Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 42: Someone is Acting Cool (1)

“Leaving tonight? Master, why don’t you stay for a few more days?”

“Why are you leaving so soon?”

Hearing that the master was about to depart from the city, looks of anxiety appeared on the faces of the crowd.

[It is rare for an appraiser to appear in Tianxuan Royal City, and yet he is leaving just after a few days?]

“I still have matters to attend to!” Master Mo Yang’s eyebrows shot upwards. He carried with him a demeanor unique to experts, and his disposition was reminiscent of a flowing river, unable to be grasped with certainty. “How about this, I will increase the number of treasures I will appraise today from five to ten! You all also know that appraising isn’t an easy task, it drains one’s strength and energy. Ten is already my limit…”

“Master, rest assured! As long as you help me pick out an artifact for me, I am willing to compensate you…” A middle-aged man shouted from the crowd.

“Yeah, we are willing to compensate you!”

“As long as master chooses something out for me, regardless of the cost of the item is, I am willing to pay master the same amount of money!”

There were quite a few people who started yelling in response to his words.

Based on the ‘battle records’ of the master, those who had received his pointers had each earned several folds of the amount they had invested initially. As long as they were able to obtain a true treasure, paying a little bit of money in compensation was nothing in comparison.

“Hmph!”

Master Mo Yang flung his arm and interrupted the discussions of the crowd. Frowning, he declared with an aura of superiority, “I, Mo Yang, didn’t learn appraisal for money. The reason why I am appraising for you all is not to make a wealth! If I really desired money, there is no need for me to help you all. I just have to appraise an artifact and sell it myself, then won’t I earn a bigger fortune that way?”

“Keng…”

The crowd was stumped for words.

His words weren’t wrong. With his eye of discernment, he could just buy those artifacts that he had appraised to become treasures for himself, and he would be able to easily earn a big sum out of it.

“The reason why I promised to appraise for you all is because your warmth has moved me! Money is fleeting to me, similar to the clouds! Money is easy to earn, but friendship is priceless!”

With both his hands behind his back, Master Mo Yang exuded an aura of an unworldly saint that mortals could only look up to. He continued, “The reason why I promised to appraise artifacts for you all is because of our relationship, not for money. If anyone were to continue talking about money, then don’t bother asking me to appraise for you!”

“Master, your words are wise! We were too impertinent!”

“We can never hope to match up the master in terms of morals!”

“I have never conceded to anyone in my entire life. Today, you are the first one I will concede to, master!”

…

Hearing the words of the master, those who were shouting about paying him previously felt ashamed of themselves.

[Look at how he carries himself, then look at ourselves…

Is there even a basis for comparison?

No wonder he is a master while we are just small fries.]

“However, before I start appraising for you all, I would like to say something. An appraiser can only heighten the possibility of attaining a treasure. I cannot promise you all that you all will get a treasure with 100% probability!”

Master Mo Yang continued.

“Master, we all are aware that treasure speculation brings about risk. Your ability to discern treasure from trash is far superior to us and we trust in you!”

“We believe in master’s judgment!”

“We know the rules, how can one possibly lay their hands on treasures all the time? However, we believe that master would definitely be able to help us profit!”

…

Everyone started shouting simultaneously.

“Since everyone believes in me, then I will go ahead and embarrass myself. May I know which friend here would like me to choose an artifact for him?” Master Mo Yang surveyed the surrounding.

“Me!”

“Me…”

In an instant, innumerable people raised their hands and leapt about in excitement.

The appeal of an appraiser was clear to see. Every action of theirs could make people go into frenzy.

“Alright, you!”

Master Mo Yang pointed, and a pot-bellied middle-aged man walked out from the crowd, still unable to believe the fact that he had been chosen. “Me… Is it really me?”

“It’s you!” Master Mo Yang nodded his head with a smile on his face, the aura of a master clearly exuding through his actions.

“Thank you, master!”

The middle-aged man leapt in excitement as he stared at the elder before him with a desirous gaze. “Master, may I ask which one of them I should buy?”

“Let me take a look!”

Flinging his sleeves, he walked forward. He calmly gazed upon the numerous artifacts placed on the platform.

The crowd turned silent along with his actions, not daring to speak out loud for fear of distracting him.

Soon, he stopped and placed his palm on one of the artifacts. After feeling the exterior of the artifact gently, he seemed to use some kind of special technique that resulted in the shuddering of his entire body. A moment later, his face paled slightly.

“Alright, you can buy this one. I have just taken a look at it with my special technique and it is worth quite a sum!”

Master Mo Yang turned around and informed the middle-aged man.

“This one?”

The eyes of the middle-aged man lit up and he rushed forward to take a look.

It was a gigantic treasure that had been enveloped by a thick layer of rock, to the point that the entire artifact simply looked like a giant boulder.

This kind of treasure was the hardest to clean. Furthermore, given its massive size, being around the height of a human, it would take at least a day or two to chip the stone off of it carefully.

“Un!” Master Mo Yang nodded his head.

“Since it is a recommendation by the master, I will buy it!” The middle-aged man nodded his head and looked towards the dealer. “How much does it cost?”

“50000 gold coins!” The dealer of the treasure speculation hall stepped forward.

“50000?” The middle-aged man was taken aback.

This wasn’t a small sum. Even despite the great wealth he possessed, it was about the limit of what he can come up with.

Even a popular high-level teacher like Shen Bi Ru only earned around 1000 gold coins every month. She would take several years just to reach 50000.

“Buy it! This is a recommendation by the master. If you don’t want it, I will take it…” Upon seeing his hesitation, someone in the crowd shouted.

“Indeed, the master’s recommendation can’t possibly go wrong. It might cost 50000 now, but if it is worth 1000000 after it has been cleaned up, then you would have landed on a gold mine…”

“The previous few times, the treasures that the master appraised were of smaller scale. This time, he seems to have decided to go all out. You really struck it big this time…”

Quite a few people shouted out.

“Alright, I will buy it!”

After hesitating for a moment, the middle-aged man nodded his head and footed the bill.

“Alright, the second one!”

After the middle-aged man bought the artifact, Master Mo Yang seemed to have also recovered from his exertion and surveyed the surroundings once more.

“Me!”

“Me…”

The rest of the crowd raised their hands hurriedly. Glancing over, Zhang Xuan noticed the vendor from before whom he had helped solve his problem in the crowd. His hand was raised up high and he waved it with an enthusiastic expression, his strong desire to be chosen by the master clear to see.

“You!”

Master Mo Yang chose another person. This time, it was an elderly who was dressed extravagantly. With just a single look, it is apparent that he owned great wealth.

Similar to the first time, the master walked past the pile of treasures and soon set his sights upon one of it. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

“80000 gold coins!”

This treasure was even more expensive than the one from before. However, this elderly didn’t even hesitate and immediately paid the bill.

“This… Isn’t this the Ornamental Vase crafted by a 1-mo craftsman from the Southern Kiln? 80000 gold coins?”

After taking a good look at the treasure Master Mo Yang chose for the elder, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in disbelief.

He might be unable to ascertain the value of the other treasures, given that he had yet to take a look at them, but he had already peered into the one Master Mo Yang just chose. It might be big, but only a decorative vase was contained inside. It wasn’t even worth a single gold coin and yet… 80000 gold coins?

“Could he be off the mark…”

Just as puzzlement filled his mind, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but stare at the righteous-looking face of the master when his mind suddenly jolted and a book appeared in the library.

The words ‘Mo Yang’ was written on it.

