Chapter 699

Chapter 699: Lazy Wang

"The path to knowledge lies in diligence, and the sea of learning knows no bounds!"

After spending a few months in the library of Yongle Immortal City, Wang Chen felt that this job was a perfect fit for him, as if it had been customized creations.

The steward position was neither high nor low; he didn’t have to take on major responsibilities or do tedious labor.

Wang Chen simply needed to inspect his assigned floor regularly, check on the work of the book attendants, and then spend the rest of his time in his room reading, sipping tea, cultivating his energy, and practicing.

Although the library housed a vast collection of books and Jade Slips, it did not involve High Price techniques or secrets, so even the most ordinary residents of the city could borrow texts here.

Therefore, no one would foolishly think of causing trouble, making it a very safe and stable environment.

With each book he borrowed and read, Wang Chen deepened his understanding of the Haotian Realm, gathering more and more valuable information.

Quantitative changes would lead to qualitative changes; many interesting and useful pieces of knowledge lay hidden in the lines of these texts, easily overlooked with a quick read, but they could be unearthed with careful attention.

For example, the records about spirit pearls and mysterious ginseng came from an anonymous travel diary.

This diary was stored in a corner of the library’s third level, and because Wang Chen was responsible for managing that floor, he had conducted a thorough inventory of the collection and stumbled upon it.

Unexpectedly, he found very useful content within!

In comparison, the meager salary and benefits of the library were nothing at all!

Wang Chen hoped he could continue in this manner until he achieved the Golden Core.

"Little Wang,"

An old cultivator with hair and beard all white smiled and said to Wang Chen in the tea room on the second floor of the library, "We are all old folks waiting to die without any purpose, but you, being so young, should not cut off your journey of cultivation."

"Cough, cough!"

Wang Chen coughed twice and bitterly smiled, "Senior, you know I have injured my foundation. Unless I can obtain the Heaven-Recovering Pill, it will be a miracle just to maintain my cultivation level; I can’t dare to think of anything else!"

The Heaven-Recovering Pill was a third-grade elixir, requiring seventeen types of valuable heavenly materials and treasures as the main and auxiliary ingredients.

Moreover, the difficulty of refining this elixir was extremely high; only a master would dare to try, and even producing two or three pills in a single batch was considered a success.

Thus, even a Golden Core true master would find it challenging to obtain a few Heaven-Recovering Pills.

As a powerless and insignificant Purple Palace cultivator, how could Wang Chen dare to hope for such a thing?

The other stewards present understood this very well and tried to comfort him.

One said, "Those with good fortune have heavenly aid," while another chimed in, "Surviving through great trials must lead to future blessings."

Though the words sounded warm, Wang Chen could detect a hint of schadenfreude in their tone.

This wasn’t him being overly sensitive.

Among the five stewards in the library, they ranked from chief manager to second manager, third manager, and so on.

Wang Chen held the lowest rank as the fifth manager.

Unlike the other four stewards who were just biding their time, he was very young; even with his damaged foundation and dim prospects, his vitality was unmatched by others.

Even if Wang Chen’s cultivation stagnated now, he could still live another two hundred years by taking good care of himself.

The four stewards, on the other hand, had very limited lifespans left, so how could they possibly feel comfortable seeing such a young Wang Chen?

These individuals, long resigned to idleness in the library, had exhausted their ambitions, and their hearts could not be broad!

Because of this, they often enjoyed teasing Wang Chen, both overtly and covertly, poking at his "scars" while putting on a facade of concern due to their seniority, leaving him no room to vent his anger.

They reveled in it!

Wang Chen had long since seen through their petty schemes and usually kept his distance.

Unintentionally, he had isolated himself.

But for him, this was actually a blessing in disguise!

After exchanging a few insincere pleasantries with the stewards, Wang Chen stood up, excused himself, and left the tea room to return to his quarters.

Today was the monthly steward meeting, which he was obliged to attend.

Now that the meeting had concluded, Wang Chen had no desire to continue feigning camaraderie with these decrepit old men!

“Tsk, tsk!”

The old cultivator shook his head, wearing a look of regret. “What a pity.”

The other stewards nodded solemnly, “Indeed, a pity!”

Then they exchanged knowing smiles.

They prided themselves on their seniority and status over Wang Chen, but in truth, Wang Chen saw them as nothing more than dried-up bones in a grave. As long as they didn’t meddle in his life, he couldn’t care less about them.

Back in his room, Wang Chen shut the door and picked up the classic text he had been reading.

As he immersed himself in the book, a radiant Golden Core within his energy field continuously absorbed spiritual energy, spinning ceaselessly.

The vast spiritual power surged like a mighty river, circulating through Wang Chen’s meridians before returning to his energy field.

His cultivation level was steadily and surely rising!

By the time the library closed, Wang Chen emerged from his room, his face having “recovered” its usual pallor, his eyes devoid of their divine light, and his entire aura subdued and listless.

Though Guan Shengping, who had sent Wang Chen here, had long forgotten about this insignificant figure, Wang Chen diligently maintained his role as the “injured one.”

As long as he kept up the appearance of a “lazy fish,” he could continue living in peace and obscurity.

No longer would he be watched or plotted against by Guan Shengping, Yu Fei, or other schemers!

Thus, winter turned to spring, and another year passed.

During the Grain Rain season, a change occurred in Wang Chen’s quiet cultivation life at the library.

He had been promoted.

It wasn’t that his cultivation level had broken through from the Eighth Layer of the Purple Palace to the Ninth Layer, but rather that he had risen from the lowest-ranked fifth manager to the fourth manager, now overseeing the fourth realm of the library.

The reason was simple: the second-ranked steward had died.

The second manager had been the oldest and most narrow-minded, often looking down on Wang Chen due to his seniority.

Perhaps it was karma at work; it seemed even Heaven had grown weary of the old man. It was said that during an attempt to refine an elixir and cultivate energy, he had succumbed to a qi deviation and died on the spot.

Thus, Wang Chen was promoted to the fourth manager.

His vacancy was quickly filled.

In Yongle Immortal City, there were countless cultivators, many of whom had fallen on hard times. Being assigned to the library, even as a temporary position, was still considered a decent outcome.

Before long, midsummer arrived.

Wang Chen applied for a vacation from the chief steward, Cao Ke.

The library was one of the least desirable posts in the Yongle Immortal City system, offering neither wealth nor prospects, which meant the rules were quite relaxed.

Managers like Wang Chen could request ten days to half a month of vacation whenever needed.

As long as they returned after the break, it was acceptable.

Cao Ke didn’t give him any trouble and readily approved the request.