C4 This Is the Ancient Script!(2)

"What's the matter, Wang Quanxin?" Liu Qiqi inquired.

"Squire Jin's subordinates have come to collect debts again," Wang Quanxin said with a look of distress. "They're currently in the front hall and refuse to leave."

Liu Qiqi's expression shifted. "I'll go check it out."

They hurried off, leaving Lin Xiaodie behind, her face etched with concern.

"Who is Squire Jin?" Zhong Wen asked, his curiosity piqued.

"He's a big villain," Lin Xiaodie replied, her lips pursed in distaste.

Zhong Wen wasn't taken aback. In any story, a character introduced as a squire often turned out to be nefarious.

Though Zhong Wen was intrigued, he was well aware of his place. Not even qualifying as a guest, he had no business meddling in the affairs of Whispering Blossoms. Besides, Lin Xiaodie's master would handle any trouble that arose.

For Zhong Wen, mastering the art of survival in this world was the immediate concern.

"I've been cooped up indoors for days and I'm bored stiff. May I go out for a walk?" he asked.

"Absolutely. The scenery here is breathtaking. I'll show you around," Lin Xiaodie offered, her voice laced with a touch of show-off.

Zhong Wen bounced along with Lin Xiaodie, stepping out into the courtyard where the air felt invigoratingly fresh. He inhaled deeply, his spirits lifted.

The Jade Crest of his past life couldn't hold a candle to this place.

Zhong Wen thought that if he could live here indefinitely, he might well reach a ripe old age.

Exiting the courtyard, he glanced back to see a plaque above the gate, inscribed with three golden characters. Illiterate, he was unable to read or appreciate the calligraphy, but he surmised it signified "Whispering Blossoms."

Instead of venturing into the forest before him, Zhong Wen followed Lin Xiaodie's lead, strolling leisurely around the estate's structures, soaking in the mountain's natural splendor.

Before long, they reached a spacious field teeming with unfamiliar plants thriving under the misty veil.

"This is the Third Senior Sister's Herb Garden. She cultivates all her medicinal herbs for pill-making right here," Lin Xiaodie explained, tugging at Zhong Wen's sleeve as they ambled along.

The vision of a beautiful girl tenderly caring for medicinal herbs in the field sprang to Zhong Wen's mind. The image was strikingly serene.

After a bit, they reached a discreet door at the rear of Whispering Blossoms. Zhong Wen's body was youthful, but he was still recuperating and felt somewhat drained, so he proposed they head back.

Stepping through the door, he hadn't gone far when a distinctive building materialized before him. Its architecture clashed with the surrounding structures, and the characters on its sign remained a mystery to him.

"What is this place?" Zhong Wen inquired offhandedly.

"This is the Spire of Knowledge," Lin Xiaodie responded. "Would you like to go in and have a look?"

"May I?" Zhong Wen expressed his surprise. "Isn't the Spire of Knowledge a sacred site for each sect? Are outsiders allowed to just wander in?"

"Others can't, but you can," Lin Xiaodie said with a playful smile. "Besides, you can't read."

Zhong Wen conceded, "You make a compelling argument. I'm at a loss for words."

His curiosity piqued about the Spire of Knowledge, Zhong Wen didn't hesitate and followed Lin Xiaodie inside.

The interior was lined with shelves brimming with bound books. Surveying the space, Zhong Wen estimated that the collection here paled in comparison to the selection he'd seen in roadside bookstores in his past life.

"Here we have books on cultivation methods and arcane techniques. That section houses works on panacea studies," Lin Xiaodie explained while walking. She quickly approached a shelf, "These are novels, assorted records, and local chronicles. After my cultivation sessions, I love to come here and dive into a novel."

Zhong Wen's eyes skimmed over the volumes, but his interest waned swiftly.

He couldn't make sense of any of the books.

He brooded over this fact. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a solitary three-tiered bookshelf in the corner. It stood empty except for two books nestled in the middle tier. The label above was indecipherable to him.

"Why is that bookshelf so isolated?" Zhong Wen pointed to the lone bookshelf in the corner. Alone in this unfamiliar world, he felt a kinship with its solitary existence.

"That book is written in ancient script. I can't make heads or tails of it either," Lin Xiaodie said, her lips curling with disinterest.

"Ancient script?" Zhong Wen perked up at the unfamiliar term.

