Chapter 16

After Mo Lin left, Lin Du was deep in thought on the way back. “Does our sect’s library have calligraphy books?”

“Probably not,” Xia Tianwu replied. “Why do you ask?”

Lin Du nodded. “It’s nothing.”

To her surprise, the next day after returning to the sect, she received a stack of books sent by the sect leader, with the top one being the “Thousand Character Classic”.

Feng Chao’s gaze was kind. “I’ve been busy lately with the winter accounts and the affairs of our sect’s territories after the spring. I’ve fallen behind. Your master might not pay much attention to these things. Although we practice cultivation, we shouldn’t neglect our cultural literacy. Learn these first. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”

Lin Du was somewhat surprised but quickly expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you, Sect Leader.”

“Just call me Senior Sister,” Feng Chao replied. Despite her appearance being as elegant as a noblewoman, she was someone who took care of every little thing, managing all the affairs of the sect, big and small. Even with her busy schedule, she still made time to attend to Lin Du’s seemingly insignificant needs.

“Senior Sister,” Lin Du responded. In truth, she could understand the content of books by piecing together the context. It was almost instinctive for the descendants of Huaxia; as long as the text was in context, even traditional Chinese characters could be read smoothly.

Feng Chao patted Lin Du’s head and then remarked, “You’re too thin; you’re still not eating enough.”

“Study well. In our sect, we always persuade others with reason. I really admire disciples like you who enjoy reading.”

After saying that, Feng Chao hurried off again. “Alright, I still need to dig up some bamboo shoots in the back mountain. Off I go.”

Lin Du quietly sat down with the stack of books and opened the *Thousand Character Classic*.

That’s when she discovered that the *Thousand Character Classic* was imbued with a recording array. As soon as it was opened, it automatically read out every word on the page.

“Heaven and Earth, mysterious and vast. The universe, ancient and boundless.

Sun and moon, their cycles complete. Stars in constellations, precisely positioned…”

Finding it amusing, Lin Du followed along, reading a line aloud. Suddenly, she noticed a small figure on the page that seemed to understand her, swaying back and forth as she read.

When she paused, the little figure frowned, “No slacking off! You must push through and keep going until you finish learning. If you don’t memorize it all, you’ll have to come with me to dig bamboo shoots in the back mountain.”

Lin Du chuckled and mischievously tried to close the book.

She heard a shriek, “You’re the hope of our sect! How can you give up halfway?”

“You’re the worst student I’ve ever taught.”

“Even a dog would bark back at least once; you’re just staying silent.”

As the gap between the pages narrowed, the little figure switched to pleading, “Wait, don’t go! How about reading a little more, just finish this page, please?”

Amused, Lin Du reopened the book and suddenly felt that the world of cultivation was much more fun than she had imagined.

She quietly stayed in the sect’s library, sitting by the window on the first floor, diligently memorizing the *Thousand Character Classic* and copying it down stroke by stroke.

It wasn’t until a voice transmission from a master within the library, who had never shown themselves, reached her. “It’s mealtime. Go eat.”

Lin Du was the only new disciple who came to the library daily. Her unreliable master had no interest in teaching her the basics, so he left her to learn on her own.

During her university days, the school’s learning atmosphere was intense, and the library was always packed. She often joined the crowd in the library, finding it enjoyable.

The library was not far from the sect’s back mountain, located on a small hill. Stepping out of the main gate led to a long stone staircase flanked by lush green trees, shrouded in a light mist. The trees were darker in color compared to those elsewhere, as if they had emerged from a traditional ink painting, with the mist resembling diffused ink.

The young man in a brocade robe walked on the fallen leaves, approaching the dining hall. Even before setting foot inside, he could already guess today’s menu.

The leftover cured meat from the New Year was stir-fried with garlic sprouts, and there was a pot of rich chicken soup. Today, there was an added hint of medicinal herbs, likely the handiwork of Senior Brother Jiang Liang.

Entering the dining hall, Lin Du found her guess confirmed. Xia Tianwu was busy with his sleeves rolled up, helping out. The new disciples hadn’t all arrived yet.

“Master, Little Martial Uncle is here.”

“She came at just the right time. The pills I prepared for her are ready. Go get them for her.”

As the man’s voice sounded, it was immediately followed by a playful one from the youth. “Thank you for your effort, Master Jiang Liang.”

In the kitchen, a man dressed in dark brown narrow-sleeved robes was busy cooking with a spatula. Upon hearing this, he instantly turned around, covering his face with his hand. “Stay where you are!”

Lin Du froze mid-step.

“Don’t come any closer! Whatever you do, don’t come closer.” Jiang Liang stood with his back to Lin Du, his voice trembling, “I’m afraid of living people.”

…

Lin Du glanced at Xia Tianwu, now understanding why this nephew of hers spoke so little.

Jiang Liang was a medicine cultivator rumored to be able to revive the dead and heal broken bones. In Xia Tianwu’s story, he once said, “I can bring the dead back to life, but if someone’s heart is dead while their body lives, there’s nothing I can do.”

Even though the plot later had the scumbag protagonist realize his mistakes—understanding that he only felt responsible for the woman who saved his life, while his true love was Xia Tianwu—leading to a series of events where he pursued her and even offered his own golden core for Jiang Liang to refine a pill to save Xia Tianwu, Jiang Liang never forgave him for hurting his disciple. He became so furious upon learning that his disciple had accepted the scumbag again that he went into seclusion and never emerged.

But Lin Du hadn’t expected that this Senior Brother, a medicine cultivator, would be a socially anxious person?

Oh, perhaps not just socially anxious—severely anthropophobic.

Xia Tianwu quickly explained, “Little Martial Uncle, my master doesn’t often see strangers. He hasn’t even met the new disciples this year, so he’s a bit…”

“I understand, I understand.” Lin Du quietly withdrew her foot, then bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Master Jiang Liang, for preparing the medicine for me. I won’t intrude further.”

“Wait.” A silver thread shot out diagonally, and Lin Du instinctively tried to dodge. However, the thread seemed to have a mind of its own, wrapping around her wrist.

She froze, then felt the thread’s spiritual energy, like warm spring water, entering her meridians without any ill intent. So she obediently stood still.

“Let me take your pulse. Your master sent me a letter, but it’s never as accurate as checking in person.”

The man still stood with his back to Lin Du, pondering for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. He finally turned around, revealing a scholarly face with a short beard, looking like a refined gentleman. His expression was stern, with deep concern evident on his face.

“Weren’t you just afraid of living people?” Lin Du had been wondering how this medicine cultivator could treat patients, but she hadn’t expected him to switch into a professional demeanor faster than she could.

“You don’t count as a living person,” Jiang Liang replied succinctly.

Xia Tianwu’s expression changed. It was true that her master feared living people, but there was only one situation where he would face a patient directly: when the person was already unconscious or on the verge of death.

She looked at Jiang Liang in shock. “Master… did you perhaps make a mistake because of the distance? Or maybe it’s something wrong with the silver thread…”

Instead of getting angry, Lin Du laughed and cheerfully stepped forward.

It was much better than being told she wasn’t a living person.

“Fifth Senior Brother, what do you think? Do I still have a chance?”

“You’re sick, very sick.”