder Li’s white brows furrowed. "This is something I’ll have to consider carefully."

With that, Elder Li put down the phone, lost in thought.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to grant the request.

It’s just that the academy’s Library secretly housed many Innate Techniques, making it one of the most important locations in the Jianghai Martial Arts Academy.

It had always been open only to internal members.

Years ago, even the Chief Commander had wanted to borrow books, but the moment he brought it up, he was immediately shut down... there was absolutely no room for negotiation.

But Qin Yang’s identity was rather complicated...

No matter how you looked at it, he wasn’t a member of the Martial Arts Academy. To rashly set a precedent for an outsider would be unheard of and would, to some extent, break the academy’s rules.

Just as Elder Li was pondering this...

"Elder Li, that Qin... ahem, Qin Yang also said that if it’s not possible, he won’t insist..."

Li Qinghe continued from the other end of the line, "He mainly wants to get into the Library to look up some Dharma Gates related to Archery.

Now that he no longer has his uncles to teach him, he can only rely on himself to comprehend things..."

She didn’t continue, but what she meant was left unsaid.

"Sigh..."

Hearing this, Elder Li heaved a heavy sigh and fell completely silent.

’That’s right.’

’Qin Yang’s status is special now. The Jianghai Sword God and the Arrow God were both his teachers and closest kin. But the problem is, those two seniors are gone now.’

’They sacrificed themselves for Jianghai City. With such a debt of gratitude as a foundation, setting a precedent to let him enter the library is only reasonable... what grounds do I have to refuse?’

Thinking of this, Elder Li picked up the phone and agreed.

"Alright, let’s tentatively set it for noon tomorrow. Have him come to the entrance of Tengfei Building, and I will personally lead him into the Library."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Elder Li. I’ll pass the message on to Qin Yang right away."

BEEP—

The dial tone sounded from the phone.

Elder Li put down his cell phone and turned to look out the window, his mind drifting back to the Arrow God’s sacrifice. ’Losing two elders one after another... Qin Yang must be heartbroken right now, mustn’t he?’

...

...

"Haha, it worked, Master!!"

On the street, Li Qinghe hung up the phone and looked at Qin Yang, who was chewing on a tanghulu beside her. She was so excited she was practically dancing.

"Elder Li agreed! Now you can go read as much as you want! How about that? Satisfied now?"

"Not bad. Your master is pleased."

Qin Yang took a bite of his tanghulu and said leisurely, "You’re still the reliable one when it comes to getting things done."

He had to admit...

Sometimes, Li Qinghe’s mischievous cleverness really reminded him of himself.

"Hmph, from the sound of it, Elder Li was still hesitating... He’s such an old stick-in-the-mud."

Li Qinghe tilted her nose up and said proudly, "It’s all thanks to my quick thinking and a little hint. If you’d sent Zixuan instead, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to fool him!"

"Your martial aunt is in seclusion, so don’t you go spouting nonsense."

Qin Yang yawned and tossed the last piece of tanghulu to Xiaobai. "I won’t be around for the next few days. Help me cover my tracks."

After all, he had never been to the Library and wasn’t sure how long he’d need. Qin Yang then went on to give Li Qinghe some instructions about his Steward duties.

"Hmph, partners in crime!"

Xiaobai nibbled on the tanghulu, gave Qin Yang a look, and then, holding the skewer in its mouth, silently distanced itself from the two of them with its tail held high.

’Master is off to cause trouble somewhere else again!’

’This Fairy is such an honest fox, I’d never be in cahoots with you two!’

...

At noon the next day, Qin Yang got ready and, dressed in casual clothes, arrived at the entrance of Tengfei Building as scheduled. Elder Li had been waiting for some time.

He was wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, his hair completely white. To accommodate Qin Yang’s special status, he had deliberately chosen a location that would avoid the academy’s students.

It was a quiet, deserted path with few pedestrians.

"Young Friend Qin."

Elder Li smiled warmly. "Please, follow me. This way."

Ahead was a secluded path.

He had previously looked into Qin Yang’s background. The fact that he holed up in a library indicated that his nature was not ostentatious.

That was why Elder Li had specially chosen this path, which very few people usually passed through.

Otherwise, if people saw him walking with Qin Yang, even without an explanation, it would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble.

"You’ve gone to great trouble, Elder Li."

Qin Yang understood his intentions and cupped his hands in a nod. "This junior will just read a few books to clear up some confusion and then leave. I won’t trouble you for too long."

"It’s no trouble, Young Friend Qin. If you find any books you like, you can borrow them to take back with you,"

Elder Li walked ahead with his hands behind his back, stepping on fallen branches. "The collection in the Library is vast and varied. As long as it can help you, that’s what matters. You don’t need to be so polite with me."

It was high noon.

The sweltering summer heat was oppressive, and sunlight dappled through the shifting shadows of the trees.

"It must have been hard for you these past few days."

Elder Li thought of the Arrow God’s death and sighed softly. "The elders of your sect were loyal and heroic, sacrificing so much for us in Jianghai. I have no way to repay them, but if you need anything in the future, just come find me.

I may be old, but I still have some say around here."

