The Uses of Fools

Ren Jie thought for quite a while before ultimately resisting the urge to begin cultivating at once. Some things could not be rushed. He should first continue learning what he needed to know, then find an opportunity to see exactly what this cultivation technique was. Besides, this was not a suitable place to cultivate.

With that in mind, Ren Jie carefully put away the Memory Jade Tablet. He also gathered up the shattered Jade Box and the fragments of the ten Mid-Grade Spirit Jades. Then he resumed what he had been doing before: reading, and reading some more.

Ren Jie read faster and faster now. When books shared common material, he could skim past them with a single glance.

Within the Ren Family's grand residence in Jade Capital City's bustling district, before a Wooden House in the middle of a unique Primeval Forest.

"The Library Pavilion? You're saying he entered the Library Pavilion eleven hours ago and is still inside?" Sixth Master Ren Tianzong, who was personally weaving several adorable little animals out of grass, paused again and stared at Wan Hong in disbelief.

Wan Hong nodded with certainty. "I found it unbelievable at first as well. I even secretly went over to take a look midway through and watched for an entire hour. The family head truly was reading in the Library Pavilion."

"What books has he read? Bring them here for me to look at." Even Sixth Master Ren Tianzong found it hard to believe. He could understand the boy learning to act shamelessly. Perhaps he had been suppressed for too long and had finally snapped under the pressure of those three old fellows. But reading books? How could that be possible? The boy had fallen asleep whenever he so much as looked at a book since childhood.

Because of this, he had been punished plenty when he was young. Yet no matter how they disciplined him, he would fall asleep as soon as he began reading. Even if someone stood over him with a wooden stick, he still could not keep reading.

"This..." Wan Hong said awkwardly, "Sixth Master, I'm afraid that would be rather inconvenient."

"You said he's still reading them, right? Then bring them over once he's finished." Sixth Master Ren Tianzong assumed Wan Hong meant Ren Jie's books were all still in the room and could not be brought over immediately.

"That isn't the reason." Wan Hong gave a bitter smile. "It's because the family head has read far too many books. If we brought them all over, there would already be close to two hundred volumes, and the number is still growing."

"Two hundred books?" Sixth Master Ren Tianzong thought he had either misheard or Wan Hong had reported the wrong number.

"There truly are two hundred books, and the number is still increasing," Wan Hong hurriedly confirmed. "The family head flips through them extremely quickly, only pausing briefly over almost every one. If not for how much time has passed, I would hardly dare believe the family head was actually reading."

What use was there in reading several hundred books in such a short time? Once one reached a certain realm, one could use divine sense to rapidly record information. If one's realm was high enough, one could take everything in at a glance. But Ren Jie was only in the Body Refining Realm. How could he possibly accomplish that?

Could he be searching for something? "Do this. Bring me a list of all the books he has read, and also bring over the first dozen or so books he looked at." After thinking it over, Sixth Master Ren Tianzong ordered Wan Hong to handle it at once.

Not long afterward, Sixth Master Ren Tianzong looked over a sheet filled with book titles, then casually picked up several books from the table.

"History of the Bright Jade Dynasty," "Travel Notes of a Hundred Nations," "Introduction to the Basics of Cultivation," "Records of the Ren Family"...

As Sixth Master Ren Tianzong looked through these books, he found that they were all the most basic subjects at the beginning. Yet he vaguely sensed a pattern among them. Could it be that after being beaten up, the boy had returned home, finally unable to endure the family elders' oppression, and decided to strive for progress? If that was the case, then Eldest Brother truly could... rest easy!

"Fine. Send all these things back. It's also time to replace the people in the Library Pavilion. Select a new group to manage it. Send all the original people into secluded cultivation, and without my orders, no one is to see them. Also, from now on, the family must not retain any information about the family head's whereabouts or news. The moment there is any news, send it all to me. If you discover anyone else paying attention to the family head's movements, immediately take control of them or remove them outright."

"Yes." The moment Wan Hong heard this, his blood began to boil. When he was young, he had longed to follow Sixth Master across the world and work at his side. But he had been too young then, only able to occasionally take part in small-scale battles. By the time he grew older, Sixth Master had completely secluded himself here. After so many years, he finally had the chance to hear Sixth Master give orders again.

