"From this day onward, you are a Menial Disciple of the Blood Demon Sect. You will be responsible for the daily copying of the books in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion on Blackwood Cliff. Should you slack off, you will receive no mercy."
"Yes."
Lin Fan's eyes flickered, but he obediently accepted the token.
"Blackwood Cliff doesn't sound like a good place."
"So that Demoness kidnapped me here to replenish the Blood Demon Sect's fresh blood."
Lin Fan thought to himself.
He was a transmigrator. The original owner had been an orphan who was frightened to death when a Demoness kidnapped him, giving Lin Fan an opportunity to take over.
Lin Fan had not been particularly resistant to transmigrating. After all, in his previous life, he had merely been a college student who ran around everywhere yet could never find a decent job.
But his current circumstances seemed rather grim.
The Blood Demon Sect belonged to the Devil Dao, whose practitioners had always acted ruthlessly and viciously.
Though they were called Menial Disciples, they were no different from slaves, existing at the very bottom of the Blood Demon Sect.
Of the more than one hundred boys and girls who had been kidnapped, only ten, including Lin Fan, had passed the so-called "assessment" and become Menial Disciples. As for the other "failures," they had all vanished in bizarre circumstances.
"Since I'm here, I'll make the best of it."
"As long as I don't die, there's still a glimmer of hope."
Lin Fan consoled himself.
With a designated guide leading him, Lin Fan soon arrived at Blackwood Cliff.
At the edge of the cliff, the gale howled. A pavilion entirely crimson in color stood between heaven and earth like a colossal beast.
"This is the Hidden Scripture Pavilion?"
Lin Fan was both startled and uncertain. The place looked steeped in an eerie, sinister atmosphere.
After hesitating for a moment, he steeled himself and entered the pavilion.
The instant he stepped through the doorway, countless gazes focused on Lin Fan.
Looking around, Lin Fan saw more than twenty Menial Disciples nearby, all staring straight at him.
There were both men and women among them, but most were sallow and emaciated, looking somewhat malnourished.
"There are quite a few people."
Lin Fan's thoughts stirred.
While he was distracted, a graceful woman walked over, looking as though she feared missing a golden opportunity.
The others also began to stir restlessly. Their gazes at Lin Fan carried undisguised heat and longing.
"Go back."
Suddenly, before the woman had taken two steps, a tall, thin man blocked her path.
The woman stuck out her tongue, gave Lin Fan a sympathetic look, and obediently returned to her seat.
"You're new here, right?"
The Tall Thin Man walked straight up to Lin Fan and casually displayed his own token.
The token read: Hidden Scripture Pavilion Menial Disciple, Wang Biao.
Looking Lin Fan up and down, the Tall Thin Man seemed rather satisfied. "You're new and unfamiliar with the place. If you don't mind, you can follow me for now."
After speaking, he stared fixedly at Lin Fan, waiting for his response.
Although Lin Fan did not know why the other man was being so proactive, he had no choice. He nodded and said, "My name is Lin Fan. I'll trouble you, Brother Wang."
"Don't be so polite. You're good-looking, which makes you popular around here."
Wang Biao grinned, then introduced the situation as they walked.
"The Blood Demon Sect has three main peaks: Blood Bone Peak, Blood Fiend Peak, and Blood Soul Peak."
"Each peak has many Menial Disciples, while our Hidden Scripture Pavilion belongs to Blood Soul Peak."
"The work of a Hidden Scripture Pavilion Menial Disciple is very simple. We copy the corresponding ancient texts according to the assignments of Blood Soul Peak's Formal Disciples. If we fail to complete our assignments, we're executed on the spot."
Wang Biao's voice was not loud, but when his words reached Lin Fan's ears, he trembled violently.
"As expected of a Devil Dao Sect. Make even the slightest mistake, and you're executed."
Lin Fan thought darkly.
"However, you can relax. The copying process isn't complicated. There are mainly three steps: first, screening; second, copying; third, storage."
"And we only copy strange miscellanies, not cultivation techniques or secret manuals, so the work is relatively simple."
Noticing the strange look on Lin Fan's face, Wang Biao smiled and comforted him.
"By the way, you can read, right?"
Wang Biao suddenly asked.
"Of course."
Lin Fan nodded instinctively.
"That's good. I'll take you inside later and teach you the copying process once."
"You need to learn quickly. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to survive the first few days."
Wang Biao spoke in a somber tone.
"Brother Wang, what do you mean by that?"
Lin Fan was puzzled.
"Only by copying the books properly can you receive the corresponding Contribution Points. Without Contribution Points, you can't exchange for an Everlasting Lamp."
"If we spend the night without lighting an Everlasting Lamp, Menial Disciples like us could die at any time."
Brother Wang spoke with utmost gravity.
"An Everlasting Lamp?"
Lin Fan froze and was about to ask more.
"Don't ask so many questions. If you want to survive here, remember: do more and talk less."
Brother Wang shook his head, signaling Lin Fan to stop there.
"Follow me."
Brother Wang motioned for Lin Fan to keep up and walked into the building first.
There was something strange about this place.
Lin Fan's expression tightened slightly, but he still obediently followed.
The first floor of the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.
Rows of bookshelves stood in orderly lines, while more than a dozen long tables occupied the center.
The Menial Disciples sat before the tables in pairs, bent over their work and copying.
