2: Chapter 2: A First Try – It Turns Out, Humility is the Best Way to Show Off
The first rays of dawn had yet to pierce through the sea of clouds above the Heavenly River Sword Sect.
The melodious sound of a bell began to echo through the air.
Dong—
Dong—
To an Outer Sect Disciple, this bell was the clarion call for morning practice.
To Li Mo, however, it was his alarm clock for work.
He opened his eyes, having slept more soundly than ever before.
With a subconscious breath, the world suddenly felt different.
The ethereal Spiritual Qi in the air, which had once been intangible, now transformed into strands of cool silk that actively coiled around the tip of his nose, seeping into his body with every breath.
Even though the vast majority of the Spiritual Qi still stubbornly dissipated, leaving only an imperceptible trace to sink into his Dantian,
the sensation was like a riverbed that had been parched and cracked for ten thousand years finally welcoming its first drop of sweet rain.
“The effect of [Qi Sense +1] is permanent.”
Li Mo lazily stretched his limbs, and a sense of comfort permeated his entire body.
He didn't rush to test his physical changes. Instead, he reached under his pillow and pulled out the “peerless Secret Manual” he had stayed up all night drawing.
—"Stickman Swordsman vs. One-Eyed Cat."
As he pushed open the creaking door, a rustling commotion came from the grass in the corner of the courtyard wall.
Without saying a word, Li Mo simply rolled up the discarded rice paper covered in stickmen and placed it gently by the dog hole in the corner.
Beside it, with a soft thud, he set down a piece of rock-hard scorched rice left over from the night before.
Having finished these preparations, he picked up his broom and rag with satisfaction and slowly sauntered toward the Scripture Pavilion, humming a tune that was eighteen keys off-pitch.
The Scripture Pavilion was his dojo.
And a qualified Servant should look the part.
Not drawing attention and working hard was the best camouflage.
The moment he stepped into the main hall on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, a wave of resentment hit him.
Steward Wang was standing there with a dark expression, hands behind his back, staring intently at a mountain of books half the height of a man.
Those books were the ones Outer Sect Disciples had borrowed yesterday and returned haphazardly; alchemy, Talismans, travelogues, novels... it was a chaotic mess, like a garbage dump.
Seeing Li Mo enter, Steward Wang's drooping eyelids snapped open, as if he had seen water in a desert, or found a sucker at a gambling table.
“Li Mo! You’ve come at just the right time!”
Steward Wang pointed imperiously at the mountain of books. “The Internal Affairs Hall has urgent business for me today (actually, he was the fourth for a card game). Sort these books into categories and put them all back in their places!”
He paused and emphasized his tone: “I want to see them neat and tidy before noon! Do you hear me!”
If it were the old Li Mo, his face would have collapsed into a bitter scowl when faced with such a torturous workload.
But now.
Li Mo looked at the pile of books, and the green light in his eyes was three shades brighter than the rat's from the night before.
“Just you wait and see, Steward!”
Li Mo gave a ninety-degree bow, his face filled with the loyalty and honesty of someone who “loves their job.” “I promise to complete the task!”
Steward Wang gave him a suspicious glance, wondering if the kid had taken the wrong medicine today.
But he was in a hurry to play cards and didn't care to think much. He just dropped a line saying, “If you don't do it well, there’s no food,” and vanished like a gust of wind.
The heavy door closed with a creak, completely sealing off the noise from the outside world.
Silence returned to the Scripture Pavilion.
Li Mo rubbed his hands together, his expression like a glutton who had been starving for three days and had finally seen a grand banquet.
He lunged forward like a hungry tiger, diving straight into the pile of books.
“Organizing? That’s just something I'll do along the way.”
“Reading them—now that’s the real business!”
He casually picked up the one on top—"Spiritual Pig Breeding and Postpartum Care."
The cover was greasy, clearly borrowed by some Senior Brother in the Servant Quarters who wanted to start a side business.
Others might have sneered at it; why would a person on the path of immortality read about pig farming?
But Li Mo was not a picky eater.
As long as it had words, the System would recognize it!
The pages flipped, and the rustling sound was the most pleasant immortal music in the world to Li Mo's ears.
The nourishment from that trace of Spiritual Qi had given his memory and reading speed a slight boost.
