In the past few days, Li Xuan’s mind had been like it was stuffed into a buzzing swarm of bees—restless and unable to settle.
The words “dual abilities” and “hidden abilities” from Su Manqing’s lecture kept circling around his temples, scratching at his curiosity until it itched unbearably. And every time he thought about the Mo Clan vanishing without a trace, and that so-called immortal hunter from the legends, the curiosity in his heart grew like wild grass soaked in spring rain—spreading uncontrollably.
At the very least, he was a “suspected chosen one” who had transmigrated. How could he not dig into these mysteries from his past life?
“Surely the library should have some clues?”
Li Xuan muttered to himself, quietly slipping away from Shen Qingci and the others who were heading to the dining hall. Like a sneaky cat, he made his way toward the west side of the Vortex Dragon Pavilion—the library.
The library was a three-story wooden building, its flying eaves curving with an ancient elegance.
The vermilion doors were engraved with intricate cloud patterns, exuding a sense of solemnity that warned outsiders to stay away, yet also hiding an irresistible allure.
The moment he pushed the door open—
A dense scent of old books and faint mildew rushed into his face. Sunlight filtered through carved windows, casting fragmented patterns across the stone floor. The atmosphere was ancient and quiet, almost strangely intimate.
Tall bookshelves reached up to the ceiling, filled with tightly packed volumes.
Military strategy, cultivation techniques, ability records—all neatly categorized.
But most of the books had fresh-looking covers, clearly recently compiled, giving off a “starter village tutorial library” vibe.
Li Xuan tiptoed between the shelves, fingers brushing over book after book.
“Mok Clan… Qintian Observatory… Year of the Sky Rift…”
He flipped through for a long while, but all he found were recent ability case collections or beginner guides like “Three Hundred Questions About Hunters”. Not a single trace of ancient secrets.
His expression gradually collapsed.
“Seriously? This place looks so impressive, but it’s all beginner-level stuff? Not even a single juicy secret? Did I come to the wrong place?”
Just as he was about to slam a book back onto the shelf—
A low voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Looking for something?”
Li Xuan jolted violently, the book slipping from his hand with a sharp thud.
He turned around.
Zhao Chengyuan stood not far behind him at some point. Still in his dark outfit, his hair tied up with a white jade crown, his sharp features even more defined under the light.
His deep eyes carried a faint smile that wasn’t quite a smile, filled with scrutiny and amusement. It made Li Xuan’s scalp tighten—like a rabbit being watched by a tiger.
“D-Division Commander!”
Li Xuan quickly bent down to pick up the book, dusting it off while his heart sank.
Why is this big shot here? Did I get caught slacking off?
He instantly switched into his “obedient and harmless acting mode,” forcing a perfect smile.
“Greetings, Commander! I just… thought Su-laoshi’s lecture was very interesting, so I came to the library to study more, to better serve the Vortex Dragon Camp in the future!”
Zhao Chengyuan walked closer slowly.
Each step carried invisible pressure, as if even the air was being compressed. A faint pine-and-ink scent wrapped around him, invading Li Xuan’s breathing space.
He stopped beside Li Xuan.
His arm casually brushed Li Xuan’s shoulder, fingers lightly grazing his sleeve.
It was brief.
Warm.
But it sent a faint electric shiver through Li Xuan’s skin.
Zhao Chengyuan’s voice remained calm, but lower and slightly hoarse:
“Study more? The library here mostly contains recent basic texts. What exactly are you trying to study?”
Li Xuan didn’t think much of the contact—assuming it was accidental—but the heat on his ear lingered.
He scratched his head.
“Reporting to Commander, I wanted to find ancient records… like Qintian Observatory documents, Mo Clan records, and anything about the early Sky Rift era.”
Zhao Chengyuan’s gaze deepened slightly.
Something flickered in his eyes—too fast to catch.
He leaned in slightly.
Too close.
Warm breath almost brushed Li Xuan’s ear.
“That so? The Mo Clan and Sky Rift records?”
His low voice slid across Li Xuan’s ear like heat, making the skin at his neck tingle.
Li Xuan stiffened and instinctively took half a step back.
“Uh… yes. Just curious.”
Zhao Chengyuan watched him for a moment, then turned toward the shelves, fingers gliding across the spines of old books.
“This Vortex Dragon Camp has only existed for half a century. Where would all those ancient records come from?”
Li Xuan froze.
“…So I came here for nothing?”
Zhao Chengyuan replied calmly:
“If you want those, they’re in the capital—Qin City. The Imperial Inner Archives, the National Research Institute, or the Qintian Observatory’s main library.”
Li Xuan felt like he’d been dumped with ice water.
“Of course… of course it’s in some capital-level place…”
Zhao Chengyuan looked at him.
A faint complexity flickered in his eyes.
“Mo Clan matters run deep. A newly enrolled disciple like you… should avoid digging too much.”
Li Xuan immediately nodded.
“Yes, Commander! I understand! I’ll focus on training!”
Zhao Chengyuan watched him for a moment longer, then turned away.
“Leave. There’s nothing here you’re looking for.”
His dark figure disappeared beyond the door.
Only then did Li Xuan let out a long breath, patting his chest.
“That guy is way too scary…”
He left the library quickly.
Outside, Zhao Chengyuan stopped under the corridor, glancing back.
His fingers still remembered the warmth of that hair strand he had just touched.
He murmured softly:
“Mo Clan… what exactly are you investigating?”
Behind him, an unseen shadow knelt.
“Commander! Li Yunpeng’s men entered the city last night…”
Zhao Chengyuan’s expression turned cold.
“Bring them into conflict. Make it public. I want to see whether Li Yunpeng dares to come to me personally.”
“Yes!”
At dawn, the medicine field behind the camp was covered in dew.
A group of disciples stood half-asleep, waiting for class.
Yao Buyi stood in the center, voice booming:
“Today, no theory—practical training! Learn to identify herbs, prepare medicine, and save lives!”
The field was filled with strange plants.
Li Xuan crouched by a pale flower.
Just as he reached out—
SMACK.
“Stop!” Yao Buyi shouted.
“You’re destroying it! This is not how you pick it!”
Li Xuan quickly pulled back his hand.
Typical ancient biology lab… he thought.
Soon, chaos broke out.
A disciple accidentally caused two others to collapse from poison.
Panic spread.
“Purple Judgment Flower!”
Yao Buyi’s expression changed drastically.
“That thing is banned by the National Research Institute!”
“Quick! Li Xuan! Use your Return Origin Technique!”
Li Xuan froze.
“Me?!”
But he reacted immediately.
“Return Origin—Bone Cleansing!”
He placed his hands over the wounds.
A faint light spread.
The poisoned wounds visibly reversed, returning to their prior state.
Yao Buyi quickly handed him antidote solution.
“Feed them! Hurry!”
They rushed the injured to the clinic.
Su Manqing was already there.
“Purple Judgment Flower?!”
His expression turned grave.
“This flower is lethal to both Hunters and Mind Cleansers…”
Not long after—
Zhao Chengyuan arrived.
“Report.”
Yao Buyi said:
“Li Xuan’s technique stabilized them.”
Zhao Chengyuan looked at Li Xuan silently.
Long.
Heavy.
Unreadable.
Then he said nothing.
Just turned away.
“Investigate this thoroughly.”
As everyone left, Li Xuan walked behind Shen Qingci.
His mind was screaming:
I’m done. I really need to invent a believable explanation for this technique…
At that moment—
A hidden report surfaced in the shadows:
“Zhao Commander report: Li Xuan—danger level rising. Acting increasingly inconsistent. Suspected concealment of identity.”