“Could he be using a battle technique at the moment?”

Based on the unique properties of the Library of Heaven’s Path, a book could only be compiled when one showcases his battle technique. Could it be that the fellow was using one at the current moment?

Filled with bewilderment, he flipped open the book.

“This… This…”

Taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan’s lip twitched and a bizarre expression appeared on his face.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 41: Treasure Speculation

“Is the Master Mo Yang you all speak of that incredible?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

To be capable of inciting the agitation of so many people and causing them to go into a frenzy, who was this Master Mo Yang? Just what kind of magical abilities did he possess?

“Yes, he is extremely incredible!” Reverence could be heard from the vendor’s tone. “He is an expert appraiser!”

“Appraiser?” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

Appraiser and gourmet were both special occupations. However, the former was a Middle Nine Paths occupation.

This occupation might not be as glorious as apothecaries, blacksmiths and formation masters, but it was capable of sending innumerable people into hysteria.

That was because they were able to tell whether an item was a treasure or not just by looking at it. In the field of 【Treasure Speculation】, they possessed golden fingers that made them an existence similar to the God of Gambling. Many people would follow behind them reverently the moment they appeared in public.

Treasure speculation was a commercial activity similar to Earth’s rock speculation. There were some ancient treasures whose original radiance was buried under the cloak of rock and faunas. Just by the outer appearance itself, the most one could do was to identify what the artifact was. It was impossible to tell the tier of the treasure and the specifications of it.

Its true form would only be revealed when the exterior of the artifact was cleaned!

There were many treasure dealers who chose not to clean up these treasures and sell them in such a form instead. This was similar to the concept of rock gambling. After which, the buyer would purchase the artifact based on their discernment ability and intuition and clean up its exterior afterwards.

If they were lucky, it might turn out to be a supreme treasure, which would make them millionaires in an instant. On the other hand, it was also possible for them to go bankrupt after investing greatly on some useless object!

Heaven on one side and hell on the other.

It was due to the unreasonable unpredictability of the game that many people were obsessed with it, sometimes even going crazy over it.

Appraisers were capable of ascertaining whether a treasure was real or not. Those who were more capable were even able to make a judgment on an artifact before it has been tidied up. Thus, even though the occupation was only of the Middle Nine Paths, the charms of it had attracted many to walk on such a road.

After all, it was the Midas’s touch. As long as they thought that it was a treasure, people would buy it no matter how expensive they were.

“This Master Mo Yang arrived here seven days ago. It is rumored that he is an incredible appraiser from some other kingdom. However, back then, no one paid him any notice!”

The vendor introduced Master Mo Yang excitedly. “The first day, when someone wanted to buy a wine bottle-like object that costs about 100 gold coin, Master Mo Yang tried to persuade him otherwise. However, that person refused to listen and in the end, after wiping it clean, it was proven that there is a problem with the object and it wasn’t worth a single gold coin!

“The second day, Master Mo Yang persuaded a fighter to spend 200 gold coins to buy a treasure. That person refused to believe him, so he didn’t buy it. Thus, Master Mo Yang bought it himself and after it was wiped clean, it turned out to be a mortal pinnacle weapon! It is something that cannot be bought even with several thousand gold coins! He profited several dozen folds in an instant! That filled the fighter with so much regret that the thought of suicide even crossed his mind…

“By the third day, he was already very famous. There were many people who wanted his guidance on what they should buy. However, only a lucky lad was granted that opportunity. He advised him to buy a small jade bottle that is worth 500 gold coins! At that moment, many people thought that he had erred. No matter how incredible that jade vase was, it couldn’t possibly be worth such a sum… Who knew that the moment it was opened, six tier 6 pills were found inside! Someone even offered to buy that vase for 10000 gold coins on the spot!”

The vendor’s eyes lit up, “That is to say, a profit of twenty-fold! That is too incredible! The next few days, he came by the market every day and he only advised a single person on each day. Even so, the person that he chooses is certain to strike it rich! Many people went frenzied over this. Thus, they started to camp here from day to night, hoping to win his favor, so that he would offer them his pointer! Now that he’s here again, it is not abnormal for those people to be so agitated…”

“Amazing!”

Hearing the story of Master Mo Yang, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up as he nodded his head in approval.

[To be able to appraise the true worth of a treasure under a layer of moss and silt, his eye for discernment must be extraordinary.]

“Un, that’s right. I possess the Library of Heaven’s Path, so does it mean that… I am able to do it as well?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

The Library of Heaven’s Path allowed one to see through the true nature of things just by coming into contact with it. Other people might need some luck in treasure speculation, but he didn’t need such a thing!

“There is an easy way for me to strike it rich!”

Upon such thoughts, Zhang Xuan was unable to calm his agitated heart.

In rock speculation, before buying a rock, others would need to study the various aspects of the rock to deduce whether jade would come out of it. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Just by touching the artifact with his hands, the Library of Heaven’s Path in his mind would automatically generate an answer for him. Purchasing the artifact after knowing the answer, it would be a simple matter for him to profit out of this trade!

It just happened that his wage was low and he didn’t have much money. So, this was a good opportunity for him to give it a try to earn a sum!

Following the directions given by the vendor, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at the hall where treasure speculation was conducted.

As he expected, the sight in here wasn’t much different from rock speculation. All kinds of treasures were placed on an elevated platform and every single one of them was thickly covered by a layer of moss, silt, rust and rock. It was already a difficult task to make out the shape of the artifacts, needless to say, appraise its value.

“Let me give it a try first!”

It was true that Zhang Xuan was unable to discern between them just by sight alone. Although Zhang Xuan suspected that the Library of Heaven’s Path was able to peer into the true nature of the artifact, he was unable to ascertain it. Thus, to verify his theory, he casually touched an artifact that was about the size of a human’s head.

Weng!

His mind jolted and a book appeared in the library.

“Ornamental Vase, forged by a 1-mo craftsman from Southern Kiln. Flaws: It has cracks on it and could shatter at any moment…”

The description of the artifact was compiled into a book.

“Despite being massive, it turned out to be a trash!” Zhang Xuan commented impassively as his eyes glittered in excitement.

Just as he thought! As long as he came into physical contact with it, he was able to receive a detailed introduction on the artifact. Thus, he need not fear no matter how well-hidden these treasures were, he would surely be able to identify them accurately!

He casually touched a few of the larger artifacts before him and realized that none of them were of great value. He continued on with a dozen of the artifacts by the sides, but they weren’t really valuable either. Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but shake his head. It was no wonder the sellers of these artifacts were able to profit out of it and that appraisers were so well-received, the probability of a true treasure appearing among them was way too low!

“Ah, master, please give me some pointers!”

“I am willing to pay you for your advice!”

“Master, I’m begging you…”

…

Just as he was randomly touching the treasures casually, piercing screams echoed outside the hall as the sought-after Master Mo Yang walked over.

The eyes of those chasing behind him were crimson red, and they looked as though they have gone mad.

“Master, as long as you offer me your pointer, this young girl will obey every single command of yours…”

“Master, I am willing to bear your babies, as long as you guide me…”

There were even women who were sticking close to him, trying to seduce him with their physical charms.

Zhang Xuan was flabbergasted.

[He is way too popular! It seems as though with but a single word of Master Mo Yang, countless girls will be willing to serve him tonight.]

“I will be leaving Tianxuan Royal City tonight. In order to show my gratitude for the warmth everyone has welcomed me with, I will appraise for five people today! You all need not vie over it. There is a chance for everyone who is fated with me!”

