Elder Shen nearly dropped his dust cloth when the Cao boy approached him directly. In the centuries of tending this library, he'd seen countless disciples seek his guidance, but Cao Chang? The boy who'd once declared that "only weaklings need books" was walking toward him? "Honored Elder," Cao Chang said, bowing at the proper angle of respect for a junior addressing a senior. "This disciple hopes he isn't disturbing your important work." The words were correct. The tone was respectful. The bow was textbook perfect. That was why everything about this screamed deception. Elder Shen's eyes narrowed as his cultivation base stirred slightly, just enough to create a subtle pressure in the air. The boy was playing some kind of game, perhaps a dare from his equally insufferable friends. Well, Elder Shen had not survived three sect wars and countless political schemes by falling for tricks from young juniors.

  "Cao Chang," he said, his voice carrying the weight of his Foundation Establishment cultivation, enough to make most Outer Disciples step back instinctively.

  "If you think you can come here with false courtesy and mock this old man, you are courting death. I have no patience for whatever scheme you and that Liu Wei have concocted." He expected the boy to drop the act. To sneer, perhaps make some excuse and storm off.

  Or maybe double down on the false politeness before revealing the punchline of whatever juvenile prank this was meant to be. He did not expect the boy's face to light up like someone had just handed him a precious treasure.

  "Courting death?" Cao Chang's grin stretched from ear to ear, his eyes sparkling with what looked disturbingly like genuine delight.

  "Elder Shen, if doing so would increase my understanding of cultivation even slightly, then I would gladly court death itself! Though, I'd prefer to survive the experience to apply what I learned. After all, death in the pursuit of knowledge seems like a worthy end!" Elder Shen blinked twice. The boy's excitement was... real. Insane, possibly suicidal, but undeniably genuine. No one could fake that enthusiastic madness. It reminded him of his own master, centuries ago, who used to deliberately provoke spirit beasts just to observe their attack patterns up close.

  A laugh almost escaped him before Elder Shen caught himself. Well, this was more in line with what he knew of Cao Chang, just redirected in an entirely unexpected direction. That absolute, unshakeable arrogance that assumed the world would bend to his will, that rules existed only as suggestions, that impossible was merely uninvestigated.

  The boy hadn't changed his fundamental nature, just his target. Instead of demanding respect through force, he now seemed determined to dissect the very nature of cultivation itself through sheer stubborn will. "You want practical cultivation advice," Elder Shen said, studying the boy's eager expression. "You've been reading theory for hours but have no idea how to actually apply any of it." "Exactly!" Cao Chang practically bounced on his feet.

  "The texts all speak about 'sensing the qi of heaven and earth' but none explain what that actually feels like! Is it warm? Cold? Does it have texture? How do you differentiate between ambient qi and your own body's natural energy? I have so many questions!"

  Despite himself, Elder Shen felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward. When was the last time a disciple had shown such pure enthusiasm for learning? "Very well," Elder Shen said, making a decision that he'd probably regret. "If you truly wish to learn, then I have a task for you. Complete it successfully, and I'll answer three questions about practical cultivation."

  "Anything!" The boy's eagerness was almost painful to witness. "I require Black Leaf herbs for my evening tea. They grow in the forest beyond the sect's outer walls, about two li east of the main gate. Bring me a pouch full of fresh leaves before sunset." Elder Shen watched carefully as the boy's eyes immediately narrowed in thought.

  "Black Leaf herbs," Cao Chang repeated slowly. "For tea. A simple gathering task that an Outer Disciple at Body Tempering Stage One should be able to complete." He tilted his head. "Which means there's definitely more to it than just picking plants." Smart boy. Elder Shen kept his expression neutral.

  "The task is exactly as I described. Black Leaf herbs for my tea. You'll find them growing near the base of old pine trees.” Of course, Elder Shen didn't mention that there were three different plants with black leaves in that forest. Only one was Black Leaf herb. The others were Black Nettle, which caused painful rashes, and Shadow Leaf, which was mildly poisonous.

  The only way to tell them apart was to sense the faint medicinal qi in the true Black Leaf herbs, a skill that required basic qi sensitivity that most disciples didn't develop until Body Tempering Stage Two at least. The real lesson wasn't about gathering herbs. It was about the fundamental requirement of cultivation: the ability to sense and differentiate types of qi. If the boy couldn't figure that out, no amount of theoretical knowledge would help him advance.