He couldn't quite read ten lines at a glance yet, but three lines at a time was more than enough.
After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn.
【Ding!】
【Host has completely read "Spiritual Pig Breeding and Postpartum Care," extracting trait: Reproduction Perception (White)】
【Trait Effect: You have an instinctive sensitivity to the life status of living beings, allowing you to tell at a glance if a mother is pregnant and the health of the fetus.】
Li Mo's mouth twitched unnaturally.
This trait... whatever, one can never have too many skills.
If he couldn't make it in the future, going to the Mortal world to be a top-tier veterinarian or... a midwife would be a backup plan.
He put the book on the "Miscellaneous" shelf and picked up the second one—"Elementary Herb Illustrated Handbook."
This book was thick and well-illustrated, recording a hundred types of low-grade Spiritual Plants.
Li Mo read it with great interest.
The road to longevity was long, and knowing herbs was a basic survival skill, lest he one day get so hungry he chewed on Heart-Breaking Grass thinking it was licorice.
Half an hour later.
【Ding!】
【Host has completely read "Elementary Herb Illustrated Handbook," extracting trait: Plant Affinity (White)】
【Trait Effect: Slightly increases the survival rate of planted flora; in forest environments, it is easier to gain the "favor" of plants, reducing the probability of being scratched by thorns and brambles.】
Good stuff!
Li Mo's spirits lifted; this was a genuine wilderness survival god-tier skill.
Time flowed silently as the pages turned.
Li Mo was completely immersed in the ecstasy of opening these "mystery boxes."
“Cultivation World Gossip Weekly (Issue 3)” — extracted trait 【Melon-Eating Spectator (Grey)】: Presence reduced by 5% when listening to gossip.
“Basic Footwork: Plum Blossom Poles” — extracted trait 【Light as a Swallow (White)】: Physical balance significantly improved.
“On Spirit Stone Mining and Identification” — extracted trait 【Miser's Eye (White)】: Sensitivity to Spiritual Qi fluctuations slightly increased.
In just one morning, Li Mo was like a thirsty sponge, frantically absorbing this knowledge that others regarded as dust.
Although the traits were mostly white or even grey,
he could clearly feel that his body and his perception were undergoing a subtle yet profound qualitative change.
It was the precursor to a transformation from a Mortal into a "monster" undergoing quantitative change.
Just as he was holding the last book, "Detailed Human Meridian Exercises (Illustrated Edition)," and reading until his throat was dry,
“Bang!”
The door of the Scripture Pavilion was violently kicked open.
The loud noise shattered the dead silence of the pavilion.
Li Mo's brow furrowed imperceptibly, but his movements were like lightning, stuffing the book back into the shelf in an instant.
The focused aura he exuded from being immersed in reading retracted instantly, and he reverted back into that dull, humble, and invisible sweeping Servant.
Three young men wearing Outer Sect Disciple robes walked in swaggeringly.
Li Mo had an impression of the leader.
Zhao Feng, a bully of the Outer Sect; it was said he had an uncle who was an Inner Sect Deacon, and he was used to acting like he owned the place.
“Hey! You, the one sweeping!”
Zhao Feng's gaze swept across the empty hall and finally fixed like a nail onto Li Mo in the corner, his tone full of impatience: “Have you seen a copy of the 'Flowing Cloud Sword Manual'? I clearly left it here a few days ago!”
Li Mo's mind began to function like a cold machine.
He had just finished organizing all the books; there was definitely no "Flowing Cloud Sword Manual" on the first floor.
That was a Yellow Rank Medium Grade sword technique; it should logically be on the second floor.
“In reply to Senior Brother,” Li Mo lowered his head and stepped forward with small steps, bowing respectfully, “the first floor does not house the 'Flowing Cloud Sword Manual.' Perhaps Senior Brother misremembered the location?”
“Bullshit!”
A lackey beside Zhao Feng immediately jumped out, pointing at Li Mo's nose and cursing: “If Senior Brother Zhao says it's here, it's here! Did you, you dog slave, have sticky fingers and steal it?”
Zhao Feng's face instantly darkened.
He strode over to Li Mo, and a Spiritual Pressure of the fourth level of Qi Refining crashed down, heavy as a mountain.
“I don't have time to talk nonsense with you.”
