SWDnovel Chapter 13: The Library
Chapter 13: The Library
Shen Moqi, struggling to keep her legs from giving way, staggered behind Senior Lin and crossed the threshold of the Sutra Repository.
Inside the door was a huge hall, much more spacious than he had imagined. Sunlight streamed in through the high windows, casting bright beams of light onto the smooth wooden floor. The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and paper, mingled with the fresh fragrance of bamboo and wood, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
But what shocked Shen Moqi the most was the rows of towering bookshelves.
Extending from the entrance into the depths, row upon row, densely packed and neatly arranged. Each bookshelf is more than two people tall, crammed with all sorts of books—thread-bound, scrolls, bamboo slips, and even thin sheets made of an unknown material. Narrow passageways are left between the bookshelves, dimly lit, with a staircase faintly visible at the end leading to the second floor.
Shen Moqi glanced at it briefly and realized that there were at least tens of thousands of books on the first floor alone.
He stood there blankly, his mouth agape, unable to close.
Senior Lin walked to a desk by the window and sat down. He took out a teapot from his sleeve, poured himself a cup of tea, and slowly sipped it. Sunlight fell on his faded Taoist robe, the wooden hairpin was crookedly inserted in his hair bun, and a few strands of hair hung down beside his ears. He looked like a down-on-his-luck old scholar.
After a while, Shen Moqi finally came to her senses and hurriedly took a few steps forward, but she didn't know where to stand and seemed a little helpless.
"Have you seen enough?" Senior Lin put down his teacup, his tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm.
Shen Moqi nodded hurriedly, then shook her head, finally managing to stammer, "Senior, so...so many books?"
"A lot?" Senior Lin raised an eyebrow. "It's alright."
Senior Lin waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down. Shen Moqi looked around, found a stool not far from the desk, and carefully sat down on one side, keeping her back ramrod straight.
"What's your name?" Senior Lin asked.
"Shen Moqi".
"Where are you from?"
"I am from Yanjing, the capital of the Great Yan Kingdom." Shen Moqi paused, then added, "I was introduced into the sect by the Grand Preceptor of the Great Yan Kingdom."
Senior Lin nodded and then asked, "Spiritual root aptitude?"
Shen Moqi's heart tightened, but he dared not show it on his face. Remembering the Imperial Advisor's instructions, he took a deep breath and answered as calmly as possible, "Mid-grade Yellow level, with both wood and fire attributes."
Senior Lin glanced at him, his gaze indifferent yet giving Shen Moqi the feeling that he had seen right through her. But it was only for a moment before Senior Lin withdrew his gaze, seemingly without suspicion.
"Mid-grade Yellow Rank... dual wood and fire attributes..." he murmured, stroking a non-existent beard, then looked at Shen Moqi: "Her aptitude is a bit lacking, but with some tempering here, her future is still promising!"
Shen Moqi didn't know how to respond, so she could only give a dry laugh.
Without waiting for his reply, Senior Lin said to himself, "My surname is Lin. You can call me 'Senior' from now on. There's no need to call me 'Grandmaster' or anything like that. It makes me sound old."
Shen Moqi quickly stood up and bowed, "Yes, senior."
Senior Lin waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down. Then he picked up a book from the desk, flipped through it, and closed it again.
"Now that you're here, you should know what your job is." He looked up at Shen Moqi, his eyes filled with a hint of smugness and cunning. "From today onwards, all matters on the first floor are your responsibility."
Shen Moqi was stunned: "Me...me alone?"
"What, you think it's not enough?" Senior Lin glared at him, but there was no anger in his tone; rather, it sounded like he found it amusing. "How about you take charge of the second floor too? It's just the two of us in this building; if you're not in charge, who is?"
Shen Moqi quickly shook her head: "No, no, I'm just... afraid I won't do it well."
"If you can't do it well, then learn." Senior Lin's tone was unquestionable, yet it carried a sense of matter-of-fact strictness. "I'll give you a month to familiarize yourself with it. If you still can't figure out where the books are on the first floor after a month, I'll beat you up."
Shen Moqi's heart tightened, and she quickly nodded, "Yes, this junior will do my best."
Senior Lin leaned back and began to explain things one by one.
