C2 Men Are Not Allowed to Stay(2)

Zhong Wen was wracked with guilt for deceiving Lin Xiaodie, yet he was powerless to change the situation.

From their recent conversation, he deduced that this world was unlike any historical era he knew. It was a realm of cultivation, rendering his previous life's historical knowledge utterly useless. Lacking any skills, he urgently needed to acquire more information to make it in this unfamiliar world.

In his past life, he had met an untimely end in an accident.

Without a cell phone or WIFI, Zhong Wen paced his room, listlessly.

By chance, he found himself in front of a mirror.

"Is that really me?"

The reflection of the roughly eighteen-year-old, strikingly handsome youth took him by surprise.

As Zhong Wen touched his face, the youth in the mirror mimicked him. Back when he was overwhelmed with work and exhausted in his past life, he'd longed to be eighteen again. Now, reborn after death, his wish had come true.

Zhong Wen admired his good looks in the mirror, growing more pleased by the second. He felt he could hold his own against the heartthrobs he'd seen on TV in his former life.

"Zhong Wen! Zhong Wen!" A little girl burst into the room, excitedly brandishing the Great Qian Post.

The Great Qian Post was an official imperial newspaper, slightly smaller than A3 size and printed on both sides.

"Thanks, Xiaodie," Zhong Wen said, accepting the paper with a smile.

But his smile quickly turned to a look of dismay.

He couldn't make out a single word on the newspaper.

While others brought knowledge with them through transmigration, he had become illiterate!

In a world that esteemed martial prowess, Zhong Wen found himself not only devoid of combat abilities but also unable to read. He was close to breaking down in tears.

"What's the matter? Would you like to rest a bit more?" Lin Xiaodie asked, noticing Zhong Wen's troubled expression.

"It seems I can't even recognize the characters anymore," Zhong Wen admitted, feeling embarrassed and attributing it to memory loss.

The little loli gave him a look of compassion. Her master had mentioned during Zhong Wen's healing that he lacked spiritual energy and wasn't a cultivator. Now, he had even forgotten how to read. How was he supposed to survive from here on out?

"Maybe I could teach you to read?" offered the kind-hearted little girl, Lin Xiaodie.

She was young and loved to play, often skipping classes, which made her offer sound tentative and unsure.

"Thank you so much, Teacher Xiaodie," Zhong Wen said, after a moment's hesitation, deciding to take the opportunity to learn the language of this new world.

He was uncertain if he could ever return to his original world.

At being called Teacher Xiaodie, Lin Xiaodie's eyes sparkled. She puffed out her small chest and declared confidently, "Leave it to me. From now on, you're my student. Any questions, just come to me."

Zhong Wen found Lin Xiaodie utterly adorable and couldn't resist patting her head once more.

Just then, a soft tread of footsteps approached the doorway.

"Are you awake?"

Turning, Zhong Wen saw a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl standing at the threshold. She radiated elegance, her beauty striking, and her voice melodious. Draped in a flowing white robe, it did little to conceal her alluring figure.

In Zhong Wen's previous life, amidst an internet society awash with artificial beauty, it was rare to find someone with such natural allure and grace. He was instantly captivated.

"Senior Sister!" Lin Xiaodie exclaimed joyfully, tugging at the girl's sleeve. She turned to introduce her, "Zhong Wen, this is my Third Senior Sister, Yin Ninger. She's the one who gave you the Minor Rejuvenation Pill when you fainted yesterday."

"I'm Zhong Wen. Thank you for saving my life with the Medicine Pill," Zhong Wen said, admiring Yin Ninger's beauty.

"There's no need for thanks. Xiaodie pleaded with me to save you. You should thank her," Yin Ninger replied, her tone distant. "The Floating Flower Palace does not host male guests. Once your injuries are healed, you should leave the mountain promptly."

She was an enigma, a goddess wrapped in cold indifference.

