Memory 3

In front of him, he could see how grand the city was. The whole city was surrounded by a wall that was twenty-meters tall.

No matter what It was an amazing sight. This beautiful city, Xin Hai City was where he formerly stayed.

He then entered the city through the gate without any problem. He finally arrived inside the city.

Without dilly-dallying, he heads to the market district to find a bookstore.

The first shop he found was 'Jing Bookstore'.

'This shop...' He recalled the memories when he was a kid.

He knew this particular store. back when he was a child, he used to buy some books from this exact bookstore.

Zhen Lun opened the door and went into the store. Unexpectedly, The owner didn't greet him.

'Hm? If I'm not wrong the owner treated his customer preciously, He served his customer with top-notch services. That's how I remember this shop. It was quite hard for him to forget.'

As for how he remembered, the owner went as far to serve some tea for his customer. To receive this kind of services in a bookstore, it is indeed quite exaggerating.

'Did old age affected his personality?' Zhen Lun asked himself.

Looking at the owner he notices the foul expression of the owner. He was sitting on his chair while gazing through the window with wrinkled eyebrows.

Zhen Lun head over and greets the owner "Elder, I would like to buy something."

"Pick the book yourself." The owner said expressionlessly without even look at Zhen Lun.

"I would like to offer a trade for some cultivation technique books with this item, Is it possible?" Zhen Lun asked politely even though he was treated as passing wind. (1)

Hearing such request from Zhen Lun, The owner became furious.

"Get out if you want to cause trouble! I'm not in a good mood right now. Shoo!" The owner waves his hand, gesturing Zhen Lun to scram.

"Don't be too rash, Elder. Why don't you look at the item first?" Putting the jade bottle on the table, Zhen Lun said with a tempting tone.

Hearing the young man still wants to bother him, He angrily slammed the table. He finally glanced over to Zhen Lun with a death glare.

Slam*

The jade bottle flew up due to the forces elder's palm. It then appeared in front of the owner's face.

"I only-" The owner was about to say that he only accepts coins but he abruptly stopped his mouth from continuing speaking. He realized that The jade bottle wasn't something common.

While the jade bottle flew in mid-air the owner grabbed it swiftly with his hand. He then held it within his palm while his hand trembling profusely.

"What pill is this?" The owner asked anxiously.

"Qi Replenishing Pills." Zhen Lun answered casually.

Putting the pills carefully back on the table The owner excitedly stood up and grabbed Zhen Lun by his shoulder. He looked at Zhen Lun with his teary eyes as though he saw an angel.

Sniff*

"You're willing to trade this for my worthless books?"

"Y-yeah." Zhen Lun nodded.

"Grab any book you want, this bookstore may not have valuable martial technique book but it does have few that may interest you. This way, young man." This time the owner was smiling with his teary eyes. His attitude toward him was changed completely.

Seeing the owner's gratefulness he knew he hit on a jackpot. The pill seems to be precious to him. With this, he wasn't going to go easy on the owner.

He reached out to the shelves, grabbing all cultivation technique books that were displayed and some martial technique books that were useful for him to learn later on.

"All this book for the pill. Is it okay?" Zhen Lun asked.

'...This young man is heartless! he didn't go easy on this elder at all.' Looking at the stacks of books, the owner felt that his heart was stabbed.

"S-sure. You can take them all." The owner forces himself to spits the words out.

'Well, trading books for life. I would be called brain-dead if I didn't agree.' The owner helplessly sighed.

Eight years have passed and the value of pill has drastically soared. In fact, right now it is hard for a commoner to find someone selling pill like the one he offered. Of course, this news was oblivious to Zhen Lun.

Hearing that the owner agreed, Zhen Lun was pleased. He actually traded two pills for these amounts of books. The trade truly benefitted him,

'I wonder if I can ask for more.' the amount of cultivation technique books was not enough.

"Kindhearted elder, Do you have more cultivation technique book?" Zhen Lun pointed to the stacks of books that he picks and shamelessly said "These are not enough."

'The young man actually wants more?' hearing the question, Owner felt that another arrow has stabbed in his heart.

"Y-yes, there's more in the storage. I'll go grab them for you."

'This young man is shameless!'

Calming down himself the owner suppressed his anger by thinking positively. 'It's only some cultivation technique books. Just for this once I'll be generous.' The owner helplessly sighed in his heart again.

After a while, the owner finally came out holding a stack of books.

Pah*

The owner put it on the table along with the books that Zhen Lun wanted.

"This is all that I have." The owner said in gloomy tone.

"By the way, Why did elder need it desperately? What is the pill for? It doesn't seem that you needed the pill." Zhen Lun asked curiously as he glanced at the elder. The elder seems quite healthy, he doesn't seem to need the pill.

Hearing the question The owner's heart was sunken and his complexion got darker.

"It's not for me, it's my wife that needed the pill." The owner answered.

"I see, I hope she will get well soon." Hearing the matter was like this Zhen Lun simply nodded and didn't say too much as it will cause more problems.

"Nevermind me, how do you move these stacks of books away." The owner changed the topic to alleviate the atmosphere.

As the elder said, those huge amount of books are too much for me to handle right now.

He can't carry them back to his place with his fragile body.

"Uh, can you borrow me a room for a minute?" Zhen Lun politely asked.

