Chapter 363 - 193: Borrowing Books (Part 2)

"By the way," Xiao Qingge said, suddenly remembering something before he entered the Scripture Pavilion. "During the previous demon uprising, our Sect’s Scripture Pavilion was ransacked by those fiends from the Demon Sect. We recovered a lot of texts after we annihilated them, but a part of the collection was lost. Some of them may be gone for good. Just see if what’s left is enough for you."

Jiang Che understood and said gratefully, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister Xiao. I’m already very grateful just to be allowed in."

Afterward, Jiang Che entered the Profound Sound Sect’s Scripture Pavilion alone.

Unlike the Cangyun Sect’s ancient and imposing Scripture Pavilion, the one here was more exquisite and elegant. A faint, pleasant fragrance—a mixture of old scrolls and flowers—permeated the air, bringing a sense of peace to the soul.

Jiang Che wasted no time and went straight to the floor where the Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts were stored.

Relying on his astounding photographic memory, he moved quickly through the bookshelves, skipping over the Secret Manuals that were duplicates of those already in the martial arts treasury in his mind.

In the end, he still managed to find over forty new Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts he had never encountered before.

He did not take the books with him. He simply stood in place and, using the extraordinary memory of his [True: All-Seeing Eye], imprinted the contents of every single Secret Manual into his mind, word for word.

Having done all this, Jiang Che left the Profound Sound Sect, completely satisfied. He once again noted the favor he owed Xiao Qingge, then immediately rushed off to his next destination without stopping.

The head of the three great Noble Families—the Chen Family!

...

The Chen Mansion still possessed that same grand atmosphere where scholarly grace and solemn authority coexisted.

Hearing that Jiang Che had come to visit, Chen Jiayu seemed a little surprised, but he still came out to greet him personally at once.

"Brother Jiang, what an honor. My apologies for not coming out to meet you sooner! What important matter could possibly require you to make a trip in person?" Chen Jiayu fanned himself with a White Jade Folding Fan, a warm smile on his face as he led Jiang Che into an elegant private room for guests.

"Brother Chen, you’re too kind." After sitting down, Jiang Che dispensed with the pleasantries and stated his purpose directly.

When he heard that Jiang Che only wanted to borrow some of the Chen Family’s collected Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts Secret Manuals, Chen Jiayu was stunned for a moment, then broke into a laugh.

"Ha! And here I was, thinking it was something serious! Brother Jiang, you’re treating me like a stranger!" He snapped his fan shut and tapped it lightly against his palm. "Between you and me, for a small matter like this, you could have just sent a message. Why come in person? Come, I’ll take you to my Chen Family’s Martial Arts Storage Tower right now!"

Although the Chen Family’s Martial Arts Storage Tower was much smaller in scale than the Scripture Pavilions of the Three Great Sects, as a top Noble Family with a legacy spanning hundreds of years, the richness of its collection was not to be underestimated.

With Chen Jiayu personally leading the way, Jiang Che entered the small tower—a place that normally only core disciples of the Chen Family were qualified to set foot in—without any obstruction.

The air inside the tower was filled with the ancient scents of sandalwood and ink. Rows upon rows of shelves were neatly lined with all sorts of martial arts scriptures.

Jiang Che once again activated his "scanning" mode and quickly found over thirty new Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts, imprinting them all in his mind.

Likewise, he noted the favor he now owed Chen Jiayu.

...

Following the same method, he then went to find Qing Ling of the Heaven-Sundering Sect.

Upon hearing his request, Qing Ling didn’t hesitate, taking him directly to the Sect’s library, where Jiang Che found over a dozen more Secret Manuals.

Finally, he stood before the imposing mountain gate of the Taiyuan Sect, the leader of the Three Great Sects of Cangzhou Prefecture.

...

It was completely different from the Cangyun Sect’s ancient solemnity and the Profound Sound Sect’s tranquil elegance.

The Taiyuan Sect’s mountain gate exuded an air of supreme, sharp authority.

Two ten-zhang-tall, ferocious Qilin statues carved from single blocks of obsidian stood on either side of the gate. The statues’ eyes seemed to hold a terrifying divine light, looking down upon all visitors.

A flight of bluestone stairs, a hundred zhang wide, stretched upward like the spine of a great dragon, disappearing into the mist-shrouded mountain peak.

Beyond the gate, countless disciples could be faintly seen sparring in pairs on a training ground. Shouts echoed continuously, and an aura of clashing steel soared into the sky, making it seem like a strictly disciplined military camp.

Jiang Che handed over his visitor’s card. The moment the gate-keeping disciple saw the name "Jiang Che," his expression instantly changed.

It was a look mixed with scrutiny, curiosity, and an undisguised trace of the arrogance and fighting spirit befitting a disciple of the number one sect.

"You’re Jiang Che? Wait here." The disciple was not as respectful as the ones from the Profound Sound Sect. He just spoke coldly, then turned to go inside and announce the arrival.

Jiang Che didn’t mind. He simply waited calmly.

’He knew that here, only strength could earn true respect.’

Before long, a cool and distant figure slowly walked down the mountain path.

The newcomer was dressed in white robes, unstained by even a speck of dust. He cradled a longsword, his expression as cold as a glacier that had not thawed for ten thousand years.

It was Lin Qingyun.

He walked up to Jiang Che, his cold expression softening slightly.

He nodded and said, "You’re here."

’Jiang Che was already used to this demeanor. He knew this was just Lin Qingyun’s personality, so he didn’t mind; in fact, he found it somewhat comforting.’

He got straight to the point. "Brother Lin, I’ve come to borrow some of your esteemed sect’s Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts Secret Manuals."

Lin Qingyun fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then finally shook his head. "This is a bit tricky. Although I’m one of the chief disciples, the Scripture Pavilion is a restricted area, and I don’t have the authority to open it to outsiders."

’Jiang Che’s heart sank slightly as he wondered if there was another way.’

Lin Qingyun saw the slight disappointment on his face. His lips moved, and he added, "However, if Senior Brother Qin were to speak up, perhaps... it would be possible."

He paused, then explained further, "He is the Sect’s Chief Disciple. He’s highly regarded by the Sect Leader and the Elders and holds a great deal of sway within the Sect."

Jiang Che heard the implied offer of help in his words, and his heart warmed.

"Alright, then let’s go see him."

"Mm." Lin Qingyun nodded and turned to lead the way. "Let’s go. I’ll take you to him."

Jiang Che followed behind him, and the two walked in silence.

Along the way, Jiang Che could clearly feel countless sharp gazes being cast on him from all directions.

The Taiyuan Sect disciples, who were sparring in pairs on the Martial Arts Arena and sweating profusely, did not hide the fighting spirit and scrutiny in their eyes when they saw him, an "outsider."

The entire Sect was permeated with a competitive, wolf-pack-like atmosphere where the strong were revered—completely different from the Cangyun Sect’s philosophy of following the natural way of the Dao.

Soon, the two arrived before a colossal Martial Arts Arena, magnificent in scale and covering a vast area.

In the center of the Martial Arts Arena, a ten-zhang-tall Bronze Arena stood imposingly. It was covered in the marks of countless battles fought with blades, swords, spears, and halberds, exuding an aura of iron, blood, and murderous intent.

At that moment, hundreds of Inner Sect Disciples were sitting cross-legged below the arena, listening to the person on the stage explain.

On the stage stood a figure with a posture as straight as a spear. His face was handsome, and his eyes, as they opened and closed, held an imperious and brilliant light.

It was none other than Qin Wuya.