Like a river that could never run dry, people never stopped coming to borrow jade slips for a whole day.
As the number of disciples in the Boundless Horizon Sect was more than 100,000, the Grand Library was the busiest place of all within the sect, having to manage the borrowing and returning of these items.
This sect was located in Cangyun Province in the Eastern Region of the Tianyu World. Being the most ancient and prosperous of all the sects, they possessed an unimaginable amount of wealth and influence.
Therefore, it was no wonder why so many disciples were present here, each one of them belonging to different factions of the various major powers in the Eastern Region.
Zhen Yu continued working behind the counter. His thoughts wandered elsewhere as he helped each disciple in processing their borrowing request.
He had been in this sect for two months since that fateful day when he was crippled and banished from his former home.
It still brought him anger and regret when he recalled that memory. He thought about the way his stepmother had tricked him, using a secret technique, making him succumb to her temptation and commit the grave crime of defiling his father's wife.
And how did his father react to such a thing?
He was furious, blinded by rage and injustice, accusing Zhen Yu of raping his own stepmother. Without waiting for his explanation, he took away everything from the young man, stripping away his cultivation and banishing him forever.
As for his mother, Feng Yan, Zhen Yu was unable to seek justice for her, having to watch helplessly as she was punished to serve in the abyssal prison of the Zhen Clan for life.
Moreover, she didn't even resist and instead pleaded for Zhen Yu to be spared from any other punishments and to be sent away to a faraway place, protected by the sworn sister she trusted for so long.
This was how Zhen Yu ended up in this foreign land, far away from the Zhen Clan.
'Mother,' Zhen Yu thought inwardly, a painful look flashing by in his eyes. 'I am sorry for making you endure such an unjust fate. I failed you. I failed to live up to your expectations...'
***
When the sky turned dark, the sun disappearing on the horizon, the Grand Library closed, and Zhen Yu's work for the day was done.
The young man did not go back to the servants' living quarters straight away. Instead, he went to the library's restricted section, where Elder Xing Mei was still seated at her desk, engrossed in the old tome she had opened in front of her.
After glancing at Zhen Yu, Xing Mei waved her hand, and the tome she was reading disappeared in a flash, storing it inside her storage ring.
"Zhen Yu, I've prepared a special medicine bath for you that should be able to heal all of your internal injuries." Xing Mei stood up, walking towards Zhen Yu as she spoke. "Come, follow me."
Hearing that, Zhen Yu didn't show any expressions, keeping his stoic demeanor as he shook his head and bowed towards the elder. "Elder Xing is too kind. However, there is no need for such a thing. This servant's injuries will heal by themselves over time."
Xing Mei snorted, glaring at the young man with an intense gaze. "Zhen Yu, I'm not asking you, but rather ordering you. If you don't do what I say, I'll have to force you to take a bath. You don't want that, right?"
Seeing Xing Mei's imposing attitude, Zhen Yu knew he had no choice but to follow her words. He didn't speak anymore and simply nodded his head, keeping his eyes on the ground.
Xing Mei's lips curled up into a pleased smile as she lifted Zhen Yu's face and gazed into his deep blue eyes. "I'm not your enemy, Zhen Yu. Stop thinking of me as one. Remember, I'm on your side and always will be."
"..." Zhen Yu did not reply to that. He only stared at Xing Mei's dark blue eyes, as though he didn't care about her words.
Xing Mei's smile faltered for a moment, and then she let go of his face.
Without another word, she grabbed Zhen Yu's hand, and a gust of wind blew as they teleported away, appearing on a floating island of the Boundless Horizon Sect, where there was a mansion surrounded by beautiful flowers of different colors.
This floating island was situated high up in the sky above the mountainous region. It served as a residence for elders and core disciples of the sect.
On the other hand, the mountainous area below belonged to the inner disciples and outer disciples of the sect.
Xing Mei brought Zhen Yu inside the mansion, going through various passages. Then, they arrived inside a spacious room that was illuminated by the soft light of the crystal stones.
There was a pool in the middle of the room, where a rich medicinal fragrance permeated the air. It seemed that this was where Xing Mei prepared the medicine bath she spoke of.
"Take off your clothes and enter the pool," Xing Mei instructed with an amiable tone, though it seemed as though she was giving him an order instead of a suggestion.
Zhen Yu did not refuse and took off his grey robes and pants, revealing his naked figure. He didn't shy away from displaying his bare body in front of the elder and just followed her words, entering the pool and soaking in its hot waters.
Xing Mei's eyes narrowed when she saw that Zhen Yu still possessed a refined and masculine body even after losing his cultivation, with every single muscle showing distinct signs of its perfection.
His chiseled chest had no fat whatsoever, as though it was carved out of the finest stone by expert craftsmen, showing off its defined lines.
And below the waist, there was an intimidating dragon sleeping. A sight that could cause any woman to shiver from fear and excitement.
However, Xing Mei was able to maintain her composure, not reacting in any visible way towards it.
"You have grown quite a bit since I last saw you," Xing Mei commented as she approached him with a bottle full of black liquid. "Here, drink this."
"Yes, Elder Xing." Zhen Yu glanced at the bottle she handed to him, not showing any suspicions. After taking off the cap, he drank the contents in one go.
Following that, he felt a strange energy flowing into his body, and soon after, his inner organs that were damaged and weak due to having his Dantian destroyed were being nourished.
However, when that happened, Zhen Yu frowned. Then, a pained look appeared on his face as he clenched his teeth, enduring the pain that wracked his body from the medicine bath's energy seeping through his every pore.
"Rest assured, Zhen Yu," Xing Mei spoke in a gentle and comforting tone. "This medicine will help heal all of your injuries, including your damaged internal organs. However, it will also cause immense pain because the medicinal energy inside is too strong for the weak body without a cultivation base. So, you have to endure it."