"Sure, make it quick. I'll be closing the store early." The owner answered.

"Thanks." Zhen Lun thanked the owner. Afterward, he moved the books as fast as possible into the room.

'Good thing I knew this shop if it were other people I will probably be chased away by now.'

Zhen Lun then quickly consume the books that he received.

[Book of Mastery, Cultivation Technique, Quality: 1]

[Do you wish to consume the book?]

[Yes/No]

Zhen Lun clicked 'Yes' without hesitation.

As he did that, the book dissipated into small blue particles. The particles disappeared into Zhen Lun's body.

[Mastery Book consumed]

[Mastery Book consumed]

[Mastery Book consumed]

.....

[Mastery Book consumed]

[Progress reached 100℅]

[Cultivation Technique Skill Leveled Up]

'Leveled up? Like being upgraded?' Seeing the screen, Zhen Lun can't wait to try it out to see the differences between incomplete and completed one.

Just by the knowledge he received, he was flabbergasted by it already. The technique that he thought as perfect turn out to have so many flaws.

Each time he consumes a single book, a single flaw was fixed.

"Young Master, Are you done?" The owner knocked on the door.

"Give me another minute."

Just as he was excited to try it out and cultivate right now. He has to quickly consume the other books first. It will be bad if the owner sees such a weird phenomenon. Such as books dissipated into particles and entered his body.

[Mastery Book consumed]

[Progress 5%]

'Hmm?' He is expecting more flaws to be fixed but there's none at all.

'Maybe, it needs to be 10%.' The amount of progress from each consume was lesser than before. This time it only increased by 5% for each book.

[Mastery Book consumed]

[Mastery Book consumed]

'Still no flaws.'

There's no sign of flaws being fixed at all since the Cultivation technique reached become Level 1.

Well, It doesn't matter anyway...

[Mastery Book consumed]

[Mastery Book consumed]

...

[Mastery Book consumed]

[Mastery Book consumed]

Below-Average Mortal (Level 1)

HP: 100/100 MP: 100/100

STR: 5 VIT: 5

AGI: 5 LUK: 5

INT: 5 MAG: 5

Skill:

Martial Artists: Cultivation Technique Lvl 2 (15%)

He has finished consuming all the Cultivation Technique books leaving only Martial Technique books he chose from the shelf. With the three books left he should be able to bring it back.

The Martial Technique books are lighter anyway since they are not as thick as the cultivation technique book.

Zhen Lun got out from the room. "I'm done, I have to thank Elder for your hospitality."

"No need to thank me. In fact, I have to thank you for trading pills for books." The Elder shook his head.

"I'll be leaving." Zhen Lun thanked the elder and left the bookstore.

'Interesting lad, I only sense a tiny fraction of spiritual energy on him. Why begin to cultivate at such age though.'

The elder peered into Zhen Lun's cultivation only to find out that he only has a tiny fraction of energy which means this kid started to cultivate recently.

'Why at such age?'

Anyway, it is not his business to mind with but he found it peculiar.

"Possessing a dimensional space ring and a valuable pill." He easily concluded that Zhen Lun has Dimensional Ring because he only saw him bringing out a few books out of two stacks of books. Other than having Dimensional Ring there are no other explanations at all.

'Somehow this black-haired boy seems familiar. Where did I see him before?'

Meanwhile, behind the store, there was a person that has been eavesdropping their conversation for a while.

'Interesting brat!' The mysterious man smiled.

----

Walking out from the store, Zhen Lun was in a good mood. He managed to hit a jackpot, turning two pills into tons of books.

'I'll have to head back quickly." He can't wait to try activating the completed cultivation technique. Even though he wanted to activate it here he was scared that he might cause a commotion.

Looking at the lively road, Zhen Lun can't help but shook his head. There's no way he can do it here. Unless that he rent an inn.

Helplessly he decided to walk back to his only shelter, which is back to the forest. As he about to leave the city he sensed something wrong.

'That guy is still heading my way.' At first, he thought that it was his imaginations. But after leaving the city gate. He was sure now. That person is targeting him.

'Did he saw me consumed the books?'

(Zhen Lun is m.a.t.u.r.e but sadly he stayed in the forest for eight years, He lack the common sense that people usually have.)

Recalling the room that he borrowed from owner, He clearly shut the windows and the door tightly. Not letting a single speck of light in from outside.

'Maybe I was wrong... Well, I'll find out his intention later on.' Zhen Lun continues to walk and pretended to not notice the man that was following him.

...

Both of them finally left the city. He then continue his journey as he heads to the forest without being suspicious at all.

'Into the forest? Where is the brat trying to go?' The mysterious man was confused. The forest is full of surprises, there are many beasts that can threaten normal people. 'This kid doesn't even cultivate, he dares to enter the forest?'

As the man was getting suspicious, Zhen Lun suddenly speaks with himself while proceeding into the forest.

"Now I'll go back to that place, Maybe I can find more treasure!" Zhen Lun deliberately said it loudly so that the man can hear it.

Hearing that, the man that is stalking him became ecstatic. 'So that's how a weakling like him possess a dimensional ring. It turns out this brat found some hidden treasure troves.' The mysterious man decided to be patient and calmly follow the brat.

'Normal beasts pose no danger to me, Unless the strong mythical beast appears, I will be safe.' The man said to himself confidently.