There was nothing quite like waking up at the break of dawn, the cool morning air brushing against your skin, a book in hand, and a cup of tea resting nearby. The peaceful stillness of the early hours made it the perfect time for quiet reflection.

Granted, the tea could have been hotter, but the limitations of storage rings meant time moved differently within their separate space. Still, cold tea was a small price to pay for the simple joy of this serene moment.

I leaned back in the rocking chair in my bedroom, letting the gentle sway soothe my thoughts as I gazed out the window. The soft morning light cast long shadows over the mansion grounds, but my eyes were drawn beyond the neatly kept garden to a lone grave just outside the estate's borders. A simple stone marker stood at its head—cold, unadorned, and without inscription. Buried beneath that nameless marker lay the body of the thief who had been killed by Speedy and the arrays.

Despite what the man had tried to do in his final moments, I had given him a proper burial, granting him the respect every soul deserved in death. His body would not be left to rot under the sun. By now, death no longer unsettled me as it once had.

The lush green yard before me stirred a wave of tranquility, easing any lingering tension. Even the hard wooden chair beneath me felt as comfortable as the softest cushion. A book rested in my lap, and the gentle warmth of the morning sun bathed my skin. I cradled a cup of tea in my hand, its scent mingling with the fragrance of blooming flowers and the wild, untamed essence of the summer forest. A smile tugged at my lips—there was no more perfect morning than this.

As hours passed, the early light gave way to the full warmth of morning. It grew hotter, and I returned the empty tea cup to my storage ring.

The lack of tea, however, did little to break my concentration as I finished reading the book in my lap. It was a collection of mental techniques detailing their use throughout the years. I had retrieved it from the Song Clan Library after the owl-man's ambush, though, like back then, it wasn't particularly helpful.

There were no techniques quite like my Eight Mind Phantoms. But then, a Sky Grade Technique was bound to be special. So unique, in fact, that very little was ever written about them. Most knowledge was likely spread through word of mouth among only the highest echelons of any organization.

Most mental techniques dealt with illusion, confusion, or, in many cases, some form of animal enslavement—controlling hordes of monstrous beasts.

My Sky Grade Technique could do all of that and more. Unfortunately, there were no good examples of how to use a technique of this caliber. Its only weakness was my inability to handle the overwhelming output of information.

Since I couldn't use it in its raw form, my mind wandered to the idea of a computer from my previous life—perhaps a way to recreate something similar. But building a computer from scratch would be no easy feat, essentially coding the first of its kind in this world. It was something to consider once I figured out how to store and process all the information.

Sky Grade Techniques were complex—far beyond the simplicity of Earth Grade Techniques, which one could learn just by reading a book and enough practice.

As my thoughts wandered deeper into this subject, considering the best approach to mastering it, I felt the presence of someone approaching the outer layers of the arrays surrounding the mansion grounds.

A man in a green robe stood outside the metal gates. His face was familiar, marked by the Harry Potter-like glasses that made him stand out.

Xin Ma? What the hell was the librarian doing here?

I already had enough on my plate trying to figure out how to use my Sky Grade Technique without frying my brain.

Sighing, I set the book on the balcony floor and leaped down, landing softly on the lush grass. At the same time, Song Song sensed the newcomer's presence and stepped out from the mansion's main doors. Her movements were sharp, like an unsheathed blade, ready to cut someone down.

However, her fighting intent fizzled when she saw who was at the gates. She turned toward me, a smug smile spreading across her face. I didn't even need to look directly at her—I could sense her expression in my peripheral vision, knowing all too well how she reacted in situations like this.

"Do a lot of people you know just follow you home?" Song Song smirked.

This was bait for an argument. But I wasn't about to fall for it. An intelligent man knew when a battle wasn't worth fighting.

Without a word, I walked toward the gate to meet the librarian. As I got closer, an uneasy feeling stirred in my gut. My mind began piecing together why he might be standing at my doorstep.

But I didn't have to guess for long. Without a word, the librarian handed me two scrolls. I recognized one immediately, without even needing to check the contents. The other was unfamiliar.

"The one on the left is the Tier 6 recipe you gave me," he said. "The one on the right is a new, completed Tier 6 recipe I acquired after exchanging yours with the sect."

I wanted to scream at him, to tell him to just take the damn scrolls and do whatever he wanted with them.

How could a man be so stubborn? I knew he was aiming to become an inner elder. So, what the hell was holding him up?

"Why did you bother doing this?" I asked, frustration creeping into my voice. "If you think I gave you everything I got from the tomb, you're wrong."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The librarian sighed, removing his glasses, which were tucked away in his storage ring in a flash. He met my gaze, his eyes hard and piercing.

"Liu Feng, I consider you a smart man—someone who will easily surpass me one day," he said, his tone resigned. "But to be honest, I do whatever the hell I want. You're just a Qi Gathering disciple. Take the scrolls and shut up about it. I'm doing you a favor."

