39: Chapter 39: A Few Things About the Haunted Library and the First Victims
Early morning at the Heavenly River Sword Sect, the mist had yet to disperse.
The residences of the Outer Sect Disciples were already in an uproar.
The Outer Sect Disciple who tried to sneak into the Scripture Pavilion last night and was eventually thrown out like trash—Wang Ergou—had become the center of the storm.
He was surrounded by a group of early-rising fellow Disciples, looking dazed, clutching a copy of "Advanced Heart-Clearing Mantra" in his hands, his dark circles dark enough to be mistaken for a panda.
"I saw it... I really saw it!"
Wang Ergou's voice was trembling, mixed with the delirium and excitement of a survivor.
"That's not a Scripture Pavilion at all... it's a living Hell!"
"Books chase people, there's an old ghost locked in a jar, and there's a Devil King whose face I couldn't see, directing a group of bookshelves... to do calisthenics!"
The surrounding Disciples looked at each other in confusion.
The next second, roars of laughter erupted.
"Ergou, did you get Qi Deviation from practicing?"
"Exactly, the only person in the Scripture Pavilion is Senior Brother Li Mo, the sweeper. Where would a Devil King come from?"
"I think he just wants to slack off and made up a story to scare us, so he can hog the Scripture Pavilion all to himself."
"You don't believe me? You dare say you don't believe me?"
Wang Ergou grew anxious and suddenly held up the book in his hand.
"This was given to me by that Devil King! He even fed me an Immortal Pill!"
"I feel like I have endless strength now. Listen, listen carefully! I can even hear this book breathing!"
Everyone looked at the plain-looking thread-bound book and laughed even harder.
No one noticed that when Wang Ergou became emotional, the natural wrinkles on the cover of that book twisted extremely subtly into a squinting arc.
Rumors are a plague with wings.
Among the Outer Sect Disciples, it was "The Scripture Pavilion is haunted."
When it reached the Inner Sect, it became "The Scripture Pavilion has sealed an Ancient Vicious Beast."
Finally, when it drifted into the ears of the Elders, it turned into "A benign mutation triggered by the manifestation of the Ancestral Master."
Meanwhile, the Scripture Pavilion at the center of the storm was currently peaceful on the surface.
"Morning."
Li Mo yawned and pushed open the second-floor window.
Whoosh—
The curtains rolled up by themselves and even diligently shook off non-existent dust.
The spider plants on the windowsill were the most exaggerated; their leaves quietly stretched out, one resting on his shoulder, and another clumsily pinched him, mimicking a human hand.
"Alright, keep your little thoughts to yourselves."
Li Mo brushed aside the enthusiastic leaves and looked out at the increasingly noisy square, his eyes holding the helplessness of a boss looking at his employees.
After the "Strange Tale Rules" were reloaded last night, the "activation" process of the entire Scripture Pavilion had been advancing by leaps and bounds.
The Scripture Pavilion was now more like a massive organism.
The bookshelves were its bones, the floor its skin, and those restless books were the endlessly circulating cells within its body.
【Ding!】
【Strange Tale "Midnight Diner" has been recorded.】
【Strange Tale "The Threshold That Actively Trips People" has been recorded.】
【Current Scripture Pavilion Fear Value collection progress: 15/1000.】
【Tip: Fear Value can be used to exchange for "Strange Tale Components" to perfect the Scripture Pavilion ecosystem.】
Li Mo glanced at the System panel.
This pathetic "15" points was likely all contributed by that unlucky guy, Wang Ergou, working overtime alone.
"Relying solely on scares is a one-time deal; I need sustainable development."
Li Mo rubbed his chin.
"I need to turn this place into a place that they are terrified of, yet crying and begging to visit."
As he was calculating, a harsh clamor came from downstairs.
"All of you, move aside! I want to see what kind of evil tricks this broken place can have!"
Li Mo leaned out.
A young man wearing brocade clothes and holding a folding fan was strutting towards the Scripture Pavilion with two lackeys.
Li Mo recognized this person.
Inner Sect Disciple, Zhao Tianba.
