After searching for a while, Lu Sheng finally fixed his gaze on one of the compartments.
'Nine Rivers Iron Chain Skill.'
The hard martial art he had taken a liking to was clearly created by an expert from the rivers and seas, judging from its name.
Memorizing the name, Lu Sheng went straight to the management counter on the second floor.
"I am External Affairs Envoy Lu Sheng. I wish to borrow the Nine Rivers Iron Chain Skill for perusal." He handed his token to the white-haired old man behind the counter.
The old man narrowed his eyes at him. A concealed trace of inner martial energy flickered across him and vanished at once—he was unexpectedly an expert as well.
He accepted the token and examined it.
"The Nine Rivers Iron Chain Skill is a Force Passage-tier manual. External Affairs Envoys are entitled to freely peruse one manual below Spirit Focus each year. Are you certain this is the one?"
"I'm certain."
Lu Sheng replied without changing expression.
"Very well." The old man turned and searched through a row of locked cabinets. Before long, he pulled out a pale-blue thread-bound booklet from a red sandalwood drawer.
"Take it. Remember not to pass it on, or the gang rules will deal with you."
"Of course I understand." Lu Sheng nodded. Taking the booklet, he flipped through it. It was indeed packed with densely written martial art formulas, though it was clearly a copied edition. Some Force Passage-tier manuals did not have conception diagrams. Such techniques without conception diagrams were also the easiest to spread, since they could be copied down and circulated casually.
With the manual in hand, Lu Sheng left Xuanwu Pavilion. He had used up this year's free privilege. If he wished to consult martial arts manuals afterward, he