14: Reading

Clear Sky Sect’s Librarian’s view

“Ah, yes, I’d heard Elder Smitt got himself a useless disciple. Since you have the token, you may go in.”

Watching as the little girl went into the library, I couldn’t help but wonder what Smitt was thinking. She was a cripple! Even with permission from the elder, she can’t actually enter and read!

… she did enter. How? There’s a weak barrier in every floor of the library to ensure only people with enough strength to use the techniques can enter. She may have only entered the first floor, but that should still require at least basic ki control. How can someone with no ki learn that?

…

“Why are you watching her? Why aren’t you at the front desk?”

“What are you bothering me for? Why do you care?”

“One of my students complained that you weren’t answering questions.”

“I’m busy! Go away!”

“You’re the librarian. You are supposed to help people find the book they want.”

“Hmph, at this point, they would probably be better off asking her.”

“The cripple? Why?”

“She’s already looked at every book, and is now going through them in greater detail. She’s read half the first floor in just four hours.”

“So?”

“Right, I forgot, you’re an idiot. Go bother someone else.”

…

“I heard you were staring at Smitt’s new disciple. I can’t believe it’s true.”

“Look at the ki around her.”

“Eh? … how is that possible?”

“I feel like I’m learning more from watching than I did from reading.”

“The flow of ki around her is like it’s imitating the moves she’s reading about. That’s the phoenix fist.”

“Now it’s the phoenix step”

“Phoenix leap.”

“I can’t keep up with this. She’s going through them too fast.”

“You just read too slow.”

“This is comprehension, not reading!”

“Seems like the same thing to me.”

“... right, you’re the infamous librarian. Of course you’d see it that way.”

…

Random student’s view

“Why is there a crowd outside the library?”

“All the elders are in there!”

“What? Why?”

“I heard they are all watching Elder Smitt’s new disciple. I came to check if it’s true, but I can’t get close enough to see.”

“Dang, with this large a crowd, there’s no way I could catch a glimpse. It’s probably a waste of time to stay here.”

“What if it’s true though? Don’t you want to see them walk out? Maybe we could get a glimpse of what this famous disciple looks like!”

“Good point, all there is to do around here is train and fight, anyway. We can just practice out here.”

Random teacher’s view

Why are there so many people cultivating outside the library? Is this some new fad? Stupid kids. Cultivating in close proximity like that is just gonna slow you down.