Chapter 164: Plucking

My soul looked like an old, worn-out shirt, with patches of new cloth awkwardly sewn over it to cover the tears. Though someone might describe it mundanely if they ever saw it, there was a particular horror to it. A malformed form lurked beneath the surface, twisting and writhing, trying to grab everything around it. It was as if my very essence was a grotesque entity struggling to hold itself together while reaching out for something more.

However, it didn''t feel like I struggled to hold myself together; this was just its natural shape.

Just "looking" at my soul felt weird. It was that same hollow feeling of looking at my wound right after surgery. Such a primal fear.

Damn, was my own soul scaring me?

But just as I tried to observe the mess of my soul, the grime within the misshapen thing—like an infection holding it together—began to change. Once chaotic and erratic, my soul started to calm down, the frantic movements slowing to a gentle stillness. Gradually, it formed into a seemingly perfect sphere, smooth and unblemished. The grime that had marred its surface slowly disappeared as if expelled by some unseen force, leaving behind a pristine, glowing orb.N/ne?w n0vel chap/ers are published o/n

Huh? Why was this happening now? Or was this what always happened, and I was just catching sight of it for the first time?

It was as if just knowing about it was like a body finally recognizing an injury and going through the process of healing it. What a strange sensation.

But I couldn''t dwell for too long on what was happening in my head because something important was happening outside, too.

The humanoid owl swayed, its feet uneven, and it looked like it would fall at any moment. Unintelligible moans escaped its beak, drool dripping down as it slumped to the ground. It was as if its mind had forgotten how to do even the most basic things. The once intelligent and cunning creature now seemed lost in a fog of confusion, its arms hanging limply at its sides as if it could no longer use the human-like appendages.

A technique that could relatively easily change the memories of an opponent''s mind was bound to have a very heavy drawback.

Now, the question was whether this drawback was permanent or temporary. I hoped for the latter, as losing the only time I had a lucky encounter would be a shame.

This was probably the only lucky encounter I was getting for the rest of my life!

But before I could grieve my lost opportunities, the whole tower rumbled. For a second, I was afraid it might come crashing down. My worries, however, were unfounded as an explosion of Qi erupted from the entrance of the third floor. Out of the swirling energy stepped the librarian. His presence radiated power, his robes billowing as if caught in an unseen wind. The air crackled with the force of his arrival, and I could feel the intense aura of his Qi even from a distance.

He no longer wore his glasses; his eyes were intense, bloodshot, and rage-filled. His usually calm and collected demeanor was replaced with raw, seething anger that seemed to fuel the Qi swirling around him.

I could understand his fury; I too would be angry if someone had tampered with my mind, leaving me with gaps in my memories.

When his eyes landed on the owl, his gaze was filled with murderous rage. Without hesitation, he approached the owl-like monstrous beast, each step deliberate and heavy with intent. The air seemed to grow colder with every step he took, the Qi around him pulsating in response to his anger.

"First of all, I think we should all calm down," I said, clapping my hands to bring the librarian''s attention from the owl, even if it was only for a split second. That split second was all I needed. "I was the one who released you from your mind control. Well, not really mind control, but you know what I mean. Who knows what else he did with the confusion array."

"Confusion array? I fell victim to a confusion array?" The librarian looked ashamed, with a trace of embarrassment tainting his features.

I quickly explained to him what had roughly happened to him. Regarding my fight with the owl, I didn''t go into much detail beyond how my opponent''s technique had backfired.

While explaining that, I kept an eye on the humanoid owl. Just in case his technique''s backlash was really only temporary. But that didn''t seem to be the case, as he was still a drooling mess.

This awoke the librarian from his deep-seated concentration, and he opened his eyes and stared at me.

"Don''t let your guard down again. Just because you have control of the library''s arrays doesn''t make you invincible," I warned him.

The librarian nodded. Now with his source of anger gone, he had returned to his usual self; his face betrayed nothing, and he looked calm and collected.

He stared at me briefly before saying, "You''re a good kid, Liu Feng."

"Thanks?" I answered, unsure why he would say something like that out of nowhere. There was a better time and place to talk about how I was a good guy.

"Just make sure you don''t let yourself get corrupted by... bad company," the librarian said in a melancholic tone.

He definitely meant Song Song.

Though I wasn''t sure if this was the best time to have a conversation like this, I still responded.

"People change as they grow up and adapt to the circumstances around them," I said, glancing around to see if anyone else noticed the third floor''s arrays. I sensed no one approaching the library, at least no one strong. But I wasn''t sure if that meant much when anyone overwhelmingly powerful could slip past my senses. "Also, why are you saying these kinds of words as if you''re about to die at any moment?"

"I probably will," the librarian sighed, clearly having already resigned himself to whatever fate he imagined. "After all, I lied to the Sect Leader straight to his face."

Oh, that was quite a big deal.

I recalled the image of his solitary figure, seated imperiously on a golden throne that seemed to radiate an aura of nonchalance. His posture was relaxed, almost dismissive, starkly contrasting the gravity of the situation around him. Even as the Beast Wave was smashing against all the cities that the Blazing Sun Sect controlled, hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of people, died due to that as whole towns were destroyed! But this man who was in charge of everything seemed nonchalant about it.

I had met the Sect Leader, and he didn''t seem like the kind of guy who would care about these things. If the Sect Leader didn''t like people lying to him, why had he surrounded himself with snakes from the inner sect? Clearly, he didn''t care if liars lied straight to his face.

I opened my mouth and was about to reassure him when another voice interrupted me.

"Don''t worry, the Sect Leader won''t do anything."

I turned toward the staircase and saw the elderly janitor''s face staring back. His usual hunched figure was even more pronounced under the dim, flickering lights of the hallway. Shadows danced around his weathered face, accentuating every wrinkle and crevice.

He was using his broom to stand up, gripping it tightly as if it were a staff of power rather than a simple cleaning tool. His eyes, usually nonchalant and jesting, were piercing and intent, locking onto mine with an intensity I hadn''t seen before.

This time, it wasn''t just my baseless suspicion; he actually looked like someone influential, someone who held secrets and knowledge far beyond his humble appearance. The air around him seemed to thrum with an almost tangible energy, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

How could some simple janitor say such words so confidently?

It seemed like my suspicions were finally proved correct.