Upon reaching the treasure speculation hall, Master Mo Yang stopped.

This Master Mo Yang had a snowy-white beard, which exposed his advanced age. Yet, his skin was smooth and shiny without a single crease on it, probably because he maintained his skin diligently. His eyes have an aura of superiority, making one feel inadequate in comparison. As such, no one was willing to meet his gaze.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 40: The Master is Here

“Give me a punch?” The vendor didn’t know what the young man was up to.

“Indeed!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“You are trying to make a fool out of me!” Seeing the serious look on the other person’s face, the vendor’s rage came surging out and he sent a fist towards Zhang Xuan.

He had seen crazy people before, but he had never seen such a crazy person. [You still want me to let you give me a punch? Why don’t I beat you up to death instead?]

Putting all of his strength into his punch routine, the wind rustled from the force of his blow, thus exposing his level of cultivation. Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm primary stage!

“Not bad!”

Smiling faintly, Zhang Xuan moved his body slightly to dodge the attack.

He had already reached Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle. Naturally, the strength of a Fighter 3-dan primary stage could not hurt him!

“Un?”

He assumed that the young man was here just to cause trouble, so he thought that he would just be a delinquent without cultivation. However, upon seeing him dodge his attack easily, he immediately realized that the young man’s cultivation was on a higher level than his. The vendor stopped as bewilderment overwhelmed him. A fellow who had at least reached the level of Fighter 3-dan couldn’t possibly be really trying to buy stuff with just 8 gold coins…

“If I’m not wrong, you are from Xia Pingyi!”

The moment the vendor made a move, a book about him was compiled in the Library of Heaven’s Path. Getting what he had intended for, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

“How… How did you know?” The vendor was taken aback.

Xia Pingyi was one of the provincial cities around Tianxuan Royal City. It wasn’t a large city and there were at least eighty of such cities around the capital. The vendor was puzzled by how Zhang Xuan could pinpoint it out accurately.

He couldn’t resist looking down to study his appearance, but there didn’t seem to be any defining traits on him that would reveal his place of origin!

“It doesn’t matter how I know it!” Zhang Xuan activated his ‘acting cool mode’. He looked at the other party once again in a calm and dignified demeanor, “Half a year ago, you probably met with danger in Tianxuan Forest and was bitten by a 【Cold Bamboo Snake】! Although you managed to escape with your life, your kidneys were damaged. If I’m not wrong… When you are doing that, it is difficult for you to showcase your masculinity!”

“You… You…”

The vendor staggered backward. His eyes were widened so great that they were on the verge of falling to the floor.

It was true that he was bitten by a Cold Bamboo Snake in Tianxuan Forest half a year ago! After which… The latter half of Zhang Xuan’s words were true as well.

However, other than him and the lady from the brothel, he had never talked about it with another person. How did this young man know about it?

[Could it be that he is a seer? Someone who is capable of divining the future?]

The vendor was still filled with disbelief.

“Why? Are my words wrong?” Seeing the expression on the other party’s face, Zhang Xuan knew that what was written in the Library of Heaven’s Path wasn’t wrong. Thus, he expressed a look of pity and said, “If you find what I have said inaccurate, I can do without the medicinal herb and leave right now. However… Your only chance at treating your problem will disappear as well! Sigh, you won’t be able to be a man from henceforth, don’t blame me for not reminding you now…”

“I… Gongzi [1], don’t go!”

Hearing that the other party was capable of treating him, the vendor’s body trembled in agitation as he hurriedly took a step forward, “You… Can you really treat me?”

To a man, nothing was more pathetic than losing one’s potency. These days, he dared not respond to the invitations of his friends, afraid that his problem would be exposed in front of them. Suffering silently, he had looked for many different physicians, but they all came to the same conclusion, that his symptoms were hard to treat and the only solution was amputation…

He dared not believe that a casual buyer would point out his problem directly and even claim that he was capable of treating it.

“I won’t force you to believe me! However, since I am able to tell what is wrong with you, naturally, I have my own ways to treat it as well!” Zhang Xuan declared.

“Gongzi, I plead you to help treat me. As long as you can treat me… Not just that single stalk of Frigid Sun Grass, you can take all of my herbs!” The vendor lunged forward in panic, the plea in his eyes clear to see.

There were too many incredible people in the world. The words of the young man were logical since he was able to see through his problem, he definitely had a way to treat it!

Besides, he had no choice but to grasp onto every straw of hope that he could find. After all, this concerned his future happiness…

“Un, you were bitten by the Cold Bamboo Snake. This creature inherently possesses cold attribute. When you were bitten by it, cold energy irrupted into your body, causing you to lose your physical function! Furthermore, it is unable to be dispelled by any medicinal herb, thus even quite a few apothecaries will find themselves helpless before it!”

“However, what is bizarre about this snake is that even though its entire body is cold, its gall is warm. As long as you find another snake, kill it and consume its gall, you are able to expel the cold energy from your body completely. Your damaged kidney will gradually recover and you will be able to showcase your masculinity as a man once more!”

Zhang Xuan said.

There were many antidotes to the poison of the Cold Bamboo Snake, but the best antidote of all lied in its body. Its gall was the crux to counteracting its unique cold energy.

This was written on one of the manuals in Hongtian Compendium Pavilion. Upon the thought of Cold Bamboo Snakes, this information popped up into his mind.

This was also precisely the reason why he only mentioned the gall bladder of the Cold Bamboo Snake. Otherwise, with the Library of Heaven’s Path capability of displaying innumerable flaws, there was a multitude of remedies he could provide him; he need not specifically choose this one.

“Eating the snake gall of a Cold Bamboo Snake?” The vendor was still in a state of disbelief.

[So simple?]

If this was true, why did none of the many physicians he had visited say so?

“There should be Cold Bamboo Snakes on sale in this commercial city. If you doubt my words, you can buy one of them and try it right now. I will only leave after we verify it!” Zhang Xuan said.

Medicinal herbs weren’t the only things on sale in Tianyu Commercial City, there were also all kinds of treasures, savage beasts and animals. Cold Bamboo Snake was one of the lower tier savage beasts. Although it contained lethal poison within it, it could be used in concocting medicines, so there were people selling it.

“Fine, wait for a moment…”

After hesitating for a moment, the vendor turned around and left. A short moment later, he returned with a cage, and a Cold Bamboo Snake was coiling around in it.

As a Zhenqi realm fighter, as long as he was prepared, killing a Cold Bamboo Snake wasn’t a difficult task. It didn’t take long for the snake gall to be extracted. Without any hesitation, the vendor swallowed it directly.

“Un?”

Soon, the vendor’s eyes lit up.

The vendor seemed to have already gotten an answer to whether the remedy worked or not.

“I thank gongzi for your help. These Frigid Sun Grass are all yours!” With his eyes glowing with excitement, the vendor nearly knelt down in gratitude from the joy surging through him.

This was a problem that had been plaguing him for a long time. In fact, there was even a period when he didn’t want to live anymore. In order to treat this deficiency of his, he spent several years’ worth of his savings, and never did he expect to be treated just like that!

“See, I didn’t lie when I said that you would give them to me for free!”

Zhang Xuan helped himself to the generous gifts of the vendor and grabbed the box filled with Frigid Sun Grass.

Knowledge was a type of wealth as well. It was natural for Zhang Xuan to receive some compensation from the vendor after solving the illness that was plaguing him.

“Gongzi, I apologize for my inadequacy for not realizing your capabilities… I beg for your forgiveness!” The vendor scratched his head in embarrassment.

