Scripture of Days Past

Lin Lan quickly gave in under Chu Qiguang’s insistence, taking him up to the second floor once again.

Chu Qiguang was unable to suppress a smile as he felt that familiar burning sensation in his chest.

He made his way directly toward the Heaven area and said with a solemn expression, ”Lin Lan, I need you to pick out the most dangerous books on the second floor for me.”

Lin Lan hurriedly grabbed onto his arm and said frantically, ”You can’t read the books on the second floor in your current condition! It won’t end well!”

Chu Qiguang took hold of Lin Lan’s hand, removing it from his arm as he said, ”Every single book on this second floor is a priceless treasure. Our seniors and predecessors had to make countless sacrifices to secure all of this knowledge. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the second floor of the archive building is one of the most precious treasure troves under the heavens.

”These priceless treasures cannot be destroyed unless there’s no other alternative, and they certainly cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of cults and fiends. However, if a Dao Comprehension-state cultivator manages to force their way in here, then even if we start burning the books immediately, we won’t be able to burn everything in time.

”Hence, what we need to do is destroy the most dangerous books in advance, but if we do that, the knowledge that they hold will be permanently lost, and that would be a massive disservice to humanity as a whole. There’s only one way to prevent that. As you know, I possess an eidetic memory—”

”No!” Lin Lan yelled, frantically shaking her head, as she cut Chu Qiguang off mid-sentence.

She already knew what he was planning.

”As the bookkeeper of the archive building, you must pick out the most dangerous books on the second floor for me so that I can memorize them before they’re destroyed,” Chu Qiguang said with a serious expression.

”Don’t do it, Brother Chu! You’re going to turn into a demon!” Lin Lan pleaded desperately. ”Those books aren’t meant to be read by anyone!”

”There’s no other option,” Chu Qiguang urged. ”Besides, you know that I have a very high level of resistance to demonification. I’m the only one who can do this right now. If you’re not going to help me, then I’ll go find the books myself.”

As he spoke, Chu Qiguang turned and began making his way toward the Heaven area.

Lin Lan immediately grabbed his arm again, pleading with him not to go.

Chu Qiguang turned to her with a cold expression and said, ”You’re the bookkeeper of the archive building, while I’m a trainee of the Demon Vanquishing Department. It is our duty to protect this sacred knowledge that was so painstakingly gathered by our forefathers. If you continue to stand in my way, then I’ll have no choice but to see you as my enemy and an enemy of the entire Demon Vanquishing Department!”

Lin Lan instinctively loosened her grip on Chu Qiguang’s arm upon hearing this, and before she had a chance to say anything, Chu Qiguang had already stepped into the Heaven area.

Lin Lan could only watch with tear-filled eyes, feeling extremely torn and conflicted.

Chu Qiguang didn’t even need Lin Lan’s guidance. All he had to do was walk in the direction that made his Ring of Ignorance heat up the most.

He opened an iron box and pulled out the page inside. A passage of text immediately appeared before his Dao pursuer eyes.

***

Two Eight Assassination Picture, one of the assassination pictures to have come out of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

To the average beholder, all they’ll be able to see is a series of unintelligible lines and eternally undrying bloodstains.

It’s said that the founders of the Heavenly Sword Sect came together to carry out the ceremony depicted in the picture.

***

Chu Qiguang briefly glanced over the information provided by his Dao pursuer eyes before turning his attention to the contents of the page itself, but all he could see were chaotic lines and bloodstains.

Thankfully, his Dao pursuer eyes proved useful once again, allowing him to see through the mass of erratic lines and make out a figure unleashing a barrage of sword qi to slay the emperor inside the palace.

The scene somehow felt familiar to him, and after giving it some thought, he realized what he had just witnessed.

This is a depiction of Ding Daoyuan’s assassination of the Chu Emperor!

He had read an account of the assassination of the Chu Emperor carried out by his closest general, Ding Daoyuan, in the Chu Dynasty Assassin Saga, and the description perfectly matched the scene that he had just witnessed.

All of a sudden, he was struck by a strong urge to see the rest of the assassination pictures. However, that that urge had only just arisen when the depiction of the assassination slipped from his mind, and a boon from the Ring of Ignorance arose in its place.

Once again, Chu Qiguang was presented with a list of cultivation arts, and he chose the Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts without any hesitation.

The qi and blood in his body immediately began to churn violently as he reached the fourth level of the Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts, and a seventh tentacle began to take shape within his shadow.

Chu Qiguang was overjoyed as returned his gaze to the Two Eight Assassination Picture. Once again, he was struck by the urge to see the other assassination pictures, but this time, the urge wasn’t as strong as before.

At the same time, a sharp screeching sound rang out overhead. Chu Qiguang looked up to discover a streak of white sword qi racing back and forth through the archive building like a roaming dragon.

It seemed that the more of this forbidden knowledge he came into contact with, the more hallucinations he experienced.

With no time to waste, Chu Qiguang turned his attention away from the streak of sword qi and began searching for the next assassination picture.

***

While Chu Qiguang was poring over the scriptures on the second floor of the archive building, the battle raging throughout the villa was becoming more and more intense.

Yang Ling had taken a Bloodbath Pill, but even with his enhanced physical prowess, he was still no match for Han Ying, the nine-tailed white fox fiend that he was locked in battle against.

His saber clashed repeatedly against Han Ying’s giant tails, but with every clash, he was forced back further and further back, and he quickly realized that he was no match for his opponent.

He could only continue to retreat as he fought, occasionally taking a Ginseng Ganoderma Pill to replenish his qi and blood and stamina.