"Don't just stand there. Watch carefully and learn carefully."
"I'll only teach you once."
After finding Lin Fan a seat, Brother Wang spoke.
He immediately pulled out a yellowed book and said, "Screening is the first step. These books are strange tales and records of unusual events collected by the sect from various places. Most are incomplete. We have to screen out the books that are still useful and worth copying."
"Look at this book. Most of it is missing, so it has no value for copying. Only books whose tables of contents are relatively complete and whose contents are not missing too much can be copied."
As he spoke, he selected another ancient text and began copying it.
"When copying, your handwriting must be neat. You can't be careless in the slightest. Even one wrongly written character is unacceptable. You must restore the original as closely as possible, character for character."
Lin Fan listened attentively.
He knew very well that if he wanted to survive here, he had to handle the task before him properly.
Soon, it was Lin Fan's turn to try.
From among a pile of battered ancient books, he picked out one that was relatively intact. Then he dipped his brush in ink and began copying with intense concentration.
His handwriting was neat, and his writing speed was neither fast nor slow. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
In less than an hour, Lin Fan had copied an entire ancient text.
He let out a long breath. The work looked simple, but it was extremely taxing. Even one wrongly written character was unacceptable.
Just then, Lin Fan's vision suddenly blurred, and a glowing panel abruptly appeared.
Name: Lin Fan
Lifespan: 50
Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit
Realm: None
Technique: None
Note: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit: Can use lifespan to pre-empt the corresponding Technique Proficiency.
At that moment, another message quickly appeared.
You copied the "Record of Flying Birds." Reward: ten years of lifespan.
Immediately afterward, Lin Fan felt completely relaxed. It was as though some kind of vitality had been injected into his body, and the number under lifespan changed to 60.
Lin Fan froze. He had merely copied a book of strange tales and miscellanies, yet it had increased his lifespan by ten years?
Then if he copied ten books, or even a hundred, wouldn't he gain even more?
Lin Fan looked at the mountain of battered books piled on the table, and excitement slowly began to rise within him.
"Not bad. You picked it up quickly."
Beside him, Wang Biao nodded in satisfaction.
He had brought many newcomers with him, but there were very few who could adapt to the copying work so quickly.
Copying books looked simple, but it involved many subtleties. The most important thing was not making mistakes.
A battered book might contain several thousand or tens of thousands of characters at the least, and hundreds of thousands at the most. To copy one completely and meticulously was by no means easy.
"Brother Wang, I'd like to copy a few more."
Lin Fan took the initiative to speak.
"No need."
Unexpectedly, Wang Biao shook his head. He glanced at the darkening sky outside and urged him, "Pack up. I'll take you to where you'll be staying."
"Otherwise, once night falls, things will become troublesome."
"Brother Wang, shouldn't we eat first?" Lin Fan asked.
His stomach was a little hungry. Ever since he had been dragged here, he had been living on an empty stomach more often than not. From passing the assessment to being assigned to the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, he had not eaten a thing.
"Eat?" Wang Biao found that somewhat amusing and asked, "When you came here, didn't they give you a storage pouch?"
"They did."
Lin Fan remembered and untied a cloth pouch from his waist.
He rummaged around and soon took out a pill and a jade slip from the pouch at his waist.
"This pill is a Grain Abstinence Pill. Take one, and you can withstand hunger for three days."
"As for this jade slip, it contains the cultivation method for the Hidden Scripture Pavilion's Menial Disciples. Just place it against your brow, and you'll be able to sense the information inside."
Wang Biao immediately reminded him.
"Don't delay."
"Night is almost here. We have to get indoors quickly. Otherwise, anything could happen."
Seeing the sky grow darker and darker, Wang Biao motioned for Lin Fan to follow and hurried outside without stopping.
At that moment, the other Menial Disciples around them also rose one after another. As though they had reached an unspoken agreement, they all headed toward the area beside the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.
A row of houses stood there, built along the steep cliff face. They were precisely the residences of the Menial Disciples.
Lin Fan noticed that most of the Menial Disciples entered the houses in pairs: either one man and one woman, or two men and two women. Very few people entered a house alone.
"Come with me."
Wang Biao brought Lin Fan and quickly entered a house.
The sky had turned completely dark. Wang Biao calmly took out an oil lamp and lit it.
The flickering lamplight illuminated the entire house.
The house was not particularly spacious, but it was enough for two people to live in. The only drawback was that there was only one bed.
By the light of the lamp, Wang Biao came to Lin Fan's side and suddenly said, "With this Everlasting Lamp, we can suppress the demons and evil spirits that roam at night."
"We should rest together as well."
"Brother Wang, what do you mean?"
An ominous feeling arose in Lin Fan's heart.
"I was kidnapped up the mountain too. I've lived here with my life hanging by a thread. Rather than survive in fear and trepidation, it's better to indulge while we still can."
"You're very handsome, and I like you a lot. As long as you're willing to follow me, I guarantee you won't die for the time being."
As he spoke, Wang Biao grinned, his gaze at Lin Fan filled with undisguised aggression.
Lin Fan froze. This is bad!
"Stop being shy. Come up and rest."
Lin Fan was covered in black lines, and his chrysanthemum clenched tight.
He suddenly understood why the other man had been so enthusiastic toward him that day.
Sure enough, no one in this world was kind to you for no reason. Sometimes, they just coveted your body!
Before you continue