Just a moment ago, he was still declaring resolutely that if he were to give the Frigid Sun Grasses to Zhang Xuan for free, he would call him grandpa. Never would he expect for Zhang Xuan’s words to truly come to be…

“It’s nothing!” Zhang Xuan casually waved his hand to show that it was a small matter. Just as he was about to leave, a crowd of people suddenly dashed forward, their faces red from agitation.

“Quick, Master Mo Yang is here!”

“One would be able to prosper through the guidance of Master Mo Yang. This is an opportunity not to be missed!”

“This time, as long as it is a treasure that Master Mo Yang appraised, I will buy it no matter how much it costs!”

“Indeed, I felt regretful after missing that opportunity by the previous time…”

…

The crowd discussed as they ran over.

“What is happening?”

Seeing how the crowd were agitated as though a star had arrived, Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

“Master Mo Yang has come!” Even the eyes of the vendor were glowing with excitement.

------

[1] Gongzi -> Gentleman

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 39: Frigid Sun Mother Grass

"Right, do you sell Frigid Sun Grass here?"

Shaking his head to dispel the additional thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan asked.

On top of miscellaneous items, this vendor also sold some herbs.

After finishing those books in the Compendium Pavilion, he had already found a solution to Zhao Ya's problem. With a Pure Yin Body, she should cultivate a gentle and neutral cultivation technique. This way, the problem of the accumulation of yin energy should be solved!

However, she had already cultivated a pure yin cultivation technique for a long time and the meridians in her body have already adapted to it. If an abrupt change were to be introduced, her body might sustain a severe trauma and her cultivation would fall steeply. To prevent this from occurring, some preparations have to be made in advance!

One of them was to nourish her meridians through medicinal herbs!

Frigid Sun Grass grew in cold regions despite favoring sunny conditions. As a result, the warm and cold spiritual energy contained within it clashed, causing the amalgamation of yin and yang, thus making it the ideal choice for nourishing her meridians. Since he was in the commercial city now, it was a good time for him to ask around about it.

"Frigid Sun Grass? It is a coincidence that you ask this. Not to brag, but I can guarantee you that I am the only vendor in Tianyu Commercial City that has this good. I procured them a few days ago from a dangerous region in Tianxuan Forest. I have a total of ten stalks and each stalk costs 100 gold coins. How many do you need?"

The vendor smiled and turned around to take out a box. Opening it, a few fresh-looking plants were revealed within.

White flowers with red stems and leaves.

"Let me take a look first!"

Zhang Xuan only knew about the Frigid Sun Grass through reading books, so he wasn't very familiar with it. He reached out to grab a stalk and placed it on his palm.

Weng!

The library jolted and a book appeared.

"Frigid Sun Grass, harvested from an unknown valley 200km into Tianxuan Forest. Aged 2... Flaws..."

The name of the herb was written on the cover of the book, and the location of its procurement and its flaws were recorded in it.

"It is Frigid Sun Grass, this fellow isn't lying!"

Confirming that there was no mistake with the name on the book, Zhang Xuan knew that the vendor owner wasn't lying to him. This was the authentic medicinal herb, so he nodded his head. Just when he was about to speak, his eyes happened to glance on the interiors of the box.

"Why does this stalk of Frigid Sun Grass look slightly withered? Could it be that your procurement method is incorrect, causing its death?"

There was a specific method to harvesting medicinal herbs. If the method was wrong, the medicinal properties of the herb might be lost, causing its price to drop steeply.

The stalk of Frigid Sun Grass he was talking about was withered thin and slightly yellow, seemingly immature. Furthermore, it didn't look fresh at all. With a shriveled large head, it seemed as though it would die at any moment

"This gentleman here must be joking. I depend on this for a living, so how could I possibly get it wrong! This stalk of herb isn't of good condition from the very start, it was already like that when I procured it initially. If you want it, I will sell it to you at half price, 50 gold coins!"

The vendor said.

"Un!"

Zhang Xuan picked up the yellowish and withered stalk of Frigid Sun Grass.

Weng!

"Frigid Sun Mother Grass, the origin of other Frigid Sun Grasses. harvested from an unknown valley 200km into Tianxuan Forest. Aged 15..." Flipping open the book, the name of the herb and details on it were recorded.

"Frigid Sun Mother Grass?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

He had read it on the books previously. This extremely valuable and rare herb was the core of all other Frigid Sun Grass. If this herb were to be used in the creation of a medicine, its effectiveness would at least be ten times the latter!

He didn't expect to stumble upon this treasure when he was just casually looking for herbs. Furthermore, this herb was 15 year old. Just by this determined its extraordinary worth.

If Zhao Ya were to use the Frigid Sun Grass to nourish her meridians, she would still require the augmentation from several other means to successfully change her cultivation technique. However, with this stalk of Frigid Sun Grass, the problem could be easily solved. She wouldn't even need the augmentation from other means!

This was the most suitable medicinal herb for her, no questions about it!

"Wrap this stalk up for me!"

Although he was agitated, his face still remained expressionless as he casually passed it back to the vendor.

If the other party realized that this was a mother stalk and not a sickly one, its price would instantly shoot up by ten times and even so, he might still be unable to purchase it from him!

As a Four Haves Youngster [1] who grew up in the modern civilized world, he wouldn't do himself any injustice when he was able to profit out of something.

"50 gold coins!"

Seeing how well-dressed the young man seemed to be, he thought that he would purchase a few stalks. He didn't expect that he would just buy a sickly one. Pursing his lips, he wrapped it casually, the warmth from before absent on his face.

Even a vendor judged his own customers when doing sales. The person before him wasn't even willing to buy a good medicinal herb, thus making it clear to see that he was a poor bloke. Since that's the case, it would just be a waste of time to try to coax him otherwise.

"Alright!"

Grabbing the herb, Zhang Xuan reached out to his pocket and awkwardness immediately showed on his face.

Due to being too absorbed in the library, he forgot about the matter of money... As a low-level teacher, his wage was low. Furthermore, due to scoring a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination, his fortunes were penalized severely... In other words, he didn't even have 10 gold coins in his pocket, needless to say, 50.

"Is there anything wrong?" Sensing that something was amiss from his face, the vendor asked.

"Cough cough, can you... sell it to me for eight gold coins?" Zhang Xuan counted the gold coins he retrieved from his pocket, only having eight pieces of them.

"Eight? You must be joking! Since you didn't bring any money, why are you trying to buy anything at all..."

Seeing the few coins placed on the other party's palm, the vendor owner was on the verge of doing a somersault and crashing to the floor.

He had met with miserly customers, but he had never met with such a miserly one!

[Trying to buy Frigid Sun Grass with just eight gold coins? You must be dreaming! Even if this stalk is sickly, it is still worth far beyond this price.]

Snatching back the herb, he waved his hand with an annoyed look, "Scram if you don't have any money. I don't have the effort to be arguing with you over this!"

"Cough cough! It is true that I didn't bring sufficient money, but are you sure that you don't want to sell it to me?"

Seeing the attitude of the vendor, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Nonsense! Even if this stalk looks awful, it still contains medicinal properties. At worst, it can still be sold for 30 or 40 gold coins. Yet, you offer me eight gold coins? What a joke! Hurry up and leave, or else I will be calling for the security enforcement team!"

Seeing how this fellow was reluctant to leave despite being broke, he angrily chased him away.