Relying on his family donating two Spirit Stone mines to the Sect, he usually walked with his nose in the air.
"Yo, isn't this yesterday's 'flat-ground fall' tester number two."
Li Mo's mouth curled up silently.
Downstairs.
Zhao Tianba stood at the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion, glancing contemptuously at the ancient plaque.
"What manifestation of the Ancestral Master? I think it's just putting on an act!"
He "snapped" his folding fan shut.
"The Sect Master's incident last night was an accident! I don't believe in this evil!"
While clamoring, he raised his foot, preparing to cross the threshold.
To show off his profound cultivation, he specifically channeled his Qi, his stance as steady as an old dog; never mind a threshold, not even a mountain could make him wobble.
However.
The moment his toe touched the ground.
That unreasonable Rule power, ignoring all physical and Qi Laws, descended.
【Judgment: Target "Arrogant, with strong intent to show off" detected.】
【Execution Plan: Kiss of the Earth.】
No Qi fluctuations.
No external pushing.
Zhao Tianba just felt the ground beneath his feet suddenly disappear, or rather, his legs betrayed his brain at that moment.
"Splat!"
With a muffled sound, crisp as a watermelon hitting the ground, Zhao Tianba landed firmly on the bluestone slab in a standard "prostrate" salute.
The force was so great that his face even bounced once on the hard ground.
"Young Master!"
The two lackeys were scared silly and rushed over to help.
"Don't move!"
Zhao Tianba roared, struggling to crawl up by himself.
Too embarrassing!
He, a dignified Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, could trip over a door? If this got out, how could he mix in the Inner Sect?
"The ground... the ground is too slippery!"
Zhao Tianba's face turned red, forcibly saving face.
"It must be that sweeper who didn't mop it clean!"
He pushed his hands against the ground and exerted force.
But this time, he couldn't stand up.
He felt the texture under his palms was wrong.
The original cold and hard bluestone, felt somewhat... warm?
And a bit soft, even slightly squirming?
"What the Hell..."
Zhao Tianba subconsciously looked down.
On the slab his palm was pressing, a blurry human face outline had appeared out of nowhere.
The face was facing him, squeezing out an extremely intoxicated expression, and even stuck out a stone tongue, gently licking his palm.
"Mmm... Foundation Establishment Stage Qi... rich taste... not bad..."
The floor actually let out a muffled exclamation of praise.
"Ah—!!!"
Zhao Tianba was like someone stung by a scorpion, springing up violently. He didn't fall this time because extreme fear overcame the rule.
"Ghost! There's a ghost!"
He pointed at the ground, his face as pale as paper, scrambling backward.
The surrounding Disciples watching the fun were in an uproar, but they craned their necks to look; the ground was flat and smooth, where was any face?
"Senior Brother Zhao, did you... did you see wrong?" a lackey asked, emboldened.
"See wrong your grandpa! It just licked me! It licked me!"
Zhao Tianba roared hysterically, frantically wiping his hands on his luxurious clothes, as if he had contracted some incurable germ.
Just then, a lazy voice drifted from behind the counter.
"This Senior Brother, noise is prohibited inside the Scripture Pavilion."
Li Mo walked out slowly, holding a broom, still looking sleepy, as if he hadn't heard anything.
"It's you!" Zhao Tianba grabbed onto the last straw, pointing at Li Mo and roaring, "This floor has a problem! Did you see it? It's alive!"
Li Mo looked down at the floor.
Then he raised his foot and stomped twice.
Thump, thump.
The sound was dull, as ordinary as could be.
"Senior Brother, it's just a bluestone slab."
Li Mo's expression was as innocent as could be.
"You might have been practicing too hard lately and had a hallucination. How about... I recommend two copies of 'Basic Health Guide'?"
"Hallucination?"
Zhao Tianba was stunned.
Could it be... just a hallucination?
He didn't believe in evil and stared hard at the ground again.
This time, the floor was indeed motionless.
But in the corner of his eye, a copy of "Introduction to Basic Talismans" on a nearby bookshelf had its cover character "Talisman" quietly twisting into a strange smiley face symbol ":)".
