Chapter 3959: Zhenyu’s Memoirs

Lin Mu quickly realized that Zhenyu had accumulated an astonishing amount of useless information. Yet mixed among that useless information were details that were actually valuable.

He learned the names of ancient factions, he heard about old wars, he learned which regions had once been considered dangerous and he heard stories about sect alliances that no longer existed and families that had risen and fallen.

Zhenyu’s gossip was chaotic, yet it contained fragments of history that had probably disappeared from official records. Lin Mu began paying closer attention when the elder shifted to sect politics.

This subject immediately brought out a different kind of bitterness. "I was deliberately held back."

Zhenyu’s expression became stern. "I had the talent and everyone knew it. My cultivation was advancing quickly, my combat ability was excellent and my contributions to the sect were considerable. Yet every time the matter of promotion came up, someone found an excuse."

Lin Mu’s brows rose while Zhenyu explained that the elders had considered him immature.

"Immature." He practically spat the word. "They said I was arrogant."

Lin Mu’s expression became thoughtful as that accusation seemed somewhat believable.

Zhenyu continued. "They said I lacked the temperament required to become an elder. They said I needed more experience. They said I needed to learn patience."

The elder snorted. "I had already accumulated more merits than some of the elders who were lecturing me."

Apparently, Zhenyu’s frustration had lasted for years and every time another disciple was promoted, he remembered it. Every time someone younger than him became an elder, he remembered it.

Eventually, he accumulated so many merits that the sect could no longer reasonably deny him a position.

"That’s when they finally gave me the title of Junior Elder." Zhenyu’s voice carried obvious resentment. "Junior Elder." He emphasized the title. "I should have been a proper elder long before that."

Lin Mu nodded slowly as the mystery surrounding Zhenyu’s position finally made sense. He had wondered how someone with such talent and cultivation could remain a Junior Elder for so long.

Now he understood.

"Classic Sect politics" Lin Mu sighed.

Zhenyu had accumulated enough merits to force the sect’s hand, yet the resistance from other elders and his own reputation for arrogance had kept him stuck at the lowest elder rank.

Zhenyu then began comparing his career with other disciples. "This person became a Senior Elder before I did."

He named another. "That one became a High Elder."

Another name followed. "That fellow was behind me in cultivation when we were young."

Zhenyu’s expression became increasingly bitter. "Look at where he ended up."

Lin Mu almost felt sorry for him... Well almost.

The problem was that Zhenyu spent several minutes explaining why every person who had surpassed him had either been lucky, politically connected, favored by an elder or simply promoted because someone liked them.

Lin Mu finally understood why the recording had become so long. Zhenyu had spent thousands of years trapped in solitude and there was nobody around to interrupt him. So he had apparently decided to record everything he had ever wanted to complain about.

Eventually, however, his complaints became useful as Zhenyu started talking about old sect formations. He described hidden entrances, bypass methods and ways to interact with certain administrative arrays without spending merit points.

Lin Mu’s expression became serious. "Now this is useful."

He paid close attention as Zhenyu explained that some formation arrays used by the sect had secondary access routes intended for elders and administrative personnel. There were bypass keys that could temporarily alter the permissions of certain arrays.

Some were physical objects, while others were specific combinations of formation nodes. He even described several methods that could allow someone to enter certain restricted locations without directly triggering the primary security formations.

Lin Mu immediately memorized everything.

’Would these methods still work?’ he wondered as thousands of years had passed. ’Surely the sect had repaired these vulnerabilities.’ Then again, Lin Mu knew that formation masters could become extremely conservative.

If an array worked reliably for hundreds or thousands of years, its creator might see little reason to replace it with a newer design. Entire generations could inherit the same formations and continue maintaining them according to old methods.

As a result, vulnerabilities could survive for astonishingly long periods.

Zhenyu continued explaining them. Some involved old storage halls, others involved administrative buildings and a few were related to transportation arrays. Lin Mu memorized every detail as several hours passed.

The elder talked about cultivation resources, old missions, rival disciples, strange elders, sect traditions, punishments, rewards, forgotten treasures and even embarrassing incidents involving himself.

At one point, he spent nearly half an hour complaining about a junior disciple who had supposedly stolen one of his favorite spirit fruits. Lin Mu listened patiently and eventually, Zhenyu’s voice became quieter.

"I haven’t even told you the tip of the iceberg." Lin Mu blinked as the elder smiled.

"I know far more." He raised his hand. "Everything I’ve remembered, I’ve recorded."

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed as he realized what the man was talking about: The jade token.

"Everything?" Lin Mu questioned.

"Everything important," Zhenyu said proudly before he paused. "And some things that aren’t important."

Lin Mu sighed as that explained the entire recording. Zhenyu had been trapped in the Mad Demon Depths for thousands of years with almost nothing to occupy his mind.

He had continued cultivating, researching the formation and searching for a way out, yet he had also recorded memories, grudges, rumors, debts, secrets and every petty irritation that had survived inside his mind.

The old elder looked at the viewer with a strangely satisfied expression. "If you have reached this point, then you have already learned more about me than most people ever did."

Lin Mu stared at him. "That is certainly true."

He then looked toward the jade token and knew there was clearly more information stored inside it. And judging from everything Zhenyu had just said, that token might contain thousands of years worth of memories, records and secrets.

Lin Mu’s eyes slowly narrowed.

The legacy of the Mad Demon was valuable. The connection between the Mad Demon and the Virtuous Calamity Daoist was even more valuable. Yet this token could potentially contain something else entirely.

It might contain the forgotten history of the Wild Peak itself. And Lin Mu had a feeling that among all those complaints, debts, gossip and memories, there could be another clue hidden somewhere.

A clue that even Zhenyu himself might have considered too insignificant to recognize.

Lin Mu reached toward the jade token. "Let’s see what else you’ve recorded, Junior Elder Zhenyu."