In order to prevent people from coercing others to buy or sell goods, as well as to deter troublemakers, most large commercial cities operated a security enforcement patrol team in their perimeter. As long as one called out for them, they would appear quickly. Even if you were a Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm expert, you would be chased out of the commercial city instantly!

Furthermore, to make a move on the security enforcement team meant making a move on the entire commercial city. Normally, no one would have the guts to stand up against them.

Upon seeing how this fellow refused to leave despite not possessing sufficient money, he was certain that he was here to cause trouble. So, he opened his mouth to call for the security enforcement team.

"Don't call for the security enforcement team, I'm really interested in buying it!" Zhang Xuan interrupted him. With a calm and steady look, he chuckled softly, "I might not have sufficient money, but I'm not here to cause trouble. Do you believe that if I were to open my mouth, not only will you be willing to sell it to me, you would even offer to give it to me for free?"

"Give it to you for free? Are you still in the midst of your sleep?"

The vendor didn't expect the poor bloke to say such words. He looked at the young man before him with an attitude as though he was looking at an idiot, and sneered coldly, "If I were to really give it to you for free, I'll call you grandpa!"

In his opinion, this fellow must have a screw loose. Not mentioning how he didn't bring sufficient money to purchase goods, he even thought that he would give it to him for free...

[I am not insane, why would I give it to you for free?

Who do you think you are!]

"Call me grandpa? You don't need to do that!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. He looked at the vendor with a bright smile and said, "You will give it to me for free because I said so. If you doubt my words... I will take two steps... Cough cough, let's see what will happen after I give you a punch!"

------

[1] Four Haves refer to Dream, Moral, Culture and Discipline. Originated from Deng Xiao Ping in 1980.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 38: Reprise Bell

It was a scene of chaos in Hongtian Pavilion.

“What happened? I have barely been away for a while and such a sight awaited my return?”

In a room, an elderly was staring coldly at the kneeling Manager Wu.

He was the mastermind behind Hongtian Pavilion, Elder Hong Hao.

“Elder, it is like that. The grandson of Elder Shang Chen, Shang Bin, has been here…” Manager Wu didn’t dare to conceal anything and disclosed everything that had happened.

This included the affair which he swapped the Drunk Immortal with Green Crag Brew.

“Wu Chou, how dare you!”

After hearing Wu Chou’s words, Elder Hong Hao’s face darkened and he angrily sent a kick towards him.

Peng!

Manager Wu was immediately sent flying backward. His face paled as he vomited mouthful after mouthful of blood. “Elder, spare me! I do not dare hope to be forgiven for my crimes, but that fellow is even viler. To expose all of these in public and causing the reputation of our Hongtian Pavilion to be ruined, he obviously disregards you completely…”

“Hmph! After doing such shameful things, you still expect others not to talk about them?” Elder Hong Hao’s face looked hostile, as though a violent storm was gathering on it

“I…”

Manager Wu trembled uncontrollably.

Changing the contents of the dishes to earn more profits was a decision he made at his own discretion. He thought that he had concealed it perfectly. Yet, he was exposed by that young man in public. Naturally, he felt great resentment against him.

“I’ll give you five days to settle this problem thoroughly. I want the negative impacts to be reduced to the bare minimum! If so, I can consider not to pursue the matter of your corruption. Otherwise, don’t even dream of getting away alive!” Elder Hong Hao’s eyes were cold, like blizzard at night. Standing up, he asked, “Also, what is the name of that fellow? Is he a teacher of the academy? If he had informed me discreetly, I might have rewarded him with a sum of fortune, but he chose to cause trouble in public instead, soiling the reputation of my Hongtian Pavilion. I will have a good look at him tomorrow to see the one who gave him such guts!”

Bellowing furiously, a savage aura filled the surroundings. It felt like a frontal assault by a wave of frost, causing one to shiver uncontrollably despite the warm weather.

Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm!

This Elder Hong Hao was a Tongxuan realm expert! It was no wonder that he was able to vie for the position of the principal. Just his level of cultivation itself was already astonishing!

“It… It is Zhang Xuan laoshi!”

Manager Wu quickly said.

“Zhang Xuan? The one who was the last in the Teacher Qualification Examination?” Elder Hong Hao was taken aback.

Hongtian Academy had never had a single teacher scoring at the very bottom of the Teacher Qualification Examination throughout its centuries of history since its inception. Thus, even a person like Elder Hong Hao had heard of Zhang Xuan’s name.

“That’s him…” Manager Wu nodded his head.

“A trash would actually dare to trample on the dignity of Hongtian Pavilion? Excellent!” Clenching his fist, a cold glint flashed across his eyes. A heavy, murderous intent emanated from Elder Hong Hao.

If the other party was a star teacher or an influential figure in the academy, he might have some hesitation over punishing him. However, since he was a trash… Then, don’t blame him for being heartless!

………………………………

“Sigh, how troublesome!”

Returning back to his dwelling, Zhang Xuan massaged the center of his eyebrows.

He would have never thought it possible for so much trouble to evolve from just a simple meal.

“Forget it, there’s no use pondering over it. I better spend my time thinking about how I can break into Pixue realm!”

Quickly, he dumped all excessive thoughts to the back of his head.

Despite being a transcender, he knew that in this world, power reigns over might. Only with sufficient power would the problems of one cease to be.

He was currently at Dingli realm pinnacle and to break through, he would need the cultivation techniques of Fighter 6-dan.

However, an ordinary teacher didn’t have the qualification to browse through the 6-dan cultivation techniques of the academy. They could jot down a copy of it only with the approval of an elder.

In the previous examination, he only had the strength of a Fighter 3-dan. If he were to rush to an elder to ask for a 6-dan cultivation technique now, he might end up being researched like a guinea pig. Many troubles would grow out of it.

Furthermore, even with the approval of the other party, with just one copy… He was still unable to cultivate!

Based on the first five dans of Hongtian Nine Dan Formula, this cultivation technique possessed too many flaws. Without the cross references from numerous other cultivation techniques to seek the correct cultivation method, there wouldn’t be any results in his training even if he were to train nonstop for several years.

To him, the most pressing matter at hand was to seek a huge pile of Fighter 6-dan cultivation techniques and draw comparisons among them to deduce the correct cultivation method.

“Un, I’ve heard that quite a bit of trading is done in Tianxuan Royal City, and cultivation techniques are one of the goods that are being traded. It would solve quite a bit of problem if I am able to purchase a few 6-dan cultivation techniques!”

Suddenly, upon recalling something, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Hongtian Academy was located in the capital of Tianxuan Kingdom, Tianxuan Royal City. Tianxuan Royal City was an extraordinarily prosperous city. With numerous large commercial cities in here, all kinds of trade were being carried out. 6-dan cultivation techniques might be rare, but it was still sold in numerous shops here.

Furthermore, to Zhang Xuan, there wasn’t really a need for him to buy them. As long as he managed to flip through them, it would be as good as gaining possession of the secret manual.

With the Library of Heaven’s Path, the quality and price of the secret manual no longer matter. As long as there was sufficient quantity, he would be able to derive the correct path out of the innumerable errors, and the Heaven’s Path Divine Art would be automatically compiled, thus allowing him to cultivate swiftly.

“It is still early. Let’s see if I am able to get a few books today!”

At this point, Zhang Xuan stopped hesitating and stood up immediately.

The sun had just set and the nightlife had just begun. Since he was free anyway, it was a good opportunity to stroll through the commercial cities. Perhaps, he might even find some useful items.

Tianyu Commercial City was the largest trading market in Tianxuan City. It was said that as long as one possessed sufficient money, he was able to buy everything he desired here.

