The attention of the Temple Master was naturally unknown to Xiao Qi. He continued following his own rhythm: completing his master's assignments during the day, undergoing his third senior sister's 'special training,' practicing his unique 'fire‑control cultivation' in the kitchen, and occasionally slipping to the secret base at night, attempting to guide the jade pendant's power to nourish plants, or sharing simple food with the rabbit spirit. As his understanding of the special qualities of the jade pendant and the frying pan deepened, one thought grew ever stronger in his heart: he had to uncover the true origins of these two relics left by his parents. They were definitely not ordinary objects; they might even be connected to the root cause of the destruction of Xulan Mountain Villa.
Qingxu Temple had a long heritage, and its library housed a sea of ancient texts; perhaps he could find some related clues there. One day, seizing a free moment, he once again came to the Transmission Hall. This time, his goal was not the jade slips that recorded cultivation techniques, but the attached, publicly accessible library. This place mainly contained relatively basic or obscure paper books and volumes—travelogues, miscellaneous anecdotes, geographical records, introductory texts on alchemy, illustrated catalogues of minerals—meant to broaden disciples' horizons; not many people came to consult them.
The library was dimly lit, with tall bookshelves arranged in neat rows, permeated by the scent of aged paper and faint ink. Xiao Qi felt somewhat at a loss, just as he had the previous time. He did not know where to begin, and could only rely on instinct, slowly wandering among the dust‑covered shelves, his gaze sweeping over volumes of varying thickness and diverse titles.
『Geography of the Nine Provinces』, 『Illustrated Guide to Low‑Rank Demonic Beasts』, 『Identification of Common Spiritual Herbs』, 『Analysis of Basic Runes』… These books were useful, but not what he needed at the moment.
He lingered for a long while before several shelves labeled 'Curiosities' and 'Strange Tales,' flipping through a few volumes. Most recorded bizarre, unverifiable legends or peculiar, though not high‑grade, natural treasures; he found no descriptions related to 'purification' or 'smelting' characteristics.
Just as he was about to leave, somewhat discouraged, his gaze inadvertently fell upon the bottom layer of a shelf almost entirely shrouded in shadow in the farthest corner. There, scattered in disorder, lay a pile of badly damaged books and scrolls, seemingly discarded remnants waiting to be disposed of. Holding onto a last shred of hope, he crouched down and began carefully searching through the heap of tattered volumes.
Most of the books were already illegible, characters blurred or pages missing, making them hard to decipher. Just as he was about to give up, his fingertips touched an exceptionally thick, ancient, dilapidated volume bound in some kind of dark, tanned beast hide, its edges frayed and even its title mostly missing. With effort he dragged this nearly disintegrated tome out, brushed off the thick dust, and revealed the remnant of a vague, ancient character on the cover—'… Jian' (Record).
His heart stirred; he gently opened it. The pages were yellowed and brittle, the ink somewhat blurred, but still legible. Inside was not a systematic treatise, but a series of independent short notes, recording all sorts of strange and curious implements and materials, accompanied by simple line drawings. The style was archaic, suggesting extreme antiquity.
He patiently examined page after page. Most of the implements recorded were unheard‑of, and the descriptions vague and ambiguous, like myths and legends. Then, as he turned to a page in the middle, his gaze suddenly froze!
The heading on this page was 『Fragmentary Account of the Primordial Implements』, beside which was an extremely blurry, almost indiscernible illustration that seemed to vaguely depict a hazy, circular jade pendant and a… pot‑shaped outline? The text below was even more fragmentary, written in a hurried hand:
『…When chaos first parted, clear qi rose, turbid qi sank, and there were primal spiritual lights that did not extinguish, congealing into implements… One, its nature supremely pure and purifying, able to cleanse all filth, expel evil and break barriers, nourish the fundamental source; it is called "Jing" (Purification)… Yet its power lies inward, untouchable by those without affinity, uncontrollable by those without an upright heart… Suspected to be related to the ancient "Green Lotus," its traces elusive, mostly seen in guarding and transmission…』
『…The other, its nature supremely plain and balanced, able to smelt myriad substances, harmonize yin and yang, simplify complexity, return to simplicity and truth; it is called "Rong" (Fusion)… It appears ordinary, yet contains a universe within, impervious to water and fire, unbroken through calamities… Often accompanies "Jing" on its side, complementing each other, yet its traces even more hidden, mostly appearing in the mundane human world, not outwardly manifest…』
『Jing』 and 『Rong』! Xiao Qi's heart raced wildly, his breathing grew rapid. This description, though vague and incomplete—'supremely pure and purifying, able to cleanse all filth, expel evil and break barriers, nourish the fundamental source'—didn't it faintly match the purifying power of his jade pendant? And 'supremely plain and balanced, able to smelt myriad substances, harmonize yin and yang, simplify complexity,' especially 'often accompanies "Jing" on its side' and 'mostly appearing in the mundane human world,' it sounded as if tailor‑made for his frying pan! What his parents had left him might actually be 'Primordial Implements' connected to ancient legends?
Although the record in this damaged volume was ambiguous and might merely be speculation or fabrication by predecessors, this was the first time he had found written accounts possibly related to the jade pendant and the frying pan! Suppressing his excitement, he continued reading, hoping to find more information.
However, the following pages were either completely blurred or directly missing; the record of these 'Primordial Implements' ended abruptly here. He repeatedly checked the pages before and after, but could not find any further related fragment.
Xiao Qi closed the heavy damaged volume, unable to calm down for a long time. Although the clues he obtained were still limited, and their authenticity could not be confirmed, this was undoubtedly an important direction! At least he now knew that treasures possessing both 'purification' and 'smelting (or harmonizing)' qualities like his jade pendant and frying pan were not without precedent, and were even accorded extremely high status in ancient legends.
He carefully returned the damaged volume to its original place, memorizing its location and the incomplete title. This place was too crowded and exposed; he dared not take the book away, and could only come back for a closer look when opportunity arose later.
As he left the library, the evening glow stretched his shadow long. He touched the jade pendant on his chest, then hefted the frying pan on his back, his heart filled with unprecedented gravity and… a faint thread of hope.
His parents had left him these two things not merely for self‑defense or as keepsakes. They represented the Xu family's heritage, and might also carry the hope of revenge and truth. What he had to do was guard this secret until he possessed sufficient strength, and uncover their hidden power as much as possible.
This path of cultivation seemed, because of this discovery in the library, to have become clearer and also heavier. He lifted his head and looked toward the direction of Xulan Mountain Villa, his gaze resolute. No matter what lay ahead, he had to keep walking.