The silence within the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes was so dense that one could hear the beating of their own heart. Tran Kien stood there, the unofficial historical scroll Strange Tales of Azure Province still in his hand, his gaze fixed squarely upon Elder Wei.
Elder Wei, who had seemingly fallen into a deep slumber, slowly opened his eyes. His clear eyes held no trace of surprise, only a silent anticipation.
"Oh? You found it in a mere twenty days?" He spoke, his voice hoarse. "Tell me, boy. Amidst thousands of true tales, which is the grain of sand I deliberately tossed in?"
Tran Kien carefully placed the scroll on the tea table before speaking slowly, his voice clear and logical. "Elder Wei, the fabricated tale is the 'Blood Essence Stone', recorded on the thirty-sixth page of this scroll."
Elder Wei slightly raised an eyebrow, a rare gesture of interest. "What is your reasoning?"
"At first glance, it seems extremely reasonable," Tran Kien nodded. "It is so logical that it borders on perfection. But precisely because it is too perfect, it reveals a flaw." He began to lay out his entire analytical process, coherent and clear.
"First, the story is set in Fallen Leaf Town, my hometown. I have never heard of any such Blood Essence Stone. This planted the first seed of doubt in my mind, but it is a subjective reason, insufficient to serve as solid proof."
"The crux lies in a minute detail," Tran Kien continued, his gaze turning sharp. "The story describes miners using a type of 'pickaxe' with an iron shaft. Over the past twenty days, I have read through ancient texts recording the history of mining tools. In a tome titled Chronicles of a Hundred Crafts, there is a very clear record: the steel-forging techniques required to create such a hard and sharp 'pickaxe' only appeared here in Azure Province roughly a hundred years ago. Meanwhile, this scroll, Strange Tales of Azure Province, dates back at least three hundred years."
He paused, looking straight at Elder Wei. "A tool from a hundred years later could not possibly appear in a story from three hundred years ago. This is an undeniable anachronism. Therefore, I can say with certainty that the tale of the 'Blood Essence Stone' is false."
Having spoken, Tran Kien fell silent, awaiting the verdict.
Elder Wei said nothing. He simply sat there, looking at the youth before him. After a long moment, a hearty, clear laughter—entirely unlike the hoarse voice of an old man—suddenly reverberated throughout the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Tomes.
"Hahaha! Good! Very good!" Elder Wei stood up and walked over to lightly pat Tran Kien's shoulder, displaying genuine appreciation this time. "Not a single detail was missed! You didn't just find the answer; you understood exactly why it was the answer. Many have attempted this trial; some spent months without finding it, while others found it relying merely on luck. Only you are the first person in fifty years to shatter this puzzle using your own knowledge and analytical prowess."
He retracted his smile, his gaze becoming profound. "Do you know why I set up such a bizarre trial?"
"I do not know," Tran Kien replied humbly.
"Because to understand the legacy of our ancestors, one cannot rely solely on the eyes," Elder Wei said. "One must use both the heart and the mind. The purpose of this trial wasn't to make things difficult for you, but to force you to immerse yourself in the sea of history, so you could feel the 'soul' of our people. Only when you understand how our ancestors lived can you comprehend the profound concepts hidden within the Grand Array of Lac Viet's Heavenly Cycle."
"That tale of the Blood Essence Stone was the very first fragment of the mnemonic chant you have found."
Tran Kien was shaken. "Elder, what do you mean?"
"The one who penned that tale was one of the last predecessors of Lac Viet," Elder Wei explained. "He concealed a portion of the cultivation method within it. 'The Blood Essence Stone absorbs the essence of the sun and moon'—this is a metaphorical mnemonic chant for the method of tempering the 'Spirit', connecting the cultivator's divine sense with the power of the sun and the moon. It is a core component of the principle of 'Heaven - Myriad Phenomena, One Heart'! The anachronistic 'pickaxe' technique was the key he left behind for descendants possessing enough wisdom to discern it."
Tran Kien was stunned. It was as if he had experienced a sudden epiphany. As it turned out, the trial and the clue were one and the same.
"You have passed the trial," Elder Wei said, then slowly walked toward the wooden staircase leading to the second floor. "Now, you have the qualifications to step into the true treasury of knowledge. Follow me."
Tran Kien took a deep breath, his heart pounding wildly. He followed behind Elder Wei, ascending the ebony stairs that let out the deep, creaking groans of time.
The space on the second floor was completely different. There were no towering bookshelves here, only low shelves crafted from a milky-white jade that emanated a cool, refreshing aura. Resting on the shelves were not books, but thousands, tens of thousands of bamboo slips, animal hides, tortoise shells, and beast bones, all preserved with the utmost care. The air here did not smell of old paper, but of pure spiritual energy. This was no longer a library; it was a sanctuary of cultivation history.
"The books on the first floor represent 'Civil', used to cultivate the 'Heart'," Elder Wei said, his voice solemn. "Meanwhile, the ancient records here represent 'Martial', used to temper the 'Body' and cultivate 'Qi'. This is the repository for the lost cultivation methods, array formations, pill recipes, and artifact forging techniques of countless ancient sects. Among them are the fragmented legacies of the Lac Viet people."
He walked over to a shelf in the very center, took down a dark yellow goatskin scroll, and handed it to him. "This is a gift for the one who has overcome the trial," Elder Wei said. "Take it. It will help you take your first steps on the path to recovering the mnemonic chants of the cultivation method."
Tran Kien carefully received the goatskin scroll. It was unusually heavy. He slowly opened it.
Upon the surface of the hide, there were no written words, but rather a detailed illustration of the meridian pathways within the human body. Alongside it were lines guiding the circulation of Qi, connecting to images of the sun, the moon, and the stars.
In the topmost corner lay four ancient seal characters, vigorous and brimming with Daoist resonance:
Heavenly Cycle Qi Guiding.