This guy... He behaved like I had when I left his library, only pushing it further to drive home his point.

I had always considered him an intelligent man. Our discussions were polite and orderly, free of pettiness. That was usually the old man's territory.

Before I could gather my thoughts, the librarian pulled out a blue card and held it out to me.

"You can redeem this card for 38,500 spirit stones," he declared. "It's half of the reward I received from the exchange. The other half, I kept as commission for handling it under the table, where no word of it will spread."

"You're being childish," I said, looking at the card without taking it from him.

"And you're a child," the librarian shot back.

"Yeah? So what's your excuse for acting like this?" I smiled.

Xin Ma sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes you and Shan Sha are annoyingly alike. One blames his old age, and the other blames his youth for their horrible behavior."

Though he sounded more argumentative than sincere, I had to admit—he had a point. Damn, I was acting kind of like the old man. And as much as I loved the old goat, we both knew Shan Sha could be a bit of an asshole.

"If I've ever come off like Shan Sha, I sincerely apologize." I bowed my head, showing respect.

Despite this small windfall, I wasn't looking for confrontation. The only thing I wanted was to help the librarian.

"Though, I'd like to point out that you're incredibly stubborn. Just take the gift and move on. These alchemy recipes are useless to me," I added.

Xin Ma opened his mouth as if to retort, but his gaze shifted behind me, halting whatever heartfelt speech he'd been preparing.

I turned to see Song Song standing just outside the mansion doors, watching us like an owl getting its daily dose of entertainment. When she realized we were both looking at her, she quickly turned and grabbed the door handle.

"Yep, this is broken. I'll fix it," she muttered, frowning at the door—despite the fact there was nothing wrong with it.

She reminded me of one of those gossiping housewives with too much time on their hands. Also, I was sure she couldn't fix shit.

"You know, I could just put a silencing array around us, and you wouldn't hear anything," I pointed out.

"If you do that, I'll assume you're conspiring against me," Song Song replied.

Xin Ma's heart rate spiked at that, and the Qi around him fluctuated as if he were preparing for a fight. Clearly, he didn't understand the inside joke between Song Song and me.

"Your jokes don't always translate well," I told her.

She shrugged and stood up straight. Her deep blue eyes peered at us like two daggers. "Who said it was a joke?"

At least she had the decency to stop pretending to be interested in the door.

"Are you so bored that you need to listen in on my tedious conversations?" I asked.

"Absolutely, yes," she replied without hesitation.

I swore, if by some miracle I ever became stronger than her, I'd teach her some manners. How could someone be so cold and childishly obnoxious at the same time?

"Just ignore her," I sighed, returning my attention to Xin Ma.

The librarian wore a strange expression, his gaze flicking between me and Song Song. His eyes narrowed slightly, though he said nothing at first.

"Whatever," he muttered. "I wanted to tell you I've found a better negotiating position. Despite the rewards, a Tier 6 recipe can elevate the entire Sect's power. My promotion to inner elder is now under review. It will be finalized once they find a replacement for me in the library."

Holy shit, he actually did it!

"How?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I technically have a student who is famous and, in many ways, invaluable to the Sect—though not for their cultivation talent," Xin Ma said with a smile. This time, the joy reached his eyes.

"Make sure this isn't one of those fake promotions where they take years to find someone to replace you," I warned.

In my previous life, I knew a lot of people who were stuck in shitty positions in a company just because their manager promised them a raise. Or selling them a future where they would be happy in the company.

"Don't worry, I got a promise directly from the Sect Leader," Xin Ma reassured me.

Good. That was very good. Now, for the final part of the plan, I had to warn several people. But doing it alone might raise suspicion.

The mansion gates creaked open as I took the two scrolls and the blue card and placed them in my storage ring.

"Well, I'd throw a party to celebrate, but a party with just me, you, and the old man would be kind of lame," I said, stepping in for a hug.

Xin Ma raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by the gesture. People in this world weren't exactly the touchy-feely type. He smelled of paper, ink, and the faint scent of flowery incense.

As I hugged him, I subtly pulled him within the mansion's silencing array, ensuring that anyone too far away would hear nothing but murmurs.

Once he was close, I whispered in his ear, "Try to get out of the Sect if you can. Something big is coming. Can you discreetly warn my cousins too? Tell them I sent you. Maybe they should visit the Liu Clan for a while, take a vacation."

He nodded, his expression unchanged, with no flicker in his smile. "Yes, I'll take care of the old man."

I couldn't sense anyone nearby, but you could never be too careful in matters like this.

He released the hug and nodded. "I have some things to attend to. See you later, Liu Feng."

He drew a rusty-looking flying sword from his storage ring and shot off like a rocket.

Good. Now I just had to make sure Song Song got out of here too, and everything would be set. Then, I could leave the Sect and embark on my martial journey without being accused of running off with its secrets.

Staying away for a few years would be wise, especially when the Heavenly Calamity struck.

Most things were already in place, but a few more pieces still needed to fall into position.