At that moment, a chill rushed from Zhao Tianba's tailbone straight to his crown!
This place... really had a big problem!
"I'm not borrowing anymore! Let's go!"
Zhao Tianba no longer had any arrogance, turned, and ran. When crossing the threshold, he lifted his legs very high, as if afraid of stepping on a landmine.
Watching the three fleeing in embarrassment, Li Mo's smile was meaningful.
【Ding!】
【Collected high-quality Fear Value from "Zhao Tianba": 50 points.】
【Collected trace amounts of Fear Value from "onlookers": 20 points.】
"A good start, not bad."
Li Mo turned around, his gaze falling on that floor tile in the corner.
"Great acting, be more restrained next time, don't actually scare the customers crazy. We need sustainable overfishing."
The stone surface of that floor tile trembled imperceptibly, as if nodding.
After this battle, the "Strange Tale" reputation of the Scripture Pavilion was completely solidified.
But this didn't scare the Disciples away; instead, it stimulated the rebellious psychology of a group of people. Especially those Inner Sect elites who prided themselves on being daring and seeking excitement.
By noon, the foot traffic in the Scripture Pavilion had increased instead of decreased.
Everyone walked on tiptoes, speaking quieter than mosquitoes, afraid of triggering some "hidden plot" by accident.
Li Mo sat leisurely behind the counter, petting Little Black, who had turned into a small black cat, while flipping through a copy of "An Actor's Self-Cultivation".
"Cousin, the water is boiled."
Chu Linger ran over, holding a large teapot, her little face full of excitement.
"Three more people were scared away in the C-zone just now! That "Ghost Tales" book is too bad; it made its illustrations 3D!"
"Hmm, tell them to mind their limits."
Li Mo took the teacup and took a sip.
"As long as it doesn't harm the Divine Soul, let them play however they want."
"Oh, right, Cousin."
Chu Linger suddenly leaned in and lowered her voice.
"The Grand Elder sent someone just now, saying that Jixia Academy sent a Flying Sword message."
"Oh?" Li Mo raised an eyebrow. "That Su Qianqian?"
"Not her, it's the Libationer of the Academy."
Chu Linger's expression became serious.
"The letter says... recently, 'weirdness revival' phenomena have frequently appeared in various parts of the Southern Wilderness. Many small Sects were wiped out overnight, turning into dead zones."
"The Academy suspects that Abyss cracks are opening in secret and wants to invite our Heavenly River Sword Sect to investigate together."
Hearing this, Li Mo's hand holding the teacup stopped in mid-air.
Weirdness revival?
Abyss cracks?
He glanced at Little Black in his arms. Although this little thing was an Abyss book spirit, it was a thorough "traitor". If the Abyss really invaded on a large scale, Little Black would inevitably be the primary target for elimination.
"So, me turning the Scripture Pavilion into a 'Strange Tale' really did follow the trend of the times."
Li Mo put down the teacup, his gaze deep.
The "Weirdness Tide" plot in the outline came faster than he expected.
"Reply to the Grand Elder, say we are busy."
Li Mo's tone was plain.
"The Scripture Pavilion is undergoing internal renovation and upgrades recently, so we are not receiving guests, nor accepting external assignments."
"Also, go notify all Disciples."
Li Mo stood up, his gaze sweeping across this eerie yet vibrant building.
"From today on, the Scripture Pavilion adds a paid service."
"【Nightmare Trial】."
"Since the outside world is about to become a horror movie, I'll give them a 'horror vaccine' here first."
Chu Linger's eyes lit up instantly: "Cousin, you mean..."
"That's right."
Li Mo's mouth hooked into a smile that even a devil would find kind.
"Tell the Old Ancestor of the Blood River to stop cosplaying pickles in the jar and have him come out for overtime."
"Tonight, I'm going to rehearse an immersive play in the Scripture Pavilion titled 'Resident Evil: Cultivation Edition'."
"If you don't want to be eaten as a snack by weirdness outside, come here first..."
"Learn how to be eaten by a book."