101: An unexpected encounter in the library

Chu Qianqian's footsteps paused, and she subconsciously concealed her aura, flashing behind a pillar to hide.

She peered through the gaps in the bookshelves, focusing her gaze.

Deep within the bookshelves, under the dim light of an ever-burning lamp, crouched a young girl wearing the attire of a Personal Disciple.

The girl was sticking her rear out, rummaging through a pile of scattered ancient books in a completely unrefined manner.

Her movements were light, appearing somewhat stealthy.

Although she only saw her back, Chu Qianqian recognized her at a glance.

"Why is it her again?"

Chu Qianqian's brow furrowed slightly as a surge of inexplicable irritation rose in her heart.

This person was none other than Mu Yun, whom she had caught red-handed just a few days ago... At the same time, Yun Mu, who was battling through the pile of books, felt even worse than the dusty ancient texts.

"Damn it, where on earth is it?"

Yun Mu cursed frantically in his heart as he rummaged.

Ever since he was "robbed" by Chu Qianqian on that "dark and windy night."

He had keenly sensed that many "tails" had appeared around him.

Whether at his residence, the Martial Arts Arena, or even just going for a meal, he could always feel several faint gazes stuck to him.

This feeling of being watched made him, a former powerhouse of the Heaven-Reaching Realm, feel incredibly stifled and frustrated.

He had originally planned to secretly Cultivate a few special Cultivation Techniques from his past life's memories at his residence to use as trump cards during the Grand Competition.

But now, under this round-the-clock surveillance with no blind spots, he didn't dare to make a move.

He was terrified of exposing some flaw and being treated like a Prodigy to be sliced up for study.

After much thought, he came up with this brilliant "refuge"—the Scripture Pavilion.

The ordinary Disciples responsible for monitoring him simply didn't have the authority to come up here.

Furthermore, there were Formations here that blocked Divine Sense probes, making it the safest and most peaceful "pure land" for him within the entire Yaochi Holy Land.

Thus, taking advantage of his current status, he swaggered inside to hide.

Of course, as a qualified Reincarnator, since he had come to a mountain of treasures, there was naturally no reason to return empty-handed.

He vaguely remembered hearing a Yaochi Elder mention it during a casual conversation in his past life.

That in a gap of a certain bookshelf on the eighth floor of the Scripture Pavilion, a page of a fragmented ancient Pill Formula had been unexpectedly discovered.

Although the Pill Formula was incomplete, the refining method for something called "Soul Condensing Liquid" recorded on it was intact.

This spiritual liquid had miraculous effects on nourishing the Divine Soul, and it was exactly the supplement he urgently needed to strengthen his Divine Sense.

Although the value of this thing was like a fly's leg compared to the "Ancient Sword Intent" and "Heaven and Earth Spirit Pearls" stolen by Chu Qianqian.

But at this critical juncture where he was restricted everywhere and nothing was going right, even a fly's leg was still meat!

However, while the ideal was plump, reality was skeletal.

The collection of books here was as vast as a sea, and with the passage of centuries, the locations of many books had long since changed, and even the bookshelves had been replaced several times.

He had been rummaging around here like a headless fly for most of the night.

His eyes were nearly blurred from looking, and he had a mouth full of dust, yet he hadn't seen even a shadow of that Pill Formula page.

"A tiger fallen on hard times is bullied by dogs; why has everything been so difficult since my Rebirth?"

Yun Mu gloomily tossed a copy of "Guide to Spirit Beast Breeding" back onto the shelf, feeling indignant:

"First, I was robbed by that crazy woman, and now I can't even find a lucky bargain."

"Could it be that the space-time distortion caused by Rebirth has suppressed my Luck?"

"Or is it... that this Yaochi Holy Land is simply incompatible with my fate?"

Just as he picked up another tattered ancient book, preparing to vent his frustration.

A cold, familiar voice with a hint of scrutiny suddenly came from behind him:

"What are you doing here?"

The voice was exceptionally jarring in the silent Scripture Pavilion, like a midnight death knell.

"Holy crap!"

Yun Mu was so startled that his hands shook, and the book he was holding almost slipped to the floor.

But after all, he was an old hand who had lived two lives, and his psychological resilience was excellent.

Almost the instant he heard the voice.

The expression of deep resentment on his face vanished instantly.

In its place was the look of a startled yet somewhat innocent young girl.

Patting his chest, he turned around and looked at Chu Qianqian, who had appeared behind him at some unknown time, with a face full of "pleasant surprise":

"Ah! It's Saintess Senior Sister!"

He blinked his large, watery eyes, his voice crisp and pleasant, filled with the joy of seeing an idol:

"What a coincidence! Senior Sister, were you also unable to sleep and came here to read?"

"I really didn't expect to run into Senior Sister here; we truly share a fated connection!"

If it were anyone else, seeing such a cute Junior Sister so full of admiration, they would likely have softened long ago.

But who was Chu Qianqian? She naturally wouldn't relax in the slightest just because the other person was playing dumb.

On the contrary, her gaze became even sharper and more scrutinizing.

Late at night, on a high floor of the Scripture Pavilion, a stealthy search.

All these elements combined were simply too suspicious.

Especially when considering what had happened before.

This caused the suspicion in her heart to instantly peak.

"Coincidence?"

Chu Qianqian sneered, and instead of responding to his enthusiasm, she took a step closer.

Her eyes were like torches as she scanned the messy bookshelf behind Yun Mu and said coldly:

"The eighth floor mostly houses records concerning Divine Soul cultivation, ancient Formations, and obscure, difficult-to-understand texts."

"Instead of properly consolidating your cultivation in your Immortal Cave, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Her voice was aggressive as she continued to ask:

"Could it be... that you are looking for something special?"

Yun Mu's heart skipped a beat at her questioning.

He ranted frantically in his heart:

"How unlucky! Why does this woman always show up to hinder me wherever I go?"

"Is this woman like a sticky plaster? I can't shake her off! If I had known, I should have taken some risks that night and just dealt with her directly! It would have saved me all this trouble now!"

Although he cursed Chu Qianqian roundly in his mind, he maintained the image of an innocent little white rabbit on the surface.

He twisted his fingers somewhat aggrievedly and defended himself in a small voice:

"Senior Sister, you've misunderstood..."

"I... I just recently had a Breakthrough, and my Realm is a bit unstable. My Divine Soul often feels restless, and I've been having many nightmares, making it hard to sleep."

"I heard from Revered Master that there are some ancient books in the Scripture Pavilion about nourishing the Divine Soul, so I wanted to combine them with my medical experience to see if I could find a solution..."

"I was really just browsing randomly; I wasn't looking for anything special..."

As he spoke, he opportunely showed a look of sadness from being misunderstood.

However, as Chu Qianqian looked at him like this, the doubts in her heart did not diminish but instead deepened.

Restless Divine Soul? Frequent nightmares? Difficulty sleeping?

These symptoms... why do they sound so similar to my own reactions?