The old man looked at the yellowed silk manuscript in Yi Yang's hand and shook his head, speaking with the weary resignation of someone who had seen this all too often:
"That thing has been in the armory for thirteen years."
He flipped to the first few pages of the register for this cultivation technique and showed them to Yi Yang.
Yi Yang saw many names in the register, but every name was followed by the same result: "Failed to begin cultivation. Returned."
"The day after word spread that the Chief Inspector couldn't cultivate it, Xiao Zhengyan from the Evil Punishment Office borrowed the technique."
The old man raised a finger and pointed downward as though counting. "Returned after seven days. Failed to begin. Next was Ji Yunzhang from the Evil-Breaking Office. Half a month, and he failed too. Wen Shiheng from the Knowledge Office took it for a whole month, studying it every day, and in the end he brought it back shaking his head as well."
He paused and looked up at Yi Yang's expression, wanting to know whether his words had persuaded him.
But Yi Yang merely listened quietly, showing neither impatience nor wavering, so the old man continued:
"Later, it wasn't just the four offices. Experts from every quarter-as long as they had enough merit to qualify, eight or nine out of ten came to borrow this silk manuscript."
Counting on his fingers, the old man said, "All three Patrol Directors under the Evil-Breaking Office tried it. Two from your Nether Spring Office tried as well. Even people from the Pacification Guard heard about it and came running. Once their month was up, they brought it back. Without exception."
He closed the register and pressed a palm against its cover, offering a well-meaning warning:
"I've guarded