Chapter Forty: Divine Dragon Pavilion, The Eccentric Old Man

This time, Qin Feng realized he had made a grave mistake!

Who could have imagined that Skywind City was so enormous?

Along the way, Qin Feng had asked countless people for directions and taken many a wrong turn. It took him an entire day just to barely find the right place, and he finally stopped in front of a massive, ten-story tower.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Qin Feng couldn't help but sigh—this city was absurdly huge...

He looked up at the imposing structure before him. Though it wasn't quite as grand as the Great Dragon Hall, it was still magnificently impressive. The whole building, aside from a single entrance at the main gate, had no windows at all and was constructed entirely from massive slabs of milky-white geosteel stone.

Its tower-like exterior, seen from afar, gave off an air of solemnity.

Qin Feng's gaze slowly lowered, finally resting on an ancient plaque hanging outside the tower. On it were three characters, weathered and barely legible with age, yet written in a bold, sweeping calligraphy that exuded both antiquity and authority—

"Divine Dragon Pavilion."

Though the characters had endured the passage of countless years, Qin Feng was still struck by the primal strength and grandeur they conveyed. Indeed, this was a repository for the clan's books—a place that embodied the cultural depth and history of Skywind City. The plaque alone told the story.

Surely, the Divine Dragon Pavilion must house many precious ancient tomes. With such a sealed construction, not even a mosquito could hope to slip inside. As Qin Feng mused, he couldn't help but feel a growing anticipation for what he might find within.

Just as he was about to step inside, two stewards standing at the entrance called out to halt his advance. When they saw Qin Feng dressed in the standard attire of the Qin Clan disciples, their expressions softened somewhat, though their tone remained cold. "You look unfamiliar, brother. Are you here to borrow books from the Divine Dragon Pavilion?"

Qin Feng was not surprised. The Divine Dragon Pavilion was the heart of Skywind City; it would be odd if no one guarded it. What did surprise him, however, was that only two disciples, whose strength seemed about on par with his own, stood watch. Clearly, there must be stronger guardians stationed within.

Composing himself, Qin Feng bowed respectfully. "I am Qin Feng, greeting my elder brothers. I am a disciple under Uncle Qin Tianshu, sent by my uncle to borrow books from the Divine Dragon Pavilion. May I trouble you to allow me entry?" With that, he swiftly produced the token given to him by Qin Tianshu and handed it to the nearest steward.

Glancing briefly at the token, the two stewards immediately assumed a respectful air. "The token is in order, brother. Please, go right in."

Qin Feng marveled inwardly at the token’s effectiveness.

But just as he was about to step through the door, one of the stewards—a tall, thin man—pulled him aside and whispered, "Brother, this must be your first time here. The old man on the first floor has a very strange temper and loves to play tricks on newcomers. Be careful."

Startled, Qin Feng realized that, thanks to the elder's token, he had been entrusted with an insider’s tip. He paused to bow in thanks. "Thank you for your guidance, brother!" Then he stepped into the Divine Dragon Pavilion.

The moment he entered, Qin Feng was utterly astonished by the sight before him!

The entire first floor was bathed in a milky-white glow, as bright as broad daylight, thanks to luminous stones set throughout the space. Shelves of every kind held jade tablets, paper books, parchment scrolls, bamboo slips, oracle bones, silk-wrapped volumes—virtually every form of book known to history could be found here.

The Divine Dragon Pavilion was divided into ten floors, each more wondrous and brimming with spiritual energy than the last. The first floor, largest of all, was reserved for cultivators at the Mortal Steel level; the second and third floors were for those who had reached Human Steel; only those at the Earth Steel stage could ascend beyond the fourth floor.

In the cultivation world of the Eastern Domain, Earth Steel cultivators could dominate entire regions and held lofty status indeed. The treasures on the upper floors must be truly extraordinary. As for the tenth floor, it was said that only the city lord himself was permitted entry.

