Comprehension
"Hmm? What's this…?" Ying turned to the middle-aged Qing Lo and asked.
The steward's brows suddenly twitched, and an awkward silence fell between them. It seemed that Qing Lo was reluctant to answer. However, Ying was determined to draw out a response.
"….!!"
"….!!!"
Seeing that Ying was willing to wait indefinitely, Qing Lo finally decided to speak. He hesitated slightly, sighed, and then opened his mouth.
"Well, you see, the Young Lady has a… passion for subjects like this. She loves researching plants and herbs… powerful herbs. The Young Lady dreams of one day joining the Divine Lotus Sect, one of the Ten Great Sects, which specializes in alchemy and medicine," Qing Lo explained wistfully.
From the way he spoke—without stuttering and with a seamless connection between his words—it was clear that the aged steward telling the truth.... Or he was the world's best liar.
'Divine Lotus Sect? Alchemy? Huh… that still doesn't explain anything,' Ying thought, still skeptical about what to believe.
"Powerful herbs? Like poison? I wonder why…" he probed.
"Yes, like poison. Oh, she also studies and reads about medicinal herbs too," Qing Lo tried to reassure him.
"…Is that so?" Ying asked doubtfully. Such a pathetic attempt at a cover-up couldn't fool someone like him. It seemed that the old man was lying after all.
"Ah…!"
Seeing Ying's disbelieving expression, Qing Lo's eyes widened as he instantly recognized his blunder. He fumbled to correct the impression he had created.
"It seems the Young Master doesn't believe me. Please allow me to convince you properly," Qing Lo spoke, almost flustered, before dashing to the scanty shelves.
Ying couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Soon afterward, Qing Lo returned with a large book in hand. Ying glanced at it, wondering what he planned to do with it. His questions were quickly answered.
Upon reaching Ying, Qing Lo raised the large book and pointed at it.
"See this? This book is written by one of the Elders at Divine Lotus, as stated here—in the foreword," Qing Lo said, showing Ying the foreword of the book.
It was written in the native language of this world, which, for some reason, shared serious similarities to Eastern culture. Indeed, the author of the book, named 'Zhang Gue Shun,' was a certified Elder and Teacher at the Divine Lotus Sect.
After confirming this, Ying watched in suspicion as Qing Lo quickly turned the pages of the large accumulation of parchment.
Eventually, he stopped and showed Ying a page that had been folded, undoubtedly by someone who frequented this place.
"See this? This is a page that the Young Lady personally folded," Qing Lo said, unfurling the page to reveal its contents.
It contained information about a certain herb speculated to cure a weird illness related to something called… Qi Meridians. Underneath the text were jottings, presumably from Xian Shan herself.
With that, Qing Lo had absolved himself from further suspicion—for now at least. Although the question remained as to why the lady was studying such a topic, he dismissed it.
'It doesn't matter. After all, everyone has a past; I shouldn't be nosy and try to probe into others' business. It's disrespectful. Besides, I have a skill to learn. I've put it off for too long as it is.'
With that thought, Ying dismissed his worries and handed the medium-sized book back to Qing Lo. He took a seat, pulled out his Art's Scripture from the Inventory, and began studying. As he had said, he had delayed for far too long.
Soon afterward, Qing Lo returned the books to their original positions with ease, opened the room's windows, and excused himself.
Thud.
As the door closed behind the servant, Ying could barely contain his excitement and immediately began reading.
At first, his progress was slow—painfully slow, as he struggled to understand what the book was actually explaining. Its contents were infinitely more complex than the other skills he had learned upon logging in, but it was only a matter of time before Ying's comprehension caught up.
"I see," he said. 'The art itself is actually quite easy to understand as it has only five precepts. Two of which are learnable for me at the moment, but the other three seem to require the presence of something called Qi…'
'From that breakfast discussion, which strangely centered on fighting and cultivation, I learned that it's currently impossible for me to make use of this Qi,' Ying expertly concluded before continuing his study.
…
After about four and a half hours, Ying finally closed the black book and placed it beside two larger books on the wide study table.
Thump.
He let out a weary sigh, a reflection of the mental strain caused by prolonged study. Finally allowing himself to break concentration, he looked at the panels that had been hovering in front of him for some time.
[You have learned a skill!]
[You have learned a skill!]
[You have learned a skill!]
[Your understanding of the Dao deepens!]
The messages read, but Ying had already been aware of his progress for a while.
Truth be told, he had actually learned the first technique of the Art Scripture in barely twenty minutes! The second technique, which was significantly more complex, took him roughly thirty minutes.
In fact, the only reason he had spent four hours in here was because, after learning the first two techniques that he could practice, he realized he still had room to digest more information. So, he picked out two other books that had piqued his interest.
After finishing them, he continued and completed the study of the Sword Art. Of course, the final three Sword Arts consumed the largest portion of Ying's time, as they contained concepts he could not fully understand, such as Qi meridians, spiritual flux, beaconing, nomad energy, and more.
But he firmly believed that there would be rewards for his efforts in the future.
Ying wore a satisfied expression. Since he could not be completely certain of what comprehension speed was considered truly impressive in this world, he refrained from thinking of himself as a "genius." However, he felt fairly confident he would at least pass for average. Hopefully.
If only he knew…
"Phew… Let's see what I got." Ying smiled as he summoned his status window and concentrated solely on the section that displayed his skills.
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[
Grade: Spirit (Mortal)
Requirement(s): +15 Strength; +10 Agility
Mastery: Novice
Description: The first technique of an ancient art. Although it is yet to be awakened due to a lack of Qi, it can still be performed. A powerful and devastating sword attack, but its toll on the body is equally destructive.
]
[
Grade: Spirit (Mortal)
Requirement(s): +15 Strength; +20 Agility
Mastery: Novice
Description: The second technique of an ancient art. Although it is yet to be awakened due to a lack of Qi, it can still be performed. It is a guiding sword movement that controls the attacks of other, weaker swords.
]
[
Grade: Mortal
Description: You now possess an expansive knowledge of the basic herbs of the Mortal Plane.
]
As Ying read through the panels, he noticed that his third skill,
He also discovered that the Mortal grade beside the techniques referred to the potential he could currently awaken without the use of 'Qi.' He speculated he wouldn't be able to increase his mastery until he learned how to use this 'Qi.'
"Huuuu~~! Ok, right now, all I have is a relatively comprehensive understanding of the techniques. If I want to use my new skills, I need to practice them first," Ying thought aloud, excitement evident in his every syllable.
He dismissed the black book into his inventory, then shelved the other two books before walking out of the quiet library. As he opened the door, Ying stopped abruptly and turned back to take in the serene sight once more.
He sighed.
The tranquility this room had provided played a significant role in his gains, so he couldn't help but feel a little regretful even as he left.
But he had to go.
"Ahh. Even though I didn't get that world achievement in the end, I'll really miss this sweet… desolate, yet sweet place," Ying thought before exiting the room.
He strode through the mansion's hallways with quick steps. As he did so, he felt his heart beat rapidly beneath his rib cage—a testament to the sheer exhilaration bubbling within him. It was utterly overwhelming.
So much so that Ying didn't even realize when a despicable, almost perverse smile crept across his lips, causing more than a few female maids to turn tail and flee for dear chastity.
"Hmm?"
Ying didn't understand why all the women were suddenly running away from him—the exact opposite of what he had hoped to achieve in this world. But right now, he didn't care about such things.
His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: 'Great Tidal Sword Art.'