261: Chapter 221_2 261: Chapter 221_2 “Amitabha, how excellent, how excellent, Benefactor Jiang Tang, you are truly too generous.
Thank you for bringing so many Pills to our family,”
Yuan Baozhu and eight other girls watched their interaction.
Seeing the Family Head’s expression, they understood that Jiang Tang had indeed given the Pills generously.
Even if these Pills didn’t pass through her hands and were without her involvement, as long as they reached the hands of her family members, their family would not be at a disadvantage compared to others.
She believed that as long as she was by Jiang Tang’s side, this man would not watch her cultivation remain stagnant without giving her Pills.
Jiang Tang’s generosity caused others from the Yuan Family to also smile involuntarily in the hall.
The women who had come with Jiang Tang felt it was strange; how could this man have so many Supreme Elixirs?
Could it be that he, like them, could also refine Pills?
Could this man have become so powerful that he could use his Divine Sense to refine Pills?
Such a powerful man was indeed admirable and made one’s heart yearn for him.
After chatting briefly in the hall, Jiang Tang made a request to the Yuan Family, mentioning his curiosity about their Scripture Pavilion and asking if he might be permitted to visit it.
When the Yuan Family Head heard Jiang Tang’s request, he fell silent briefly and finally nodded, saying:
“Benefactor, if you are interested, there is no harm in visiting.”
Other Elders wanted to intervene, but they felt it was already too late, thinking that an outsider reading their scriptures would be of no use.
In the Scripture Pavilion, most of what was on display were genuine Buddhist scriptures.
The Secret Manuals that could be used for cultivation were part of their lineage and wouldn’t be casually placed in the Scripture Pavilion for public access.
When Yuan Baozhu heard the Family Head had agreed to Jiang Tang’s request, she accompanied Jiang Tang for a walk, taking him to see some of the family’s locations.
As Jiang Tang prepared to leave the hall, the eight girls who had come with him followed.
They didn’t want to stay with people who looked like monks but were not, feeling there was something slightly amiss.
“Family Head, this man has so many women following him; he lacks sincerity.
Can our daughter truly be entrusted to such a man?”
As the group left, one member of the other presences in the hall, a middle-aged man wearing a particular hat—which of course meant he hadn’t shaved his head—spoke.
“This man must harbor secrets and possess a bright future; otherwise, why would those old foxes be willing to entrust their daughters to him?
Yuan Baozhu having such a man by her side may well be her good fortune.
With the rumored appearance of Supreme Elixirs, the Cultivation World will surely see rapid Ascensions.
The question of who will ascend the quickest might depend on resources provided by this man, as my grandfather says this man might ascend quicker than any of us.”
“Hmm, I’ve heard that in just over a month he can surmount several major steps; upon encountering him just now, it was evident that his cultivation was extraordinary,” another man added upon hearing the Family Head’s words.
“This man is someone we should befriend, not offend.
Those old foxes have already entertained him and treated him as a friend, giving him the position of an Elder in a Clan.”
The Yuan Family Head, privy to the surveillance from outside the family as well as message exchanges with Yuan Baozhu, continued:
“Should we not also offer her an Elder position?
We shouldn’t fall behind the others.”
“That might be good.
In my view, Jiang Tang only seeks friendship with the Top Ten Clans.
This person has great ambition and might be looking to establish his own force, not planning to stay within our family,” the Family Head replied.
Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing the Family Head’s words, especially after they learned of Jiang Tang’s gift of so many Pills.
Although the Storage Bag given by the Family Head contained precious items, their value couldn’t be compared.
At an auction in the market, a single Pill could be worth a city’s fortune.
Jiang Tang might have approached them precisely because they were one of the Ten Great Clans.
He had not come out of fear, but rather his casual manner when giving Pills showed his disdain for wealth and revealed his ambitions.
Yuan Baozhu led Jiang Tang to a Treasure Pavilion and stopped at the entrance to one of the rooms, allowing Jiang Tang to follow her in and asking the other girls to wait outside.
In truth, she could have brought the other women inside as well.
She knew the books in the Scripture Pavilion were of no use to outsiders.
These weren’t rare secret manuals; aside from those who practiced Buddhism, outsiders would only see them as scriptures.
“Hmph, who would want to read what monks study?”