"First, you must quickly familiarize yourself with the exact location of every book on the first floor. This doesn't mean you have to read every single book, but rather know which book is on which shelf and which floor. If someone comes to ask, you need to be able to find it immediately."
Shen Moqi nodded, silently noting it down in her mind.
"Secondly, the books on the first floor can be borrowed for free by disciples of the sect." Senior Lin pointed to a stack of blank notebooks in the corner of the desk. "When someone borrows a book, you must check their identification token, and write down their name, book title, and borrowing date. When returning the book, verify everything is correct and then cancel the loan. If there is any damage, you must compensate according to the rules. The compensation standards are posted on the wall behind; you can look at them yourself."
Shen Moqi followed his gaze and indeed saw a yellowed notice on the side wall, covered with dense writing.
"Why do you need to check the token?" Shen Moqi couldn't help but ask.
Senior Lin glanced at him, as if looking at a foolish boy: "If you don't check the token and the book gets damaged, who will compensate you? The books in the library didn't just fall from the sky; each one has a history. Those who borrow books must be responsible for their actions. Checking the token is to let them know—you can run away, but you can't hide."
Shen Moqi suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly.
"Third, fighting is strictly prohibited inside the Scripture Pavilion." Senior Lin's tone remained calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority. "No matter who it is or what the reason, anyone who fights inside will have their borrowing privileges immediately revoked, and in serious cases, will be expelled from the sect. You are responsible for supervising this and stopping any potential conflicts immediately."
Shen Moqi nodded, then remembered another question: "Senior, what if someone doesn't listen to advice...?"
Senior Lin glanced at him, his gaze carrying a profound meaning: "The rules of the Scripture Pavilion are known to all the disciples. You don't need to worry about whether they listen or not. You just need to remember—you have done your duty, and I will handle the rest."
"Fourth, before closing time each day, you must put the books returned that day back in their original places. Borrowers may not put them back in the correct places, or they may even just stuff them in haphazardly, so you have to check and organize them one by one."
Senior Lin paused here, his tone carrying a hint of warning: "I may come down to inspect at any time. If I find the bookshelves in disarray, or if any books are missing, I'll give you a beating."
Shen Moqi's forehead began to sweat, but she still nodded vigorously.
"Fifth..." Senior Lin thought for a moment, "That's all for now. We'll add more later if needed."
Shen Moqi waited a while, and seeing that he didn't continue, she cautiously asked, "Senior, why can these books... be borrowed for free? I mean, aren't they valuable?"
Upon hearing this, Senior Lin's lips curled up slightly, seemingly somewhat satisfied with his question.
"You've got a good eye, kid." He leaned back in his chair and explained slowly, "Most of the books on the first floor are biographies, travelogues, cultivation tips, and local chronicles. To put it bluntly, they're for the disciples to broaden their horizons. They're not cultivation techniques or secret manuals, so it's not a big deal if they get lost. The truly valuable things are on the second floor and above."
Shen Moqi's heart skipped a beat, and she followed up the conversation by asking, "The books on the second floor and above..."
Senior Lin glanced at him, a hint of warning in his eyes: "Above the second floor, no one may enter without my permission. That is where the sect's cultivation techniques and spells are located, and each floor has its own restrictions. Moreover, the higher you go, the fewer books there are, and the stronger the restrictions become. Entering without permission will result in injury at best, and death at worst. I don't want to collect your corpse."
Shen Moqi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly replied, "This junior will remember."
Senior Lin added, "Most of the important cultivation techniques are recorded on jade slips. Paper books are easily damaged. Jade slips are different; they are not easily damaged and require divine sense to read. You will understand this naturally when your cultivation level is higher."
Shen Moqi nodded thoughtfully.
Senior Lin stood up, walked to the window, and pointed outside.
"There's a small courtyard not far behind the library; you'll live there from now on. Bedding and other necessities are provided; just settle in yourself. Three meals a day will be delivered by servants."
Shen Moqi followed his gaze and indeed saw the outline of a small courtyard faintly visible deep in the bamboo forest.
"So... where do you live, senior?" he couldn't help but ask.
Senior Lin glanced back at him, but didn't answer. He simply pointed to the top of his head.