That pressure seemed ready to crush Li Mo's bones. “There was a... bookmark of mine inside that book. If it's lost, even mincing you to feed the dogs wouldn't be enough to pay for it! Find. It. For. Me!”
Li Mo's knees buckled slightly.
If it were the Li Mo of yesterday, he would have already been on the ground, his bones creaking.
But now, the faint coolness in his Dantian circulated spontaneously, like a slippery fish, skillfully deflecting most of that mountain-like pressure.
He was even able to lift his head slightly.
His gaze appeared fearful, but in that instant, it swept across Zhao Feng's face.
[Reading the Room], activated.
[Reproduction Perception]... actually activated as well?
Instantly, two completely different torrents of information flooded into Li Mo's mind.
[Emotion: Anxious, guilty, blustering.]
[Life Status: Floating Qi and blood, severe deficiency of kidney essence, Meridians show signs of burning pain after consuming potent medicine.]
Li Mo's mind became clear as day.
What "Flowing Cloud Sword Manual," what bookmark—it was all a front.
This guy was here looking for a "forbidden book" that couldn't see the light of day.
Based on his recent memory, a scene flashed through Li Mo's mind—at the very bottom of the "Miscellaneous Studies" shelf, a worn-out copy of "Essential Arts of Health Preservation" seemed to have a... pink letter tucked inside.
"Senior Brother, please calm your anger, please calm your anger."
Li Mo's posture became even more humble, but his voice was as steady as still water: "I... I just remembered. While I was tidying up earlier, in the corner of the 'Medical Dao' shelf, I seemed to see a misplaced book. My eyes are clumsy, so I don't know if it's the one Senior Brother is looking for?"
He didn't mention the title at all, only pointed in a direction.
A flash of suspicion crossed Zhao Feng's eyes, followed by a cold snort: "At least you're sensible!"
He rushed to that corner in three steps and pulled out the old "Essential Arts of Health Preservation."
Impatiently flipping it open, the pink letter was indeed lying quietly inside!
Zhao Feng's expression instantly changed from gloomy to sunny, and then to an irrepressible ecstasy.
He stuffed the letter into his robes like lightning, then pretended to flip through the pages.
"Hmm, though it's not the 'Flowing Cloud Sword Manual,' I'm quite interested in this 'Essential Arts of Health Preservation.' I'll borrow it!"
In a great mood, Zhao Feng found Li Mo much more pleasing to the eye.
He casually pulled a fragment of a Spirit Stone from his robes and tossed it over like trash.
"A reward for you. Be sharper in the future!"
After saying that, he led his two lackeys away, strutting grandly.
Li Mo caught the Spirit Stone fragment steadily, and a perfectly timed look of immense gratitude appeared on his face as he nodded like a woodpecker: "Thank you for the reward, Senior Brother! Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Until the backs of the three completely disappeared.
The gratitude on Li Mo's face vanished instantly, replaced by cold mockery.
"Fourth level of Qi Refining, yet his Foundation is so unstable. Obsessed with women, he doesn't have long to live."
He sniffed his fingertips, which were stained with a very faint scent of cosmetics from the letter in Zhao Feng's robes.
"Joyful Union Sect's cosmetics... this guy is probably not far from death."
Li Mo toyed with the Spirit Stone fragment in his hand.
This scrap was already a huge sum for a Servant.
But for him, the harvest from that brief confrontation was far more than just this.
Knowledge is power, and information is a weapon.
A foolish "I don't have it" would have resulted in a beating.
But the information gap gained through the entries could resolve a crisis and earn some extra cash on the side.
"The Scripture Pavilion is truly a blessed land."
Li Mo tucked the Spirit Stone away and looked out the window.
It was noon, and the pavilion was empty.
His gaze fell on a particularly old, thin booklet next to where Zhao Feng had just been standing.
The book was one Zhao Feng had casually pulled out and stuffed back in just to cover his tracks.
"General Knowledge of Sword Arts."
It talked about how to hold a sword, how to apply force, human anatomy, and other most tedious basic sword principles.
It didn't have a single technique or move; it had been neglected for years, covered in a thick layer of dust.
Yet Li Mo treated it like a treasure.
Facing Zhao Feng's Spiritual Pressure earlier, although he had endured it with his Heart-Nature and that trace of Qi, his body's instinctive stiffness and sluggishness had made him wary.