Looking around, Qin Feng noticed that the first floor was vast enough to accommodate several thousand people at once, and the sheer quantity of books was beyond counting. Because Mortal Steel cultivators had limited spiritual perception and could not read jade tablets for long, most of the first floor’s collection consisted of paper books, neatly arranged in categories across the shelves. Qin Feng felt as if he had wandered into a sea of books, dazzled by the abundance. Truly, Skywind City deserved its reputation as the Qin Clan’s headquarters for the entire Yunqi Kingdom—such depth of heritage was beyond the reach of any lesser sect or family.

After searching for a while, he spotted what looked like a book-borrowing counter not far from the entrance. There sat a red-faced, portly old man, humming a tune and leisurely sipping tea from a small kettle.

The entire first floor seemed to be staffed by this one official, which piqued Qin Feng’s curiosity. He scrutinized the old man carefully.

Indeed, the elder had a cheerful appearance. He was plump, with a kindly, ruddy face that spoke of a life of comfort. What stood out most, however, was that he wore a grand, golden dragon robe—loose and ornate, with a vivid five-clawed golden dragon embroidered across the chest.

Altogether, he looked something like the God of Fortune come to life.

What an odd old man.

Pinching his nose, Qin Feng stifled a laugh.

Remembering the warning from the steward at the entrance, Qin Feng straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and bowed. "Senior, this is my first visit to the Divine Dragon Pavilion. I wish to borrow some books and am unfamiliar with the procedure. I would be grateful for your guidance."

He stood patiently, but the old man simply jammed the spout of his kettle into his mouth and gulped down tea, giving Qin Feng a sidelong glance before continuing to drink, ignoring him entirely.

"Uh..."

Thwarted, Qin Feng scratched his head, thinking perhaps the old man hadn't heard him. He cleared his throat, stepped closer, and called out loudly, "Senior, this is my first time at the Divine Dragon Pavilion. I would like to borrow some books—could you please..."

Before Qin Feng could finish, the chubby old man sprayed a mouthful of tea right in Qin Feng’s face, soaking him from head to toe. It happened so quickly that Qin Feng simply stood there, mouth agape.

"My ears aren’t deaf yet, boy! Why are you shouting? You scared the life out of me!"

Though the old man's face was twisted in anger, his shrewd eyes glinted with mischief. Qin Feng, who had intended to be patient, felt his temper flare up in an instant.

Even the most even-tempered person would find such humiliation hard to bear.

Sensing only a faint fluctuation of martial energy from the old man, Qin Feng realized he was probably just a pretentious, self-important clerical steward. In a clan as large as the Qin family, not every disciple had the talent for cultivation. To avoid being expelled, some remained in the Divine Dragon Pavilion as stewards—a decent enough position, allowing them to enjoy a comfortable retirement.

Still, this old fellow had chosen the wrong person to provoke...

"You old rascal! Let’s see if I don’t teach you a lesson!"

Qin Feng lost his patience, marched up, grabbed the old man's collar, and hauled him out from behind the counter.

The old man hadn't expected Qin Feng to lay hands on him, and his eyes flashed with panic. In his experience, every Qin Clan disciple in Skywind City treated him with utmost deference—none had ever dared to touch him. Qin Feng was a rare exception, the first in history to do so. Though he was something of an ancestor himself, and his strength had waned due to certain reasons, being manhandled by a junior like this was a disgrace.

Unfortunately, while Qin Feng was indeed a Qin Clan disciple, he was not from the Skywind City branch. That was the old man’s miscalculation.

"You impudent brat! Someone, help! Help!"

Seeing that the old man was still struggling, Qin Feng raised a fist and waved it threateningly in front of him. The old man immediately put on a pitiful face and, "wisely," fell silent.

Though Qin Feng could be a bit domineering, he had no habit of actually striking the elderly.

Seeing the old man finally cooperating, Qin Feng lost interest in further intimidation and simply tossed him back into his chair. Then, from his storage ring, he produced the elder token given by Qin Tianshu and tossed it over.

"You wretched boy! Such disrespect for your elders!"

...