Stepping into the market, Zhang Xuan felt his vision blurring from the sight of the innumerable goods laid out before him.

His previous self was just an ordinary teacher. His wages were low and he was treated poorly. As a result, he had never been to such a grand place before. Thus, Zhang Xuan found himself incapable of identifying most of the goods on sale here.

There were many small vendors in the commercial city. A vendor would sit in front of each of these booths and all kinds of goods were laid out before them.

Weapons, pills, herbs, armor, beast skin, beast pills…

Almost everything that was required for cultivation could be found here.

Just that there were too many of them. It was difficult to ascertain which of them were of superior quality and which of them were of inferior quality.

“I may be unable to discern between the good and the bad, but the Library of Heaven’s Path may be capable of it!”

Such a thought flashed through his mind. Thus, Zhang Xuan immediately walked over to a booth.

“This gentleman here, what are you looking for? I have everything you need here, and I guarantee your satisfaction with my goods!” The vendor quickly welcomed his presence.

“I’ll just take a casual look!” Zhang Xuan smiled. He casually picked up an object in the booth.

It was a circular bell of average size.

“This bell is specially forged by a blacksmith and has extraordinary abilities. It is on sale for just 50 gold coins. I can assure you that the price is fair. I offer the very same price to everyone passing by! If you’re interested in it, I can give you a special discount… It’ll be yours for just 20 gold coins!”

The vendor coaxed.

Zhang Xuan didn’t respond to his words. Rather, he twirled the bell around his hand.

Weng!

The library in his mind jolted and a book appeared in it.

“Reprise Bell. It is able to generate the same tune over and over again, causing one to feel dizzy-headed. It is effective against Fighter 1-dan. It is created by a 1-mo craftsman of Blue Cloud Workshop. It is made of Wujin Metal…”

“Flaws: No. 1, the duration required for the reprise sound to take effect is long, requiring at least an incense’s time, making it an ineffective weapon in battle. No. 2, it doesn’t differentiate in its attacks, the wielder will take damage from it as well…”

~15 minute

“Indeed, it is possible!” Zhang Xuan smiled.

It didn’t matter even if he was unfamiliar with all these items. As long as he touched them with his hands and picked them up, the library would compile a corresponding book on it!

Furthermore, this book detailed the history, composition and all kinds of flaws of the item in question comprehensively. With just a single look, it was apparent to see if the item was valuable or not.

Those who were unaware of the truth might just buy it with the vendor’s previous offer of 20 gold coins. Only by looking at the contents recorded in the book did Zhang Xuan realize that this toy wasn’t even worth 2 gold coins!

[What specially forged by a blacksmith… Blue Cloud Workshop is an organization that specializes in the production of fake goods.

Furthermore, 1-mo craftsmen are the ones with the worst craftsmanship of them all.]

Those who specialized in the creation of goods and handicraft were termed as craftsmen. They were classified into 9 mo, with 1-mo being the worst and 9-mo being the best.

How valuable could a creation of a 1-mo craftsman be?

“With the library here, I won’t have to worry about purchasing fake goods…”

Zhang Xuan chuckled.

This world was similar to his previous one. With authentic goods come imitations. Given his previous ability of discernment, needless to say, the authentic ones, he might not even be able to tell the strengths and weaknesses of an imitation. However, with the assistance of the library, he didn’t have to worry about it anymore.

Just that, he needed to come into contact with the item for a book to be compiled on it. The number of items in this market total up to at least ten million. If he had to touch every single one of them, wouldn’t he tire himself to death?

Besides, if he were to just look at the goods, he wouldn’t attract much attention. However, if he touched everything his sight caught, it probably wouldn’t take long for the security enforcement team of the commercial city to think of him as a lunatic and drive him out of the city.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 37: Big Sister Spare Me!

“Zhang Xuan…”

Shen Bi Ru tried to break through Shang Bin’s blockade to save him, but she was knocked back consecutive times.

Shang Bin’s cultivation was on the same level as her. He might be spoiled due to his powerful backing, but his strength wasn’t false. Even if she possessed the strength to defeat him, she was still unable to break through his blockade within a short period of time, especially if he chose to execute only defensive maneuvers!

“I am the one who brought harm to you…”

Seeing how she was unable to save him, Shen Bi Ru was filled with guilt.

She thought that the reason why Shang Bin was dealing with this fellow who was the last for the Teacher Qualification Examination was because of her!

Otherwise, as someone of such high standing and the grandson of an elder towards an infamous trash who had no background whatsoever, when there’s no connection between the two, why would there be a grudge between them?

Yet, after pulling him down into the mud, she was unable to save him. The guilt she was experiencing at the moment tormented her painfully!

“Why are there no movements? Could it be that Zhang Xuan has already died?”

The more panicked she got, the more incapable she was of breaking through Shang Bin’s blockade. With Shang Bin blocking her sight, she was unable to view the situation over at Zhang Xuan’s side. She could only hear complete silence in the surroundings, as though he didn’t even struggle against the assault of the Sky Shattering Lion.

There could only be one possibility… Before Zhang Xuan could retaliate, he was already smacked to death by the Sky Shattering Lion!

After all, even she was unable to withstand a single blow from the tier 6 savage beast, which was equivalent to a Pixue realm expert.

“Haha, he is already dead. It is too late for you to make a move now…”

Hearing that there were no movements behind him, Shang Bin’s eyes lit up. He knew that the trash would definitely be unable to withstand a single blow from the Sky Shattering Lion. He laughed heartily out of excitement. Judging that there was no need to block Shen Bi Ru any longer, he leapt aside.

“Zhang Xuan…”

The moment Shang Bin leapt away, Shen Bi Ru didn’t waste time on him and hurriedly rushed forward. Just when she thought she would see a pool of fresh blood with a miserable corpse lying in the center of it, her slim figure suddenly froze and she stared in a daze.

“This… This… What happened?”

Initially, Shang Bin thought that his goddess would burst into tears from the shock of the sight. However, upon seeing such an expression hanging on her face, Shang Bin quickly turned around to take a look. With a single glimpse, his eyeballs widened into huge circles, and he almost fainted from overwhelming astonishment.

He saw the incomparably ferocious Sky Shattering Lion, which had rushed towards Zhang Xuan earlier to rip him into numerous shreds before, lying in front of Zhang Xuan like a pug, licking his hands.

Zhang Xuan’s other hand was stroking the head and ears of the Sky Shattering Lion, and unspeakable pleasure appeared on the latter’s face.

“The heck? What happened?”

Shang Bin was on the verge of tears.

This Sky Shattering Lion was his grandfather’s beast pet and it was extremely proud. Even for Shang Bin himself, just a simple touch would incur its fury, not to mention stroking its head!

After taking possession of it from his grandfather, he had spent half a day of effort on it, feeding it numerous delicacies. Yet, this fellow didn’t even show the slightest bit of gratitude, disregarding his presence as he pleased… Such a proud fellow became a pug before Zhang Xuan?

[You are here to kill him! To be lying before him and licking his palm, is this really alright?]

Shang Bin felt a dizziness spell working up, and he was on the verge of going crazy.

“Sky Shattering Lion, what are you doing? Quickly kill him!”

He bellowed.

The Sky Shattering Lion didn’t move. It continued to laze around, allowing Zhang Xuan to stroke its head freely.

“You… Quickly kill him! If you do it, I will buy you anything you want to eat from now on…” Shang Bin roared anxiously.

“So noisy, make him shut up!”