"Yes, Elder Li. Thank you for your trouble."

Qin Yang nodded lightly. "Since the matter is over, it’s best to let it pass."

’Elder Li is too honest. I almost don’t have the heart to keep deceiving him.’

A moment later.

A massive building was hidden deep in the back hills, shrouded by a pine forest. At the entrance stood an old man, leisurely sweeping fallen leaves.

"Young Friend Qin, this is the Library of our Jianghai Martial Arts Academy,"

Elder Li walked ahead, introducing the place while giving the old man a slight nod of greeting before leading Qin Yang inside.

As they passed the old man, Qin Yang glanced at him impassively. The man’s spiritual essence was contained, his aura completely drawn into his body, with not the slightest trace leaking out.

He looked no different from an ordinary person.

But the more ordinary he appeared, the more bizarre it seemed.

’A classic sweeping monk if I’ve ever seen one.’

Qin Yang marveled inwardly, feeling an inexplicable sense of camaraderie. At the same time, his anticipation for the books inside grew even stronger.

Compared to the publicly accessible Jianghai Library, the quality of the Martial Arts Academy’s collection was bound to be far superior.

’With the Enlightenment Space... After I deduce and fuse them, I’ll definitely be able to create even more perfect Martial Arts!’

"This is it!"

Elder Li stopped at the entrance, gesturing at the layout behind him. "This is the Library. Young Friend Qin, feel free to read here at your leisure. Stay for as long as you like."

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Qin Yang stepped over the threshold, and the interior of the Library came into view.

Sandalwood shelves were filled with all sorts of ancient texts, a dazzling and dizzying array. Many were at the Innate Level, including Palm Techniques, Fist Techniques, and Sword Skills... It was overwhelming.

’Awesome!’

Looking at the room full of books, Qin Yang could hardly contain his excitement.

’Right now, for Swordsmanship, I have One Sword Opens the Celestial Gate and the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique, and the two are even on the verge of fusing. For Archery, I have the Sun-Shooting Arrow Spell, and my Body Technique is Close Yet So Far.’

’With the books in this library, I’ll soon be able to fuse them into a new Martial Art!’

Thinking of this, Qin Yang walked directly into the Library and began browsing the shelves.

During this time, Elder Li thoughtfully sent over many mountain and sea delicacies. Seeing how engrossed Qin Yang was, he didn’t want to disturb him.

Time slowly passed.

In the vast Library, Qin Yang sat alone amidst a sea of books, his Spiritual Power scanning his surroundings as he read. Every day, he was served a rotating menu of rare delicacies.

Life was quite comfortable.

As for his job at the other library, Li Qinghe had thoughtfully made arrangements. His work as a Steward had just begun, and he was still getting credited for perfect attendance.

And so...

Qin Yang blissfully read in the Library for three days and three nights.

He swam freely in an ocean of books!

All kinds of secret Innate manuals were taken in at a glance!

Until noon on the third day.

An aura entered his range of perception.

’What’s this guy doing here?’

Qin Yang put down his book and probed the aura slightly, discovering that it was Lin Mofeng, and he was getting closer and closer.

He was clearly heading straight for him.

Unsure of the other party’s intentions, Qin Yang wasn’t in a hurry to continue reading. He set the book aside and walked toward another section of the Library.

He had only taken a few steps...

When Lin Mofeng called out to him from behind.

"Brother Qin, please wait!"

Lin Mofeng stood between the bookshelves with his hands behind his back, his expression slightly evasive. When he saw Qin Yang turn around, a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

"Grandmaster Lin?"

Qin Yang feigned a look of astonishment. "What brings you here?"

"I..."

Lin Mofeng scratched his head, his thoughts wavering.

Elder Li had previously mentioned that Qin Yang was reading in the Library, implying that he could come in to offer some guidance and help.

But to his surprise, after three days of reading, Qin Yang’s condition wasn’t bad at all. In fact, he was full of vigor and didn’t look like someone who was troubled in the slightest.

He didn’t seem to be in a state of distress at all.

As a Grandmaster and a senior, he had hoped to offer some guidance as a way to make amends.

"Grandmaster Lin?"

Seeing Lin Mofeng dazed, Qin Yang prompted him, "If there’s nothing else, I’m going to head to the next section to read."

"Oh... it’s nothing major. I heard Brother Qin was in the Library, so I came to see you."

A pang of guilt struck Lin Mofeng’s heart. "I saw that you’ve been in the Library for almost three days without coming out, so I was a little worried."

As he spoke, he picked up a book. "Is there something you don’t understand? You can’t bite off more than you can chew, or it’ll just create a bottleneck."

"What Grandmaster Lin says makes sense! I’m just browsing, not planning to go too deep."

Qin Yang nodded, agreeing on the surface.

But inwardly, he pursed his lips.

He wasn’t convinced at all!

’What do you mean, "biting off more than you can chew"?’

’With the Enlightenment Space in hand, forget about this Martial Arts Academy’s Library—even if the books from the Imperial Capital Library were here, I’d take them all in without hesitation.’

’I could even innovate and create something new from them!’

’This is what they call "You can never have too many skills"!!’