The expressions on the faces of the eight women varied, and Zhang Nianjiao had not expected Yuan Baozhu to pull such a move, thinking that if she were in her position, she would be embraced by Jiang Tang in the Scripture Pavilion.
Zhang Nianjiao felt a trace of unwillingness in her heart, yet she was unable to voice it out.
Jiang Tang followed Yuan Baozhu into the Scripture Pavilion, where at the entrance sat a disciple who was apparently guarding the place.
Yuan Baozhu showed the disciple a token, and he clasped his hands together, “Sister, please enter.
May I ask if this guest has obtained the family’s approval to enter?”
“Yes, this is a guest invited by the Family Head and has the Family Head’s consent to view the scriptures.”
“Very well, Sister…
Guest, please…”
Yuan Baozhu walked in front, and Jiang Tang followed her into a row upon row of scriptures.
Jiang Tang casually took out a book inscribed with ‘Diamond Sutra’.
As he opened the book, the ancient Buddhist texts made his head hurt from not being able to understand them.
“Yuan Baozhu, do you recognize these ancient characters?”
“Of course, hieroglyphs.
We learn these ancient characters from a young age; all the scriptures are written in them.”
“It seems you’re quite talented—impressive,” Jiang Tang commented.
In his past life, he was a university student, and in this life, a common man.
The abilities he now possessed were the result of numerous extraordinary encounters, and even university students might not recognize such ancient characters.
In front of Yuan Baozhu, he felt like an illiterate, ashamed of himself.
This really was a waste of time spent without learning to read.
“Jiang Tang, would you like to look around some more?”
“Can I take a look at your secret manuals?
Are there any with simpler characters?
Without a solid cultural foundation, even obtaining these books would be useless since I can’t understand them.”
Jiang Tang looked at the vast collection of books here, feeling as though the text recognized him, but he did not recognize the text.
The thought of being in someone else’s Scripture Pavilion without understanding a word amused him; outsiders would surely find it hilariously pathetic.
There was a day when Jiang Tang became a joke in the Cultivation World, a matter of face for a man.
“Jiang Tang, I am well aware that you come from an ordinary background.
It is normal not to recognize these characters.
How many in the Cultivation World are Great Scholars, after all?
Besides, Confucianism Tao has its own cultivation methods, just like our Buddhist cultivation methods, built upon their cultural foundation.
You don’t need to be concerned over this,” Yuan Baozhu reassured him.
Her expression reflected her words.
Besides, the Buddhist scriptures in the Scripture Pavilion were just ordinary texts.
Even though she recognized the characters, she usually didn’t read the scriptures here, focusing instead on learning the martial arts passed down through her lineage.
“Alright then!
There aren’t any texts that are a little easier to understand, are there?” Jiang Tang displayed a keen willingness to learn, which was actually an attempt to show off in front of a beautiful woman, highlighting the gap brought about by lack of education.
“No, all the scriptures are written in this form.
Even if someone were truly able to understand them, they couldn’t finish reading all of them.
With so many books, how long would they have to stay to read through them all?”
Jiang Tang nodded; it seemed that reading these books wasn’t going to happen after all.
Well, at least he learned some secrets of the clans, which gave him a better understanding of the Cultivation World.
“Jiang Tang, you need not be discouraged.
The books here are true scriptures and not our family’s secret martial arts manuals.
It makes no difference whether you understand them or not; even if you did, you wouldn’t be able to learn from them,” Yuan Baozhu said, revealing the secret upon seeing Jiang Tang’s dejected look.
“Ah, I see…” Jiang Tang felt somewhat better but also realized he had been too sensitive.
The books here weren’t the secret manuals of the Cultivation World; he was to learn from the manuals produced in his own space, written in characters he could understand.
Learning the Yuan Family’s martial arts would be of no use to him—he believed the items produced in his space outclassed these people’s martial skills.
Otherwise, who else could have advanced several levels in just over a month?
“Yuan Baozhu, since I can’t understand them, let’s not read anymore.
Why don’t you show me around your scenery?
Didn’t you say you have a herbal garden here as well?”
“Sure, our herbal garden is on another large mountain.
This pagoda area isn’t where we plant Spirit Grass.”
Yuan Baozhu swiftly led Jiang Tang out of the Scripture Pavilion, and the women outside were puzzled by what had transpired inside but didn’t ask.
The other women felt it was better that they came out so quickly; they didn’t have to be alone in there together.