Zhang Xuan, who was stroking the Sky Shattering Lion, stood up and waved his hand.

Roar!

The Sky Shattering Lion stood up as well and glared at Shang Bin savagely.

“What are you planning to do?”

Frightened, Shang Bin immediately retreated several steps.

However, before he could get far, the Sky Shattering Lion dashed forward and took a sweep at him lightly with its paws.

Peng!

Before Shang Bin could react, he was sent flying backwards like a kite that had its string snapped. His head knocked onto a giant tree and crimson blood filled his entire face.

“What exactly happened… You are my grandfather’s beast pet…” Shang Bin cried.

This Sky Shattering Lion was the beast pet that his grandfather passed on to him to protect him. Logically, it should have listened to his words to deal with the outsider. Why did it listen to the words of an outsider to attack him?

Peng!

Before he could finish crying, another figure crashed onto the ground in front of him. He was Cao Xiong.

When that fellow noticed the situation turning awry, he immediately turned around to flee. However, how could he possibly escape from the Sky Shattering Lion, a tier 6 savage beast? He was sent flying back with a slap.

Roar!

After sending these two flying, the Sky Shattering Lion looked as though it had done something glorious. It walked over to Zhang Xuan with a flattering look, as though it wanted to be acknowledged for its accomplishment.

“Un, not bad. You did well!”

Zhang Xuan patted its head!

Roar!

The Sky Shattering Lion nodded its head quickly. It walked gallantly to the two lying on the floor, keeping a watch on them with a proud look, reminiscent of a responsible watchdog.

“…”

Shang Bin and Cao Xiong, who were planning to escape, were on the verge of tears.

“Zhang Xuan… You… How did you do that?”

Spectating the entire flow of events by the side, the dumbstruck Shen Bi Ru finally recovered and gazed at him curiously.

“How did I do it?” Zhang Xuan scratched his head. “This Sky Shattering Lion is very easy to communicate with. Perhaps, it might be because I am more handsome!”

“Handsome?”

Shen Bi Ru blinked and her slim figure staggered.

[The Sky Shattering Lion is a savage beast. To it, the term handsome should only be applicable to male Sky Shattering Lions, so what do you being handsome or not have to do with it?

Besides, if one must talk about handsomeness, Shang Bin is much more dashing than you…]

“Alright! Farewell!” Zhang Xuan didn’t continue explaining and turned around to leave.

Since the Library of Heaven’s Path could peer into the weaknesses of a human, naturally, it could peer into those of the Sky Shattering Lion as well.

This fellow might seem extremely powerful, but in actuality, it had sustained quite a few hidden traumas. Otherwise, it couldn’t have possibly willingly served as Elder Shang Chen’s beast pet.

The library had detected the flaws of it. Making use of it, Zhang Xuan casually solved some of the easier ones for it. As a result, the Sky Shattering Lion chose to obey his commands obediently without the slightest hesitation.

In comparison to Shang Bin’s promise, no amount of delicious food and pills could compare with a resolved hidden trauma.

Of course, this involved his secret as well, so he couldn’t possibly reveal the truth to Shen Bi Ru.

“You… Don’t go, you haven’t explained the reason why the Sky Shattering Lion obeyed to your commands…”

Seeing him leave, Shen Bi Ru quickly caught up.

The more she came into contact with this young man, the more formidable she found him to be. He was a mystery that was becoming more and more difficult to comprehend.

Being able to read so many books just by flipping through them, intentionally scoring a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examinations despite knowing the answers, realizing his identity as a gourmet through a meal and convincing a tier 6 savage beast to follow his commands easily…

What seemed impossible in the eyes of others was accomplished so simply by this young man, leaving others staring in disbelief!

[How did he accomplish all these?]

Shen Bi Ru was becoming more and more curious about this young man before her.

“Big sister!”

Oblivious to what she was thinking of, upon seeing her chasing him, Zhang Xuan halted his footsteps and said helplessly, “I want to live a long life. I’m afraid that I might not live to the next day being beside you! Just spare me…”

“Big sister? You are the big sister. Your entire family is big sisters!”

Shen Bi Ru’s face turned bright red.

She was a beauty. She might be slightly older than Zhang Xuan, but she looked no different from a seventeen or eighteen year old. Yet, this fellow addressed her as big sister, thus causing her to go into a frenzy.

“Fine, I am the big sister. So, just let me leave!”

Zhang Xuan shook his head in frustration.

“Pft!”

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan claim that he was the big sister, Shen Bi Ru chuckled and said, “Fine, you can leave. I will look for you tomorrow!”

“…” Zhang Xuan.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 36: Gourmet

There were many occupations in this world and gourmet was one of them. Gourmets were often born sensitive to taste, and their ability to discern flavors far exceeded ordinary humans.

Their cultivation might not necessarily be high, but there were some hotels or taverns that would hire them at high salaries so as to ascertain the taste and effects of their ingredients.

However, this occupation was one of the least esteemed ones and could only be considered one of the Lower Nine Paths.

There were more than several thousands of occupations in the world. To better classify them, they were split into the Upper Nine Paths, Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths.

Apothecary, blacksmith, formation master and similar jobs, which brought about benefits to battle techniques and one’s cultivation, were considered as the conventional Upper Nine Paths. On the other hand, gourmet could only be considered as an unorthodox occupation, thus being classified under the Lower Nine Paths.

Going by Shen Bi Ru’s opinion, given how the young man was capable of pointing out the flaws in those dishes and wine, he had to be a gourmet.

“You can take it so!” Zhang Xuan didn’t explain.

The Library of Heaven’s Path did more than reflecting one’s cultivation. As long as he had tried a dish, its flaws would be reflected in the library. With this, it was a simple task for him to take care of a small Manager Wu.

“Thank you for your help today…”

Seeing the other party admit to it, Shen Bi Ru thanked him.

If it wasn’t for this young man’s ability to discern delicacies, it would be truly embarrassing for her today.

“It’s nothing!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

“You resolved the problem just a moment ago, so it can’t be considered as my treat. I’ll treat you again next time!” Shen Bi Ru said.

“Treat me again?” Zhang Xuan pondered over it and shook his head. “Better not, I still treasure my life!”

Eating with a beauty might be an enjoyable event, but he knew himself the best. Given his reputation, the other party might simply be speaking out of politeness despite being repulsed by the idea!

Not only so, he would have to suffer from the envy of others. If so, he would have to come up with ideas to deal with her pursuers. However, there were still many things that he needed to do at the moment and he didn’t have the leisure for such matters.

“You…”

Just when she thought that Zhang Xuan could speak normally, she heard those words and felt a blockade in her chest again as the urge to go berserk surged through her.

Many people had asked her out to eat, but she rejected them all. Yet, when she took the initiative to invite him, she felt as though she was begging a stubborn elderly.

[Detestable!]

“Alright, since we have already eaten, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be making a move first. I still have many things to attend to!” Oblivious to her rage, he waved and prepared to take his leave.

“Wait, I’m not done yet!” Suppressing her anger, Shen Bi Ru calmed down her breathing and looked at him with her beautiful eyes. “You might have resolved that difficulty in my stead today, and your occupation as a gourmet played a huge role in it, but… In the end, it is still an unorthodox occupation. After all, a fighter should focus on his training…”

Fighters, upon cultivating to a certain realm, were able to survive without ingesting food, so delicacies did not have much use. Even if he was able to profit out of the occupation for now, it still wasn’t a proper path a fighter should be treading on.