Shen Moqi looked up at the ceiling, pondering to himself: This Senior Lin is guarding the nine-story Scripture Pavilion all by himself. Such an important place as the Scripture Pavilion, can he really ensure its safety all by himself? Thinking this, a hint of awe unconsciously crept into his gaze towards Senior Lin.
Senior Lin seemed to have sensed something, and a slight smile appeared on his lips, but he didn't say anything and turned back to his desk.
"The Scripture Pavilion is open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily." He sat down again. "At other times, the restrictions will be activated. No one except the Sect Master and myself may enter. When the Scripture Pavilion is closed, you may arrange your own cultivation."
Shen Moqi nodded.
"Any more questions?"
Shen Moqi thought for a moment, and was about to speak when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.
The two of them turned to look at the same time.
A figure appeared at the doorway—it was Deacon Zhao, carrying a cloth bag in his hand.
When Deacon Zhao saw Senior Lin, he was visibly taken aback, his steps halting at the threshold, his expression complex—a mixture of respect and a hint of fear. He hesitated for a moment before steeling himself and stepping inside, bowing respectfully: "Disciple Zhao Yuan greets Martial Uncle Lin."
Senior Lin hummed in response, leaned back in his chair, and didn't get up, only giving him a faint glance.
Deacon Zhao straightened his back instinctively when that gaze swept over him, his smile becoming somewhat stiff. He quickly walked to Shen Moqi's side, handed her the cloth bag, and said in a low voice, "These are your initiation items. Your identity token, clothing, sect manual, spirit stones, and fasting pills are all inside. Your name is already engraved on the token, so keep it safe."
Shen Moqi quickly took it with both hands and looked down—the bag wasn't big, but it was heavy.
"Thank you, Senior Zhao."
Deacon Zhao waved his hand, glanced at Senior Lin, and whispered, "Do a good job, and don't... don't cause trouble for your master."
After saying that, he turned and left, walking much faster than when he came, almost as if he were fleeing out the door.
Shen Moqi watched his figure disappear through the door, feeling a little puzzled—why did Steward Zhao run so fast?
He turned his head and looked at Senior Lin.
Senior Lin was slowly sipping his tea, his face expressionless. Sunlight fell on him; his Taoist robe was faded from washing, the frayed edges of the cuffs worn through, yet it inexplicably gave off an air of unfathomable depth.
Shen Moqi opened her mouth, wanting to ask something, but not knowing where to begin.
Senior Lin seemed to see through his thoughts, put down his teacup, and said calmly, "He's afraid of me. Not just him, many people in the sect are afraid. Do you know why?"
Shen Moqi shook her head.
Senior Lin chuckled, a hint of amusement in his smile: "Because I often beat them up, hehe..."
Shen Moqi was speechless.
Senior Lin picked up his teacup again, his tone returning to its usual calm: "If you can't keep going after a month, I'll still beat you up. But..." He paused, "if you can understand all the books on this floor, you can read whatever you want, as long as it's on the first floor. As for the books on the second floor and above, once your cultivation level is high enough and you perform well, you won't be without a chance."
Shen Moqi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "This junior will certainly do her best!"
Senior Lin seemed to remember something, and his right hand swept across his waist, a jade talisman appearing out of thin air in his palm. "Here, take this communication jade talisman. Send me a message if you need anything, otherwise don't bother me. You can send a message by infusing the communication jade talisman with spiritual power." After saying that, he handed the jade talisman to Shen Moqi.
Then he waved his hand and said, "Alright, go tidy up your place. Be here at 9:00 AM sharp tomorrow to open the door, don't be late."
Shen Moqi responded, picked up the cloth bag, and turned to walk towards the door.
As he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, "Senior, how long did the longest any of those people stayed before..."
Senior Lin didn't even look up, his voice languid: "Thirteen days."
Shen Moqi paused in her steps.
"The shortest is three days."
Shen Moqi took a deep breath and clenched the cloth bag in her hand.
three days?
He gritted his teeth, stepped over the threshold, and walked towards the small courtyard deep in the bamboo forest.
Behind him, the door to the library slowly closed with a dull thud.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, falling on his shoulders in dappled patterns.