"Yes. My master told me that the cultivation world in ancient times was incredibly powerful. Gold grade cultivation methods and arcane techniques were commonplace, and there were even many of a higher caliber. Cultivators from that era could easily demolish a mountain," Lin Xiaodie mused, a hint of longing in her voice as she thought of the ancient cultivators.

Zhong Wen asked, "So what happened to them?"

"Sometime later, for reasons unknown, the ancient civilization vanished. These days, ancient texts are occasionally unearthed, but they're all penned in ancient script. Apart from those from the Holy Land, nobody recognizes this writing," Lin Xiaodie explained.

"Holy Land?" Zhong Wen encountered yet another new term.

"Over two hundred years ago, the world saw an influx of ancient ruins and texts. Many people started to decode the ancient script, eager to unlock the secrets of those texts," Lin Xiaodie recounted, dredging up her master's teachings. "As time went on, the number of researchers grew, and they began to collaborate. They actually managed to decipher parts of it, gaining access to the cultivation methods and knowledge of ancient times. These scholars eventually formed what is now known as the Holy Land."

"And where is this Holy Land?" Zhong Wen inquired.

"There are seven Holy Lands across the globe, but the Puidorin Kingdom is home to just one," Lin Xiaodie replied, her interest in the topic clearly waning. She then picked up a novel from the shelf and began to read.

Not wanting to impose further, Zhong Wen left her to her book and moved to a corner bookshelf. He reached out and pulled a volume covered in ancient script.

The entire book was in ancient script?

Upon seeing the cover, a tumultuous wave of astonishment washed over him, causing his hands to tremble. Emblazoned on the front were several large characters of ancient writing — Chronicles of Vale of Healing!

Zhong Wen closed his eyes, steadying his nerves. As he was about to reopen them to ensure he wasn't seeing things, the image of the Sanctum of Scrolls flashed through his mind.

In his mind's eye, there was a flat surface beneath a massive bookshelf, originally inscribed with the words "Sanctum of Scrolls." Now, a new line of text had appeared: "You have discovered the general knowledge book, Chronicles of Vale of Healing. Would you like to collect it?"

He opened his eyes, and the ancient writing on the book's cover came into view once more.

Why did ancient writing exist in this world?

Zhong Wen was awash with questions.

Could this be someplace on Earth?

He pondered for a long while but couldn't unravel the mystery. Closing his eyes again, the same text surfaced in his thoughts: "You have discovered the general knowledge book, Chronicles of Vale of Healing. Would you like to collect it?"

"Yes!" Zhong Wen silently affirmed.

A copy of Chronicles of Vale of Healing materialized in the general knowledge section of his mental bookshelf.

It actually worked! His mental bookshelf had begun to exhibit its unique qualities, stirring a wave of excitement in his otherwise dull and desolate life. He set aside the Chronicles of Vale of Healing and picked up another tome, penned in ancient script. It was a hefty volume, several hundred pages thick. Emblazoned on the cover in large ancient writing was the title: Solar Flare Touch. A surge of exhilaration rushed through him.

From the martial arts dramas he had watched, he deduced that Solar Flare Touch was an arcane technique. This was Zhong Wen's first real encounter with the realm of cultivators since arriving in this world.

"Have you discovered the arcane technique book, Solar Flare Touch? Would you like to collect it?"

Zhong Wen carefully opened the book, and lines of familiar ancient writing greeted him. A wave of indescribable emotion swelled in his chest.

"Yes!" he whispered internally, and noticed that Solar Flare Touch had been added to the arcane technique category on the Sanctum of Scrolls' bookshelf, nestled among the diamond-ranked tomes.

Drawing on his experience, Zhong Wen surmised that the book was of a high caliber.

Though he had limited knowledge of the cultivation methods and arcane techniques of this world's cultivators, the bookshelf's categorization led him to believe that Solar Flare Touch was no minor arcane technique.

Eager to learn more, he plunged his consciousness into the bookshelf within his mind, and began to pore over Solar Flare Touch. Words cascaded before his eyes, swiftly embedding themselves into his memory.

In mere seconds, as he reopened his eyes, the content of the several-hundred-page book was deeply etched into his brain, as though he had pored over it countless times. The Solar Flare Touch was now fully within his grasp.

It felt as though he had unlocked the gateway to a new world, and his excitement was palpable. He extended a finger and pointed ahead.

Yet, nothing occurred.

The impressive, dazzling attack he had envisioned failed to materialize.

It was at this moment he came to the stark realization that he was not a cultivator; not a hint of spiritual power resided within him.

He was utterly mortified.