After interacting with him, she could tell that Zhang Xuan wasn’t as useless as the rumors made him out to be. It could be possible that he had devoted his efforts to studying food, that’s why his Teacher Qualification Examination results ended up horrendous.

Upon such thoughts, despite her overwhelming anger, she couldn’t resist advising him.

“Alright!” Knowing that she said those words out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Just as he was about to leave, rapid footsteps sounded out from his back.

“Zhang Xuan, let’s see where you can escape to today! Today, don’t even dream about getting away!”

Following which, a resentful voice echoed in the surroundings. Two men and one beast blocked his path.

They were Shang Bin and Cao Xiong.

At this moment, the two of them have a giant footprint imprinted on their face, the outlines of it clear to see. Half of their face were swollen red and blood trickled down by edges of their mouth. Not a single hint of their previous dashing and carefree look remained.

This was especially so for Shang Bin. His injuries from morning have yet to recover and yet, he suffered another violent kick. At this instant, his mouth was crooked to the side and his lips looked like two giant sausages, thus pulling him further away from the concept of handsomeness.

He had planned everything out perfectly so as to look cool in front of his goddess. Who knew that not only would he fail, he even got beaten up to such a state and his connection with Hongtian Pavilion was severed as a result. If things went wrong, he might even be chastised by his grandfather. How could he take this humiliation lying?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Thus, he charged up directly towards Zhang Xuan!

“Shang Bin, what do you intend to do?” Shen Bi Ru didn’t expect him to come in pursuit to cause trouble. She stepped in front of Zhang Xuan to shield him from Shang Bin.

“Shen laoshi, don’t block my way! This is a personal grudge between Zhang Xuan and me!”

It was one thing if he didn’t see her, but when he saw her shielding the infamous trash of the academy, Shang Bin was further provoked as his eyes slanted to the sides and his mouth crooked further from the overwhelming rage.

The intense envy clouding his mind made him go frenzy. He stared coldly at that young man and shouted, “Zhang Xuan, are you a man? If you’re one, stop hiding behind a woman and have a fair duel to the death with me!”

Seeing how the fellow before him had lost his rationality, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes and said, “So what if I’m hiding behind a woman? This is a part of my capabilities. If you’re capable, find one to hide behind as well!”

“You…”

Shang Bin almost vomited blood.

As long as it was a man, if someone insulted him by saying that he was gutless and hid behind the protection of a woman, wouldn’t they feel embarrassed and humiliated such that they would rush forward to retaliate out of indignation?

[Why does common sense not apply to this fellow?

How can he speak of something that should have been incomparably shameful so naturally and righteously?

****, how can one be so thick-skinned?]

“Shen laoshi, I’ll be leaving these two for you to deal with. I still have something on, so I’ll be taking my leave first!”

As a transcender, what had he never seen before? Thick-skinned?

What a joke. In his previous life, in the information era… Have you seen anyone who wasn’t shameless?

He couldn’t be bothered to deal with a problem which someone had taken the initiative to resolve for him.

This wasn’t fear. Rather, it wasn’t a good time for him to be revealing his level of cultivation. On top of that, Shang Bin’s grandfather was an elder. If he were to be forced to a corner, Zhang Xuan would have to waste precious time dealing with the problems that would ensue. Since someone was shielding him, he was also happy to be spared of the effort.

“…”

Seeing how shameless the young man was, Shen Bi Ru was also at a loss for words.

Just a moment ago, she was still fearful that he would be provoked by Shang Bin’s taunt and duel with him. Now, it did seem that she was overthinking it…

If this fellow could be provoked, even sows would be able to climb trees!

“Zhang Xuan, hold it there! If I can’t kill you today, I won’t be called Shang Bin!”

Seeing the attitude of the young man, Shang Bin became even more enraged. Veins popped out from his temples and his face turned into a shade of green. Seeing that Shen Bi Ru had no intention of letting him through, he roared, “Sky Shattering Lion, kill him! As long as you do it, I will bring you delicacies every day! Furthermore, I will give you the 【Acupoint Soothing Pill】 that my grandfather promised me!”

As a tier 6 savage beast that had been tamed by a human, the Sky Shattering Lion was capable of comprehending human words.

As his grandfather’s pet, as long as Shang Bin was kept out of harm’s way, it couldn’t be bothered with his orders. In order to get it to make a move, he promised all kinds of benefits to him in an instant.

“Roar!”

Indeed, hearing his promises, the eyes of the Sky Shattering Lion lit up.

Savage beasts who have reached Pixue realm, unlike humans, were unable use the flow of zhenqi to break open their acupoints. They could only rely on the growth of their body to gradually pull up their strength. If it were to consume the Acupoint Soothing Pill at this moment, with its effects, its strength would surely soar significantly!

Acupoint Soothing Pill was a pill made specially for Fighter 6-dan experts. It possessed the effect of soothing one’s acupoints, thus allowing one to progress further in Pixue realm.

At this moment, Shang Bin’s strength had already reached Fighter 5-dan Dingli pinnacle, just a step off from Pixue. Thus, Elder Shang Chen spent a huge sum to obtain this medicine, so as to give him a boost.

Initially, Shang Bin was reluctant to take it out. However, upon recalling how he was humiliated by a trash, he found himself unable to suppress his emotions!

If he didn’t get rid of Zhang Xuan today, he feared that he would be unable to uphold his dignity in the academy anymore.

This was especially so for the goddess before him, she probably wouldn’t even spare him a gaze!

How could he tolerate such a situation!

“Shang Bin, what do you intend to do? Killing a colleague in academy compounds is a huge crime…”

She didn’t expect Shang Bin to be so insane to order the Sky Shattering Lion to make a move. Shen Bi Ru’s eyes narrowed. She wanted to rush forward to protect Zhang Xuan, but was blocked by Shang Bin instead. Panicking, she bellowed at him.

In the compounds, teachers were forbidden from killing one another. To do so was an infringement of the school rules, as well as a severe crime.

“Zhang Xuan was the one who wanted to kill me. To protect me, the Sky Shattering Lion retaliated. What I did was legitimate self-defense, what can the others say about it?” Shang Bin’s eyes turned red from insanity. He roared, “Sky Shattering Lion, what are you hesitating for? Do it!”

“You…”

Shen Bi Ru felt her heart turning cold.

Too shameless!

If he were to really use that as a front, with Elder Shang Chen’s interference within the matter, he might really get away with it! In fact, it was possible for him to escape punishment completely!

Zhang Xuan could very well die here!

After all, it was a tier 6 savage beast. Ordinary Pixue realm experts weren’t even its match. How could one who was the last in the Teacher Qualification Examination withstand it?

“Roar!”

Just when she was still in a fluster, the Sky Shattering Lion roared and dashed over. Before coming into contact with it, its powerful aura created a powerful gale that forced the surrounding grass and tree leaves to bow down to it.

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Nine Paths, also known as Three Teachings and Nine Paths

This is a real terminology used to classify jobs in ancient China.

To put it simply, there are Upper Nine Paths, Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths in ancient China and each of these paths refer to an occupation.

For example, the top occupations in ancient China (the nine occupations listed in the Upper Nine Paths) are:

Emperor, Saints, Secluded Masters, Oracle, Scholar, Warrior, Farmer, Worker, Merchant (And they are classified from |Most esteemed <–> Least esteemed|)

Similarly, the Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths have their own set of occupations as well.

The Three Teachings refer to Confucianism, Daoism (or Taoism) and Buddhism.

Do note that there are different interpretations/versions to the Nine Paths and most of them list Buddha as the first one.