Chapter 124: The Female Cultivator Bai Jing

Hearing her master and Dantengzi chatting with such intrigue, Ran Tinglan grew interested. "Is it a good book? Perhaps I should take a look as well."

To her surprise, both men shook their heads vigorously. "No, no..." "You shouldn't read that..."

Ran Tinglan felt frustrated. "Why can't I read it?"

Perhaps it was her imagination, but they seemed a bit flustered. "You are a woman; naturally, you cannot read it."

Ran Tinglan retorted indignantly, "How many years has it been since the female cultivator movement? Why are you still holding onto such outdated, sexist ideas?"

"No, no..." "We wouldn't dare..." Both men shook their heads repeatedly.

Unable to get anywhere with them, Ran Tinglan gave up and went to search for information on demonic cultivators herself, while Dantengzi remained behind to discuss how they should proceed with her master.

The Ten-Thousand Dharma Pavilion was mediocre in most respects, but it housed the second-largest library in the entire Immortal Realm. The largest, the Mobile Archive of the Immortal Alliance headquarters, held backups of books from every sect in the realm.

In contrast, the library of the Ten-Thousand Dharma Pavilion had a classical charm. It stood majestically atop the Golden Peak, with winding corridors and eaves reaching toward the sky, making it the most spectacular structure on the peak.

Cultivators coming and going through the doors remained silent; the atmosphere inside and out was tranquil and serene.

Many people assumed that a Taoist library would be filled with secret immortal techniques and hidden corners containing methods to achieve instant transcendence. That was not the case.

The place with the most techniques was the "Hall of Ultimate Inquiry," where the brightest minds of the sect studied spells and arts. The library, however, was closer to the daily lives of most cultivators, focusing primarily on practical knowledge.

Since the modern Immortal Realm prioritized peace and development, the collection reflected a focus on stability above all else. The library held everything from astronomy and geography to the study of flora and fauna. These books might not increase a cultivator's power, but they helped create a better environment for cultivation.

Ran Tinglan wove through the maze-like shelves, and soon her arms were filled with a stack of jade slips. They were all related to demons, and she hoped they contained information on demonic cultivators.

Sitting at a desk by the entrance was an elderly man with the refined air of a sage. A large teacup always sat before him, and he kept his eyes narrowed as if half-asleep. Despite his apparent strength being only at the peak of the Qi Refining stage, Ran Tinglan dared not show any disrespect. She respectfully placed the jade slips she wished to borrow on the table.

The old man lazily opened his eyes, glanced at her, and asked, "Heading out to hunt demons?"

"Yes..." Ran Tinglan felt there was no need to explain the details to him.

The old man picked up a jade slip and said, "If you are going to hunt demons, there is no need to read this one. It’s a waste of time."

Knowing the old man was intimately familiar with the library and might offer some guidance, she asked hopefully, "Do you have any advice, Senior?"

The old man chuckled, took a sip from his teacup, and replied, "No advice, really."

Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up. He picked up one specific jade slip, and his expression changed instantly; his hand trembled so violently that tea splashed from his cup.

"'The Female Cultivator Bai Jing'?"

Ran Tinglan was puzzled by his intense reaction. "Is something wrong?"

She had stumbled upon this book while searching and, having heard her master and Dantengzi speak of it so mysteriously, had decided to borrow it.

"Why would a female cultivator want to read this?"

Ran Tinglan found the question strange but answered honestly, "I heard it is rich in knowledge and highly regarded. Since I haven't read it, I thought I should study it to improve myself."

The old man’s face darkened. "It is indeed rich in... 'postures'... but it is hardly suitable for polite society."

With that, he refused to say another word. After finishing the registration, he dumped all the jade slips into her arms.

Annoyed by the inexplicable encounter, Ran Tinglan felt disheartened but began studying the slips regardless. Because of the irritation caused by "The Female Cultivator Bai Jing," she set it aside for the moment and began with the others.

As she read, she realized how much she had been lacking. Her understanding of demons deepened, yet she still could not find any information regarding demonic cultivators.

Furthermore, several times when a book seemed to touch upon the subject, the text would abruptly end just as her interest was piqued. The authors seemed hesitant, as if unwilling to speak of that period of history.

Even more frustrating, some books mentioned a war with demonic cultivators three thousand years ago, only for the entire chapter to cut off right as it was about to provide details, as if the information had been artificially erased.

These mysteries fueled her curiosity, driving her to dig deeper. Before she knew it, she had finished the entire stack, leaving only "The Female Cultivator Bai Jing."

Just as she was about to start the final book, a disciple came to inform her that her master wished to see her.

Hearing her master's summons, she quickly tucked the last jade slip into her robes.

In the room, her master sat upright. "Dantengzi and I have discussed the matter, and we agree there is something suspicious about it. Since we have found discrepancies, and the Immortal Alliance refuses to provide answers, they must seek justice for themselves."

"And how shall we seek this justice?"

"There are two main points of suspicion: First, Dantengzi was ambushed. By whom? Second, if he was targeted, why did the enemy ambush him, and why did he lead a group of mortals to raid the Mother-Insect Cave?"

Ran Tinglan asked, "The information on Shadow Linglong is incomplete. How can we verify these suspicions?"

"We must search the scene of the incident," said Dantengzi.

Ran Tinglan countered, "It has been a month. What could possibly be left to find?"

Dantengzi pointed out, "Where there is grass, there is a snake; where there is a goose, there is a trail. We may not find anything by going, but we certainly won't find anything if we stay."

Her master nodded in agreement.

Though Ran Tinglan didn't want to waste more time away from her cultivation, she had no choice once her master had spoken. The two departed that very day for the site of the incident: Sha County.