Chapter Eighty-Two: Turmoil in the Library Pavilion

This fool never forgets about robbing others! Yu Youwei shook her head and laughed quietly. As she entered the main hall on the first floor, she was instantly stunned. It was nothing short of an ocean of books and jade-eye scrolls. Like the Ning family’s study, the hall was divided into different sections, but here, the divisions were by category.

Wandering around casually, she discovered that the first floor housed nearly a thousand disciples, all engrossed in their reading, with hardly any interaction among them. On the second floor, there were even more people, some occasionally whispering to each other. However, the number of books and jade-eye scrolls was significantly less, and the shelves were not as densely packed as on the first floor. Yu Youwei held a volume of cultivation insights from predecessors, reading with delight, while Ning Mofei sat on the floor beside her, waiting quietly.

A disciple in golden robes was about to descend the stairs when he caught sight of Ning Mofei. He strode over, glanced at Yu Youwei reading earnestly, and barked imperiously, “Since when are little nobodies in the Qi Refining stage allowed on the second floor?”

Disputes were rare in the library pavilion. Those nearby glanced over and quickly dispersed. After all, each entry was charged, and time was limited.

Ning Mofei, nearly asleep from waiting, looked up at the voice and asked blankly, “Are you talking to me?”

“It’s not about you. Mofei, let’s go to the third floor,” Yu Youwei pulled Ning Mofei away, ignoring the golden-robed disciple entirely.

His face darkened as he shouted, “Stop! The third floor isn’t for the likes of you!”

“The sect leader said we could go. If you’re unhappy, take it up with him.” Arrogance requires backing, and it seemed the Ning brothers were favored by the sect leader. Yu Youwei thought that enduring malicious provocation without retaliation was simply foolish.

“Stop using the sect leader as your shield! It must be Ning Bai who’s abusing his position. Wait, you’re not one of our disciples—you’re a spy!”

“A pig shouldn’t grow so big,” Yu Youwei didn’t want to cause trouble and continued dragging Ning Mofei forward without even looking back. She refused to believe the elderly, disrespectful library elder would simply stand by.

Sure enough, the elder’s voice floated up from below: “Those who cause trouble in the library will be punished—at least a year’s ban from entry, or for serious offenders, a lifetime ban. Hong Kun, go ahead if you dare.”

“Elder, this woman is a spy!” As the foremost among the younger generation of Tianhuo Peak, Hong Kun never accepted Ning Bai’s authority, believing he only surpassed them thanks to being the sect leader’s personal disciple. Now, with a supposed offense in hand, he seized the opportunity to make trouble.

“She has the sect leader’s token. If you suspect her, take it up with him. The old man recognizes the token, not the person.” The library elder yawned, “Kid, get out of here. For your grandfather’s sake, I won’t hold it against you this time.”

“Everyone knows the sect leader is in seclusion, and Ning Bai is acting in his stead. If he wants to abuse his power, it’s not difficult!”

“That’s reasonable. Go appeal to the sect leader, just don’t stir trouble here.” The elder was clearly covering for Ning Bai. Hong Kun realized further argument was pointless. “I’ll go to the Grand Elder!” he declared angrily, storming out.

The Hong family patriarch was the ninth-ranking Grand Elder of the Xianchen Sect and doted on Hong Kun above all his descendants. If Hong Kun brought the old master, even the library elder would have to take the heat. Unbothered, the elder pulled out a small jade flask, took a sip, and smacked his lips, “Excellent wine!”

A disciple in purple robes, registering a book, smiled and asked, “Elder, who is the woman Brother Ning brought? She’s really not one of our Xianchen Sect disciples?”

Guarding the library year-round was rather dull, so the elder enjoyed bantering with the young disciples. “That’s Mofei’s wife. If you dare have any improper thoughts, be careful—Ning Bai will chop you into mince and feed you to the shrimp.”

The disciple shuddered and hurriedly explained, “I have no improper intentions, just curious how she’s allowed in the library if she’s not a Xianchen Sect disciple.”

“Well, perhaps Hong Kun is right, and it really was Ning Bai who pulled strings.” The elder made up a casual excuse. He was just joking, but the rumor spread like wildfire, soon reaching every corner of Xianchen Sect—even alerting three Grand Elders who rarely showed their faces.

Besides the Hong patriarch summoned by Hong Kun, there was the great-grandfather of Ye Qingyun, Ye Elder, and the most impartial Elder Ma from the Hall of Justice. The three giants arrived together at the main hall, where Ning Bai was handling affairs. Observing his adept and efficient manner, Elder Ye stroked his beard and smiled with satisfaction, Elder Ma maintained his usual grave expression, and even the biased Hong Elder nodded slightly.

Facing the three elders, Ning Bai didn’t force a smile. After learning their purpose, he replied calmly, “Before entering seclusion, the sect leader instructed me to issue tokens. He also ordered that Yu Youwei be allowed to enter the Flowing Cloud Realm for cultivation. I have not yet made arrangements.”

Hong Elder scolded, “Bai, even if you and your master abuse your privilege, there ought to be limits!”

Elder Ye laughed, “Old Hong, don’t make baseless accusations. Though Qingyun was wild in youth, as sect leader, he’s been upright. If Bai misbehaves, Qingyun wouldn’t follow suit—especially since these are his own instructions. Let’s hear the details first.”

Elder Ma uttered only a single word, as if conducting an interrogation, prompting even Ning Bai to roll his eyes in rare childishness.

A soft chuckle sounded, and the Grand Elder who guarded the library, Elder Shui, appeared in the hall. She patted Ning Bai’s head and teased, “Rare to see that little block of ice roll his eyes—this trip wasn’t in vain!”

“You’re helping him falsify testimony?” Hong Elder asked bluntly.

“Your Hong family breed takes after you—all narrow-minded, unable to stand others’ brilliance.” Elder Shui had clashed with Hong Elder since her days as Jade Water Peak’s head, and her words still stung, leaving Hong Elder fuming. She continued, “Mofei’s wife, whether entering the library or the Flowing Cloud Realm, is a reward. She saved our Xianchen Sect disciples in the Dark Emperor Castle—even the little Ma from Elder Ma’s family was carried out by Mofei, while his wife held back the alliance leader with her life.”

“Pick a better excuse for your cover-up. The alliance leader? Even Qingyun’s generation can barely contend with him; what use is a little girl?”

Not only did Hong Elder suspect Elder Shui was being contrary, the other two elders were skeptical as well.

Elder Shui replied serenely, “If it were your Hong descendants—weak outside, hollow within—they couldn’t do it. But that girl could, though I don’t know how. All the disciples who returned from the Dark Emperor Castle can testify. Hmm, Hong Kun’s cousin was among them, and his cultivation has soared—he should be able to curb Hong Kun’s arrogance now.”

After a moment of silence in the hall, three voices rang out in unison, “Where is that girl? I want her as my disciple.”

Ning Bai gazed gloomily at the scene before him. He thought: Just moments ago, they were here to call me to account. Now, so quickly, they’re fighting to accept her as their disciple?