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  "I'll return before sunset with your herbs, Elder Shen!" Cao Chang bowed again, that proper angle that still looked bizarre on someone with his reputation. "Thank you for this opportunity!" The boy actually ran toward the library exit, pausing only to grab an illustrated guide to local flora from the shelf. Another surprise; most disciples would have charged off immediately, too proud to admit they needed reference materials.

  Elder Shen returned to his dusting, wondering if he'd just made a terrible mistake or discovered a rough gem worth polishing.

  This was it! An actual cultivation quest! I clutched "A Comprehensive Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the Eastern Territories" by Scholar Wu Fengling as I jogged through the sect grounds, already flipping to the section on medicinal herbs. The illustrated guide showed Black Leaf herbs growing in shaded areas, particularly near pine trees. The leaves were described as "black as midnight with a subtle sheen of medicinal qi." That last part was interesting. How was I supposed to see qi when I couldn't even sense it yet? This had to be the real test.

  Elder Shen wouldn't give me an impossible task, would he? Well, actually, he might if he was the "cruel teacher" type, but he didn’t seem to come off that way. The book also showed two other black-leaved plants: Black Nettle, identified by serrated edges and tiny thorns along the stem, and Shadow Leaf, which had smooth, almost waxy leaves.

  All three looked nearly identical in the illustrations. The descriptions mentioned that Black Nettle caused "severe skin irritation" while Shadow Leaf would cause "mild digestive distress if consumed." So the test was about identification and differentiation.

  Classic.

  Elder Shen wanted to see if I could figure out how to sense qi on my own, using practical necessity as motivation. I loved it! I was so absorbed in the book that I almost missed the commotion in the outer courtyard. Liu Wei's voice carried across the space with its all too familiar aggressive tone. "You dare bump into me without watching where you're going? Do you know who I am?"

  I looked up to find Liu Wei standing over another disciple who was already on his knees, head pressed to the ground in a formal kowtow. Liu Wei, the original Cao Chang's only friend, was built like a brick house with a face that was permanently set in a scowl. His cultivation was marginally better than the original Cao Chang's, having reached Body Tempering Stage Two through brute force and family resources rather than any particular talent.

  "This disciple is sorry! This disciple is blind and failed to see Young Master Liu!" The poor kid on the ground couldn't have been much older than fifteen, probably a new arrival who hadn't learned the sect's social dynamics yet.

  "Cao Chang!" Liu Wei's face brightened when he spotted me, which on him looked more like a predator spotting prey. "Perfect timing! Help me teach this worm some manners!" I walked over, looking down at the trembling disciple. The kid was practically shaking, his shabby robes suggesting he was probably from a common family without backing.

  These were exactly the type of disciples that young masters like Liu Wei and the original Cao Chang had tormented for sport.

  "Hey," I said to the kid, whose eyes widened in terror when I addressed him directly. "You want to help me out with something later?" Liu Wei laughed a harsh bark of amusement.

  "Good thinking! Make him serve you for a month! No, two months! That'll teach him to watch where he's walking!" The poor disciple looked up with desperate eyes.

  "This disciple will do whatever Young Master Cao wishes! This disciple will serve faithfully!" I blinked, suddenly realizing that everyone had completely misinterpreted my question. I'd meant maybe the kid could help me identify plants or carry stuff, like a normal person asking for assistance.

  But Liu Wei had heard it as claiming a servant, and the poor kid thought he was being enslaved. "Uhm," I said, trying to figure out how to defuse this without breaking character too much. "Not really interested in servants. Thanks though." Liu Wei's expression shifted to disgust as he kicked dirt toward the still-kneeling disciple.

  "See?! You're too useless to even be a servant! Get out of here before I break your legs!" The kid scrambled to his feet and ran, shooting me what might have been a grateful look as he disappeared around a building. At least he hadn't gotten beaten up, which by Liu Wei standards was practically a mercy.

  "So," Liu Wei said, throwing a companionable arm around my shoulders. “Where are you heading? You've been acting strange lately, spending all that time in the library. Don't tell me you're actually trying to become one of those scroll cultivators."

  "I'm heading to the forest," I said, holding up my book to him. "Elder Shen gave me a task to gather some herbs, and I think there's more to it than just picking plants! It might be about developing qi sensitivity, which would be huge for breaking through to Body Tempering Stage Two!"

  Liu Wei stared at me like I'd grown a second head, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he managed to speak.

  "The forest? For herbs? For an Elder's tea?" Each word came out more incredulous than the last. "Are you feeling alright?"

  "Never better!" I grinned, already backing away toward the sect gates. I left him standing there in the courtyard, still gaping, as I practically skipped toward the forest with my book clutched to my chest like a treasured manual.

  Adventure and discovery awaited!