Chapter 89: The Wisdom of the Ancients

After briefly treating Tai Long's injuries, Dan Heng parted ways with him.

Tai Long might be a passionate and straightforward person, but Dan Heng had no interest in associating with such individuals.

Just like how he had been reprimanded by Chrysanthemum Douluo on the street, who knew what kind of trouble Tai Long would provoke next?

The next day, when Dan Heng arrived at the library for work, there were significantly more students than the previous day.

Most of them were female students who casually picked up books and hid behind bookshelves, secretly observing Dan Heng.

"..."

Dan Heng could hear their whispered discussions—filled with all sorts of bold and flirtatious remarks, some of which even made him embarrassed to listen to.

He paid them no mind, focusing instead on reading the ancient botanical manuscript given to him by Chrysanthemum Douluo.

The book recorded a variety of rare and exotic flowers and plants. As he flipped through the first ten pages, he realized that eight out of ten were plants he had never even heard of before.

But he was certain that every plant listed in the book truly existed.

It immediately struck him—this manuscript was an absolute treasure!

Chrysanthemum Douluo had claimed he was testing Dan Heng, but in reality, he had gifted him an incredible resource.

"Um… Mr. Dan Heng, could you help me find this book?"

Two young and beautiful female students approached the service desk, smiling charmingly as they handed him a slip of paper.

Dan Heng took the paper and glanced at it—only to find that it wasn't a book request at all. Instead, it contained their personal information, along with a request to get to know each other.

His brows immediately furrowed as he looked up at them.

The two girls giggled, gazing at him with enchanting eyes.

"I already have a wife. Also, please refrain from interrupting me with tasks outside my job responsibilities."

Dan Heng's attitude was firm. He had no interest in wasting time with these kinds of girls.

These two female students were undoubtedly among the prettiest in the academy, with delicate eyebrows, bright almond-shaped eyes, and rosy lips. They surely had no shortage of admirers.

But now, after boldly trying to approach Dan Heng, they had been rejected outright.

Their faces darkened slightly, and they huffed in annoyance.

"Oh? You don't want to get to know us? Fine, whatever. It's not like we were that interested anyway. Hah, you really think you're something special? We have plenty of admirers."

One of the girls snatched the slip of paper back before the two of them stomped off.

Seeing their miserable failure, the other female students suddenly became hesitant to approach Dan Heng.

At last, he could finally relax.

Before long, he had memorized all the exotic flowers and plants recorded in the manuscript.

Some of them possessed miraculous abilities, capable of reviving the dead and healing severe wounds.

However, those entries had been deliberately crossed out by Chrysanthemum Douluo.

It was clear that Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't want anyone to discover these plants and destroy them for the sake of their effects.

After setting the manuscript aside, Dan Heng picked up a few theoretical books.

As he continued reading, he noticed a common issue—Soul Masters in this world tended to be extremely impatient.

Because cultivating soul power directly increased their strength, they placed little value on theoretical knowledge.

Only a rare few took the time to read, either because they had reached a bottleneck in their progress, disliked combat, or wished to document their insights for future generations.

But the majority of those who read these books were not Soul Masters at all—let alone students of the academy.

Most Soul Masters believed that time spent reading would be better used for meditation or combat training.

This, however, was a grave misconception.

Studying theoretical knowledge might not increase soul power directly, but finding the right path could significantly shorten the time required for cultivation.

Dan Heng also noticed that many of these theoretical books were dismissed simply because their authors weren't high-ranking Soul Masters.

As a result, many potential gems of knowledge were overlooked.

What Dan Heng didn't realize was that someone else had discovered this problem long before him.

That person was none other than… Yu Xiaogang!

Despite his low-level soul power, he had risen to great fame. While Bibi Dong's influence was one reason, his vast knowledge and research were another crucial factor.

Many capable scholars had written books, but lacking a way to spread their knowledge, their works remained obscure.

Thus, within this library, there were countless hidden treasures of wisdom.

Unfortunately, neither the city nor the academy had anyone with the insight to recognize these treasures.

Everyone was too preoccupied with other matters.

Dan Heng had no opinion on the matter and had no intention of getting involved.

Of course, if someone sincerely sought his advice, he wouldn't hesitate to recommend a few useful books.

"Mr. Dan Heng, the book you recommended to me yesterday—I read it all night, and it really helped me understand my struggles. Thank you!"

At noon, a familiar figure approached the service desk and spoke softly.

It was Jiang Zhu.

Dan Heng had a rather good impression of her. At the very least, she was genuinely interested in reading and wasn't just looking for an excuse to talk to him.

This time, she had brought two friends along.

"Mr. Dan Heng, could you recommend some books for them as well?"

Jiang Zhu introduced her two friends, explaining their martial souls, soul power levels, and current difficulties in cultivation.

The two girls curiously looked at Dan Heng, though they didn't seem particularly serious about his recommendations.

Instead, they were more interested in admiring his face.

Dan Heng nodded slightly and thought for a moment before speaking.

"For the ten-year purple section… On the Cultivation of Butterfly-Type Soul Masters at the Grand Soul Master Stage. And for the hundred-year black section…"

Both books were ones Dan Heng had read before and would be highly beneficial to the two girls.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Dan Heng!"

The two girls bowed slightly in gratitude before giggling and turning to leave.

As they walked away, they playfully nudged Jiang Zhu's shoulder.

Jiang Zhu's face immediately turned red. She lowered her gaze, hesitating before speaking.

"Mr. Dan Heng… Yesterday, Tai Long came looking for trouble with you, didn't he?"

"Mm."

"Well… I just want you to know that I have nothing to do with him. Don't listen to his nonsense. He's just a thug who always causes trouble… If he bothers you again, I'll go talk to him myself!"

Dan Heng shook his head and explained, "It's fine. I already spoke to him. There's nothing between you and me—besides, I have a wife. He'll understand."

"Ah? Ah…"

Jiang Zhu froze in shock.

Her eyes suddenly reddened. She couldn't believe that someone as young and handsome as Dan Heng was already married!

In that instant, the little fantasies she had nurtured in her heart popped like a fragile bubble.

"I-I see… I was just afraid that Tai Long would keep harassing you…"

"Well then… I-I'll be going now. Goodbye, Mr. Dan Heng…"

Jiang Zhu mumbled as she quickly turned and walked away.

At the entrance, her two friends caught up with her, carrying their books.

Seeing her teary eyes, they looked at her in surprise.

"What's wrong, Jiang Zhu?"

Jiang Zhu sniffled. "Nothing… just got some dust in my eye…"

The two girls exchanged glances before glancing back at Dan Heng.

It had to be something that happened there.

Did Jiang Zhu just… get rejected?

"Hmph! That heartless guy! I don't even want to read his recommendations anymore!"

Jiang Zhu quickly wiped her tears and said firmly, "No! Mr. Dan Heng's recommendations are really helpful! You must read them!"

(End of Chapter)