Chapter 29: Chapter 29 He's not
After watching for a while and noticing that this fellow was still hesitating and had not flipped through a single book, Steward Liao could no longer bother to intervene.
Anyway, as per City Lord's instruction, he had brought the other party here. Whether he could learn any skills was up to him. If he couldn't, it was nobody else's fault.
Just as he was about to walk out of the Book Collection Vault, he heard footsteps approaching, and then he saw City Lord, Wu Yunzhou, Mo Yanxue, and Yu Xiaoyu—the two young ladies—enter together.
"City Lord..."
Steward Liao hurriedly made a fist salute.
"How did his selection go? Which cultivation method did he choose?" Yu Longqing made a silent gesture and asked in a hushed voice with a smile.
With a bit of embarrassment, Steward Liao shared his thoughts: "To report to City Lord... This Zhang Xuan seems somewhat restless and ambitious beyond his reach. He does not seem like he really wants to learn…"
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Yu Longqing asked with curiosity.
"That is..."
After hesitating for a moment, Steward Liao said, "Up until now, he hasn't chosen even one."
Yu Longqing was taken aback and asked with a frown, "Didn't I ask you to help him choose one? Why did you let him choose by himself? He was just a coachman before and has never seen a cultivation method. How could he choose?"
"This..." Steward Liao pointed to the front: "City Lord, you might as well see for yourself!"
Full of doubt, Yu Longqing took a step forward, only to see Zhang Xuan standing elegantly and quietly in front of a pile of books. His tall figure combined with his handsome air gave off an impression of being above worldly concerns, barely resembling a subordinate, more like a young lord.
While contemplating this, he then saw Zhang Xuan glance at the bookshelf and immediately afterward, his finger randomly flailed about as if having a convulsion...
The speed was so fast, it was like a Muscle Membrane Gun.
"????"
Yu Longqing stood there, dumbfounded.
This is not the behavior of a noble lord, but the precursor to an illness...
Shouldn't choosing a secret manual involve taking the book out to read it?
What is this convulsive nonsense?
"He... has been doing this the whole time?" After watching for a while and realizing this was an intermittent condition—watching a while and prodding a while—Yu Longqing couldn't hold back any longer and asked Steward Liao beside him.
"Just now… the convulsions were slower!" Steward Liao nodded.
"He hasn't opened a single book up to now… He hasn't even read anything?" City Lord's eyelids twitched.
Not only did he have this expression, but Wu Yunzhou, Mo Yanxue, and Yu Xiaoyu were all somewhat stunned as well.
They thought he seriously wanted to learn after all the trouble, and they never imagined he just had a convulsion toward the books...
It's bearable to have a few spasms in front of a beautiful woman, suggesting a strong physique, but to do the same with books... what are you thinking!
"Yes! He hasn't opened a single one until now. It's not that I didn't want to help him choose, it's that so far, I don't know what he's looking for..." Steward Liao said.
"Let it be, he helped me tame the Cangbai Eagle, we should also help him a bit!"
After watching a while longer and realizing more than an hour had passed with the other party still not having looked at a single book, Yu Longqing could no longer hold back and took a step forward: "Zhang Xuan, my young friend!"
Upon hearing the call, Zhang Xuan finally noticed everyone and quickly turned around: "City Lord..."
Without cultivation and suffering from severe injuries, even his hearing was not very sensitive anymore. Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for so many people to come close without him noticing.
"Hmm!" Yu Longqing pointed to Wu Yunzhou and introduced, "This is Vice Dean Wu from Baiyan Academy. He has come this time with a few questions he wishes to ask you!"
Zhang Xuan recognized him from having seen him at the academy and quickly made a fist salute: "I have seen Dean Wu..."
"No need to be polite, I'm just casually looking …"
Having finished speaking, Wu Yunzhou gently placed a palm on Zhang Xuan's shoulder, and the next moment, a stream of qi immediately surged into his body through his jianjin.
Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback, "Dean, what are you..."
Wu Yunzhou withdrew his strength, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, "You haven't even opened your Source Pool?"
The young man before him had not a trace of Origin qi in his body, nor did he even possess a Source Pool.
"I haven't started practicing yet, I came here to find books to learn..." Realizing that the other party was testing his cultivation, Zhang Xuan scratched his head, looking dejected.
If he had found the Source Pool, he could have absorbed Origin qi and wouldn't have needed to be so low-profile and helpless.
"Nonsense, if you haven't opened the Source Pool, why didn't you say so earlier..."
Turning his head to glance at Yu Xiaoyu, Wu Yunzhou flicked his sleeve dismissively.
He had taken this girl's words to heart, firmly believing that he had found the one. But after all this fuss, it turned out to be someone who couldn't even locate the Source Pool... a good-for-nothing...
Without a Source Pool, one cannot absorb Heavenly Mandate Vitality, and naturally, they wouldn't be the talented individual he was so eager to find.
"You only said 'a talent', and I wasn't sure exactly what you meant, I just felt Zhang Xuan seemed somewhat similar..." Yu Xiaoyu mumbled.
The person Dean Wu wanted to take on as a disciple, even if not the best, certainly wouldn't be so impetuous and overreaching," Wu Yunzhou scoffed, a look of displeasure on his face.
Cultivation talent is one aspect, but being down-to-earth and diligent is equally important.
Spending a short hour to choose a cultivation method and ending up with nothing, always acting rashly... Such a person wouldn't even be accepted as a disciple if offered for free.
"City Lord Yu, since it's not him, then I shall take my leave..."
Having confirmed that the person was far from what he was looking for, Wu Yunzhou couldn't bother with further idle talk and turned to leave.
"Let me see you out..."
Yu Longqing also shook his head.
A subordinate is just a subordinate, after all. Aspiring to leap onto a branch and become a phoenix is indeed rather difficult.
Having taken only a few steps, Yu Longqing turned his head towards his daughter, "Xiaoyu, help Zhang Xuan choose a few books. Try to memorize them as quickly as possible, to repay him for the favor of taming the beast for me."
"Yes, Dad!"
Yu Xiaoyu nodded her head, approached Zhang Xuan, and whispered, pointing casually, "Over there, on the innermost bookshelf, there is a copy of 'Five Directions Source Seeking Art,' which is the best secret manual for locating the Source Pool. You can study it..."
"Thank you, Miss Yu!"
Seeing that she directly offered the name of the secret manual, Zhang Xuan quickly bowed with his hands clenched into fists, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Although for him, the power of the cultivation method wasn't that important, since he possessed the abilities "Heavens' Imperfections" and "Heavens' Order," and with a sufficient number of books, he would inevitably have the most pinnacle of secret manuals. But her offer was enough to represent a sign of goodwill.
"Dad, wait for me..."
Without saying more, Yu Xiaoyu turned and hurried after her departing father, reaching the gates of the Book Collection Vault, only to find City Lord Yu standing there alone, with Dean Wu having already left.
Approaching with a beaming smile, Yu Xiaoyu hugged her father's arm, "Dad, you can't just reward Zhang Xuan and not me. After all, if I hadn't brought him here, you wouldn't have been able to tame the Cangbai Eagle!"
"Indeed, my daughter is the best!"
Yu Longqing looked at her affectionately, "Tell me, what do you want? Whatever your father can provide, I'll give it all to you..."
"I knew Daddy loved me the most..."
With a giggle, Yu Xiaoyu's bright eyes stared intently, "I want to practice in your silent chamber, striving to achieve better results in tomorrow's evaluation..."
"Practice in my silent chamber?"
Yu Longqing was taken aback, then shook his head, "No! I don't agree."