He needed power.
True power that he could hold in his own hands.
"A skyscraper rises from the ground. Without understanding sword principles, even the strongest sword moves are just castles in the air."
Li Mo sat cross-legged and flipped open "General Knowledge of Sword Arts."
This time, the feeling of reading was completely different.
[Light as a Swallow] gave him a perfect sense of physical balance.
[Detailed Operation of Human Meridians] gave him a thorough understanding of the movement of every inch of muscle and every bone.
As those tedious words flowed into his eyes, a crystal-clear, transparent little figure automatically appeared in his mind.
The little figure was perfectly demonstrating holding the sword, stabbing, slashing, and parrying.
Every movement was precise to the extreme, as if dictated by the most rigorous Laws of heaven and earth.
That wasn't a textbook; it was the absolutely perfect "Principle" after being corrected by the System.
An hour later.
Li Mo slowly closed the scroll.
As his eyes opened and closed, an invisible sword light seemed to flash by, sharp enough to pierce the air.
[Ding!]
[Host has completely read 'General Knowledge of Sword Arts', extracted entry: Sword Arts Mastery (Green)]
[Note: Because the host possesses prerequisite knowledge such as 'Light as a Swallow' and 'Detailed Operation of Human Meridians', the Foundation is extremely solid, and this entry has undergone a beneficial mutation.]
[Entry Effect: You can see through the essence of any basic sword move at a glance. No sword in hand, but principles in heart. Ordinary swordsmen are full of flaws before you, as if they are wearing no clothes.]
A green entry!
Li Mo's heart skipped a beat.
This was the first green entry he had obtained!
He casually picked up the broom in the corner.
This plain, even somewhat heavy broom, the moment his fingers gripped it, seemed to become an extension of his arm.
He just gave his wrist a light flick.
The end of the broom traced a strange arc in the air that was almost impossible for the naked eye to catch.
With a soft "shh" sound.
A speck of dust on the distant floor was precisely flicked up, tracing a graceful parabola in the air and landing squarely in the dustpan three zhang away.
The entire movement was smooth and natural, without a hint of effort.
"If I had a sword in my hand right now..."
Li Mo narrowed his eyes.
A cold intuition told him that now, even if he only had a fire poker in his hand, if he could get close, he could slit the throat of a second-level Qi Refining Cultivator before they could even chant a spell.
Of course, only for a sneak attack.
"Stay calm, stay calm."
Li Mo forcibly suppressed the urge to go outside and "test the sword."
"This is just the beginning."
"My goal is to read all these hundred thousand books and become a Land Immortal."
"This bit of meager cultivation is not even worth being called an ant in front of truly powerful people."
He put down the broom and was about to go eat when he suddenly felt his pant leg being gently tugged.
He looked down.
That dusty gray mouse had slipped back in at some point.
It was standing on its hind legs, its two front paws very solemnly holding a fruit the size of a fingernail, crimson all over, emitting a faint glow and heat, handing it to Li Mo with a fawning expression.
Behind it, the picture book "Stickman Swordsman vs. One-Eyed Cat" had been flipped until its edges were frayed.
"Squeak!" (Big brother, are you still updating? This is the deposit and the manuscript fee!)
Li Mo's gaze was fixed on that fruit.
His pupils shrank to the size of pinheads.
Is that... a Vermilion Fruit?
Although it's just an immature fruit, this is a Spirit Medicine that could make Qi Refinement Stage Disciples fight until their heads bleed!
This mouse... has become a spirit!
Li Mo slowly crouched down, took the warm Vermilion Fruit, and met the mouse's bead-like eyes, which were full of human-like expectation.
At this moment, he showed the most brilliant and sincere smile since coming to this world.
"Deal."
He pulled out his treasured paper and pen from his robes.
"Next time, we'll talk about 'Stickman Swordsman’s Night Raid on the Widow’s... cough, Night Raid on the Demon’s Lair'."
One person and one mouse reached a secret and sacred transaction in this corner of the Scripture Pavilion, which was filled with a thousand years of the scent of books.
And at this time, Li Mo did not know.
This mouse, which also knew how to "develop inconspicuously," was about to open up for him not just a few wild fruits.
But an entire, magnificent... underground treasure vault of the Yao Race.