Chapter 107: The Secret Revealed? (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

The Six Doors’ library was far more formidable than the Bamboo Grove Assembly; it could be said that every sort of martial arts manual imaginable was contained within. Swords, spears, halberds, fists, palms, fingers, feet, internal energy cultivation—almost everything was covered. Many of these manuals, if released into the martial world, would surely spark fierce disputes.

Yet what puzzled Ning Xiu was how eerily quiet the library was. In his visions, it should have been packed with people, but here, there was only emptiness. This struck him as strange.

“Are you wondering why this place is so deserted?” an elderly gatekeeper seemed to have read his thoughts and spoke.

Ning Xiu glanced at the old man. He was the sole guardian of the entire library, which meant he was no ordinary person. Ning Xiu dared not underestimate him and asked respectfully, “Please, elder, enlighten me.”

The old man smiled and pulled a book from the shelf, dusting it off. “That’s because everyone is saving their merit points for the Xiezhi Hall, to receive divine power infusion. Who would dare spend them here?”

He chuckled softly. “For them, since success can be achieved in a single day there, who would choose to endure a thousand days of hardship?”

“Is there something wrong with the divine power infusion at Xiezhi Hall?” Ning Xiu inquired further.

The old man shook his head, smiling but silent.

Ning Xiu watched as the elder returned to his seat, choosing not to press further. Instead, he turned back to immerse himself in the vast sea of books before him.

Surprisingly, the merit points required to study these martial arts manuals were minimal. With the points earned from annihilating the Falcon Fortress, Ning Xiu was able to peruse nearly all the manuals on the first floor.

“System detected one-star martial arts heart method ‘Green Pine Technique.’ Shall the host dismantle it?”

“Detected one-star martial arts manual ‘Shadowless Kick.’ Shall the host dismantle it?”

One after another, the system’s prompts echoed in his mind.

Ning Xiu flipped through the pages swiftly, silently affirming each prompt.

He had entered the library early in the morning, and as dusk fell, he was still absorbed in the diverse techniques before him.

To the old man’s eyes, Ning Xiu was utterly lost in the ocean of books, unable to extricate himself.

He watched Ning Xiu with a look of approval—such dedication was rare these days.

Though the library was due to close, the old man said nothing, quietly standing aside and waiting.

Night quietly descended.

Finally, Ning Xiu closed the last manual and glanced out the window, realizing a full day had slipped by unnoticed.

He turned to the old man, nodded in thanks, and prepared to leave.

At the door, an aged voice suddenly called out behind him.

“In the path of martial arts, recent shortcuts are often the worst roads. Young man, remember this always.”

Ning Xiu stopped, turned to the elder, nodded silently, and then disappeared into the night’s embrace.

Clearly, in the old man’s eyes, Ning Xiu was a rare breed within the Six Doors—someone who refused to rely on external forces like the Xiezhi Hall and instead sought to steadily improve his martial path on his own.

Of course, this was a beautiful misconception.

Ning Xiu was not relying on the Xiezhi Hall but on the far more broken “Martial God” system.

Still, he did not dismantle all the manuals. Some techniques he found worthwhile and quietly memorized, even if their levels were low—they provided considerable inspiration.

Overall, the entire first floor offered no great surprises, so he decided to return the next day.

It was both to accumulate resources for himself and to quietly observe the current situation.

Everything was calm; the worries he had did not materialize. After so many days, the Shadow Alliance should have learned of Red Robe’s death, or at least her disappearance.

Generally speaking, Red Robe’s actions were a blatant slap in the face to the imperial court by the Shadow Alliance, so even if they knew, they would keep silent.

But exceptions always existed. Ning Xiu had not expected that, under such circumstances, Red Robe would still dare to come after him.

The calmer the sea, the more perilous beneath.

For the next three consecutive days, Ning Xiu continued his routine visits to the library.

Just as the old man had said, throughout this period, Ning Xiu only occasionally saw one or two figures inside.

It seemed the constables were busy earning merit points, eager to gain early admission to Xiezhi Hall.

Yet no matter how few points the manuals required, Ning Xiu quickly exhausted all his merit points and had to go out to take on tasks.

His odd behavior soon spread through the Six Doors. To everyone, he was undoubtedly a fool.

Not because the manuals were useless, but spending all merit points here meant his chances of entering Xiezhi Hall would be indefinitely delayed.

Such penny-wise, pound-foolish behavior—what else could it be but foolishness?

However, due to fear of Ning Xiu’s strength, no one dared confront him directly; they only whispered behind his back.

After all, he had once single-handedly wiped out the entire Falcon Fortress, and his notorious reputation was widespread.

“Detective Ning.”

In the main hall of the Fish-Dragon Palace, a young attendant respectfully greeted Ning Xiu.

Ning Xiu nodded and said, “I’m here to accept tasks.”

Having grown familiar with the routine, he quickly browsed and selected a task that caught his eye.

When Ning Xiu returned after completing the task, night had deepened.

The entire Six Doors lay silent.

As Ning Xiu arrived at his courtyard, a constable was already waiting.

“Detective Ning, Captain Leng has ordered you to report to the Soul Sealing Division immediately.”

Looking at the order the constable brought, Ning Xiu felt uneasy. Why had Captain Leng suddenly summoned him?

“Please wait. I just returned from my task and need to change clothes first. I will head to the Soul Sealing Division right away,” Ning Xiu replied with a smile.

Though the constable’s face showed displeasure, he nodded. “Hurry, don’t keep Captain Leng waiting.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be out soon,” Ning Xiu assured.

Once inside, Ning Xiu’s smile vanished, replaced by a grave expression.

His brows furrowed deeply as he changed clothes, thinking, “It’s so late now, why would Captain Leng summon me out of the blue?”

Moreover, the constable outside had clearly been waiting a long time.

Had the secret been exposed?

Ning Xiu clenched his right fist tightly, his expression shifting between gloom and ferocity.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and regained his composure.

“Are you ready yet?” came the constable’s impatient voice from outside.