After running away from the Brotherhood, with his dignity barely intact, Nemo made a silent vow, never again would he go near their so-called legendary brotherhood. He had no idea, nor did he want to know, what other "fun activities" like spike ball clash and spear in the ditch those perverts enjoyed in their free time. Just recalling their laughter made him shudder with disgust.
Turning back toward the main building, Nemo roamed aimlessly through the ornate corridors. He wanted to find Jade, but she was nowhere, and every time he tried asking a maid, they would squeal, cover their faces with their hands, and run off giggling. Back on Earth, everyone avoided him out of fear, now fate had repeated itself, and he was being ignored, but for a separate reason.
Bored, ignored, and somewhat traumatized, he wandered until he stumbled upon an ornate double door with the word "Library" carved elegantly across the top.
"Finally, something useful," he thought with relief.
Curious about this new world, Nemo pushed the doors open and stepped inside, half-expecting someone to stop him, throw a dusty tome at his head, or demand a passcode. To his surprise, no one did anything like that, because there was no one.
Well, except for the old librarian behind the counter who smiled politely when Nemo asked, "Do you have any geography book for beginners?"
"Good choice. Geography is the foundation of all understanding, but young people these days ignore it," he nodded approvingly, disappeared briefly, and returned with a thick volume bound in thick blue leather. "This is Geography for Dummies. It even has pictures in it," he added.
Nemo felt his lips twitch at his words. He sat down at a table, cracked the book open with scholarly intent... and froze.
The letters on the pages looked like someone had taken every alphabet on Earth, mashed them together, then sprinkled them over the book.
"This is cheating!" Nemo blurted out loud.
The librarian raised an eyebrow from behind his desk at his shout, then went back to the book he was reading, ignoring him.
This made no sense. He could understand spoken language perfectly, every conversation had been crystal clear. So why couldn't he read? Bug? Glitch? Translation issues? Either way, he wasn't about to go back now and say he couldn't understand a book for dummies. That would make him a complete idiot.
So, he committed to the universal strategy: pretend to read. He flipped pages randomly, nodded thoughtfully, and even sighed dramatically to sell the act.
Half an hour later, after fake reading the entire book cover to cover, he sighed in relief and stood up.
Finally, i could escape.
But the librarian had other plans.
"Young man!" he called out warmly. "Such dedication warms my old heart. You've gone through that massive volume so quickly. You must be a prodigy. Here, let me share a few of my personal recommendations."
Nemo's soul left his body as the librarian plopped five more books on the table. These weren't thin volumes either.
The old man beamed. "These will help you understand the geopolitical view of the region. And I also added my personal collection. Some very spicy stuff!"
Nemo looked at the stack given by the librarian, and at the end he saw a graphic book with two handsome men in an intimate embrace, their clothing disheveled. The cover left no doubt about its yaoi content.
Looking at the old man who kept sizing him up with a disturbing smile, Nemo shuddered.
"Perhaps you'd like to discuss the themes over tea?" the librarian continued, stepping closer than necessary. "I'd be happy to provide personal tutoring sessions..."
I need to escape, he thought in panic. Faking an aggressive cough, he doubled over, eyes watering, his face turning red.
Worried, the librarian quickly went to fetch water. While he was looking away, Nemo ran out of the library like his life depended on it.
---
Once outside, Nemo took a deep breath of fresh air. After calming himself, he headed toward Isabella's office to complain. He knocked, and her crisp voice invited him in.
The moment he stepped inside, he nearly had a nosebleed.
Isabella was wearing a sleek, form-fitting training robe made of thin, flowing silk, the kind martial artists wore for flexibility during movement. Due to sweat, it clung to her curves in all the wrong (or maybe right) places, with slits down the sides for maximum mobility. She was currently in a deep downward-facing dog pose, her hips stretched high in Nemo's direction, the robe doing little to hide the outline of her perfect ass.
Seeing him enter, she glanced over her shoulder and asked, "Nemo, what brings you here?"
Nemo, who felt his blood rushing downward, froze. His brain short-circuited. The reason he came here vanished from his memory like smoke in the wind.
"Uhh..." he blinked, stammering, then blurted the first thing that came to mind, "Where's Jade?"
"Oh, you're looking for Jade? She went to her martial arts school," Isabella replied, setting down a crystal tablet. "She had missed a lot of her classes during her visit."
Nemo nodded animatedly, his gaze still fixed on the scenery in front of him.
After stretching, Isabella stood up. Nemo, finally getting his head out of the gutter, asked, "Can I... join too? You know. Learn cultivation and all that?"
"That's an excellent idea," Isabella said, brightening. "But you'll need to choose which school. The choice will significantly impact your training and future."
Nemo nodded, recalling Dorian's info dump from yesterday. There were five major schools in Qenfeng City:
Sword Pavilion - weapon-based combat and precise fighting techniques
Spirit Hall - mysticism and spritual techniques
Body Forging Temple - physical conditioning and defensive techniques
Refining Cave - Weapon Crafting, Repairs and support techniques
Pill Villa - alchemy, healing medicine, and restorative arts
Each was backed by a major cultivation sect. Though countless sects existed across the continent, only these five had established branches in Qenfeng.
Jade belonged to the Spirit Hall. At first, Nemo wanted to join Body Forging Temple, but remembering the fun activities of the legendary brotherhood, he felt afraid of going there.
"Of course, I will join Spirit Hall, where Jade goes," he said.
"Solid choice," Isabella nodded happily, thinking he was joining Spirit Hall to get closer to Jade.
"By the way, is it possible to join two schools at once?" Nemo asked. "Like... dual majoring?"
Isabella blinked. "What?"
"I mean, taking classes at two different schools simultaneously?"
She chuckled. "It's not impossible, but extremely challenging. Each sect has mandatory missions and training schedules. You might manage it here in Qenfeng at basic levels, but once you advance to main sect branches, which are far apart, it becomes impossible."
"I'll call Dorian to make arrangements—"
"No, no!" Nemo waved frantically. "Don't disturb him. I can go with Jade tomorrow when she heads to classes. Much simpler."
"Well, if that's what you prefer," Isabella shrugged. "Jade should be back by evening."
Leaving her office, Nemo felt considerably better. He could finally embark on his cultivation journey starting tomorrow.