As Zhong Wen sighed internally, he pondered how he might extend his stay. It wasn't the allure of the women that held him; rather, the unfamiliarity of his surroundings. Without gathering sufficient information before venturing out, he doubted he'd survive beyond these walls.

"Senior Sister, Zhong Wen's injuries are so severe he can't remember much. He can't even recognize characters anymore. And since he's not a cultivator, how will he manage if he leaves the mountain now?" The little loli's voice was tinged with urgency as she contemplated the student she had worked so hard to acquire being sent away.

Zhong Wen had found himself in a new reality as someone illiterate and lacking martial arts skills, which deeply saddened him.

"Xiaodie, the Floating Flower Palace is home to women only. Keeping him here, a man, is not only inconvenient but could also lead to idle talk," Yin Ninger said, her brow furrowed with concern.

"But I've already promised to teach him words," Xiaodie protested, tugging at Yin Ninger's sleeve persistently. "Once he's learned enough, could you consider letting him leave the mountain then?"

"My agreement means little; our Master would never consent," Yin Ninger replied, her tone softening as she regarded the earnest little girl.

"I'll plead with Master when she returns. She has such a kind heart; she surely won't bear to see Zhong Wen descend the mountain only to starve," Xiaodie implored with hope in her eyes.

Yin Ninger finally relented. "The decision is yours," she conceded. "I'll leave this matter for Master to judge."

"You're the best!" Xiaodie exclaimed, leaping up to embrace Yin Ninger's slender waist in a burst of joy.

A hint of resignation laced Yin Ninger's usually cool voice as she glanced at Zhong Wen. "Young Master Zhong, you may stay here for a short while. We'll wait for Master's return to finalize any arrangements. Please be mindful that the Floating Flower Palace is strictly female and avoid any actions that might lead to misunderstandings."

"Thank you, Miss Yin," Zhong Wen breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the reprieve. "And thank you, Teacher Xiaodie."

"No need for thanks; looking after you is simply what I should do," Xiaodie replied, a hint of pride in her voice at being addressed as a teacher despite her youth.

"I must go now, Xiaodie. In Master's absence, ensure you don't neglect your morning and evening lessons," Yin Ninger instructed with a gentle firmness before gracefully departing.

"I'll go grab the textbooks for you," Lin Xiaodie cheerfully bounded out of the room.

Zhong Wen watched her joyful departure and sighed. The depth of the little girl's kindness weighed on him; he wasn't sure if he could ever repay her in this lifetime.

With a determined focus, Zhong Wen closed his eyes to delve into the New Light Library within his mind. If he observed closely, the bookshelf categories were clearly marked: "Cultivation," "Spirit Skills," "Spirit Patterns," "Spiritual Medicine," and more. These books were organized by level, from "Bronze Grade" to "Silver Grade," "Gold Grade," "Platinum Grade," and up to "Diamond Grade."

As Zhong Wen scanned the horizontal labels on the bookshelf, a sense of helplessness washed over him.

He combed through the entire shelf and found only a Xinhua Dictionary under "Tools." Then he stumbled upon China's ancient literary masterpieces: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, All Men Are Brothers, Dream of the Red Chamber, along with a heap of other books. Every other category was barren.

Was this not the same collection that had adorned the shelves of his old home?

His attention snapped to Journey to the West, and instantly, lines of text swam before his eyes. The original words raced through his mind, and in a flash, Zhong Wen felt as though he had re-read the entire novel, each phrase vividly etched in his memory.

Yet, after one read-through, Zhong Wen waited in vain for some miraculous event to unfold.

Filled with hope for some kind of reward, his disappointment was palpable.

"I'm back!" Lin Xiaodie returned, clutching two thread-bound books, her voice brimming with barely contained excitement. "Class is now in session—everyone, please address me as Teacher Xiaodie!"

"Student pays respect to Teacher Xiaodie!" Zhong Wen couldn't suppress a smile at the sight of the endearing young girl before him.

Could he introduce the allure of Chinese culture to this world?

An idea sparked in his mind on how to utilize the New Light Library to do just that.