Watching Wan Hong leave, Ren Tianzong rose and returned to the room. He gathered several strands of beautiful hair that had been scattered across the bed by the wind and softly said, "Feng'er, Eldest Brother has only this one son. I cannot ignore his affairs. Though the Ren Family is said to be at the height of its power, there are already faint problems within, while things outside are even more unstable. It would be fine if Eldest Brother were still here, but now, it is hard to say. If this boy merely wants to muddle through life, then it is nothing; at least in the short term, he will not obstruct them. But if he truly wants to take control of the Ren Family, then once people discover that, he will truly be in danger. Even if he merely wants to... do something, others will regard him as a thorn in their eye. Let us see. If this boy is merely fired up for three minutes and remains as worthless as before, then let him spend his life muddled yet wealthy. But if he wants to accomplish something, then Eldest Brother's entrustment back then..."

The accommodations at Jade Emperor Academy were excellent. Even ordinary students each had a Private Room, while children from truly influential families all possessed residences of their own.

Several courtyards stood around a lake. Within one courtyard with three successive sections, a curvaceous woman with a slightly pointed chin wore an expression of displeasure.

"He's not dead? How could he not be dead? Gao Fei, that muscle-brained brute, may only be at the Body Refining Realm Ninth Layer, but because he cultivates external techniques, his full-force enraged strike is equivalent to the Body Refining Realm Great Perfection. How could that piece of trash possibly have survived?"

The speaker was Fang Qi, one of the three great beauties of Jade Emperor Academy. She was usually gentle and refined toward everyone. If the many boys who liked her saw her now, with that vicious expression, they would surely think Fang Qi had been possessed and her body taken over.

"It's true, Miss. I personally watched him get into the carriage and leave. Later, I specifically had people investigate. Today was the day that puppet family head returned to attend Elder Council Day. I heard the elders were very dissatisfied with how late he returned and even specially sent people to urge him back. It seems his life really is tough. That blow did not kill him." Two Maids stood nearby, one of them dressed in training clothes and specifically sent to investigate the matter.

"He's a pathetic excuse for a family head. His expenses will probably be cut again this time, and he'll likely have to beg for mercy once more. I heard that last time, he pestered the elders for seven or eight hours before they raised his allowance from forty thousand to fifty thousand. That is only five thousand Jade Coins to begin with. Forget being compared to the heirs of the great families—even some of the more capable direct descendants are better off than him." The other Maid spoke with utter contempt. Ren Jie's affairs had long spread throughout Jade Capital City, so no one cared that he had become family head. After all, he was not his father, Ren Tianxing.

"Hmph!" Fang Qi snorted furiously. "It was one thing when that trash used to pester me—I could not be bothered with him. But last time, he actually dared to slander Tian Ge in front of me and others. What right does trash like him have to speak of Tian Ge? Tian Ge may not have a family background, but he is the most outstanding genius in all of Jade Essence Academy. Ren Jie cannot compare to even one of Tian Ge's fingers. Tian Ge will certainly forge a great career in the future. Since he dared slander Tian Ge, I wanted his life. This time, he was lucky, but this matter is far from over. Immediately inform Gao Fei of this news in secret. At the same time, spread word that after failing to pursue me, Ren Jie attempted to violate me. Let those people learn through other channels that I am very grateful to Gao Fei for what he did for me."

The two Maids answered and immediately went off in separate directions.

"So many brainless fools. With that pack of fools, they still want to climb high enough to reach this young lady? Still, fools sometimes have their uses." Fang Qi revealed a self-satisfied smile. "Aren't you all constantly thinking of ways to make this young lady happy? Then let all of you mistakenly believe that whoever deals with Ren Jie will make me very happy. Ren Jie, you piece of trash. Since you weren't killed this time, then I'll make sure you stay far away from this young lady forever. I'll let you learn your lesson. Trash like you dares speak ill of Tian Ge?"

At first, she had felt deeply dissatisfied upon learning that Ren Jie had not died. But now, imagining that pack of fools who fancied themselves clever and pursued her going to torment Ren Jie, ensuring he would not have a single peaceful day, while the matter spread and brought him punishment from his family, Fang Qi could not help covering her mouth and laughing happily.

Tian Ge had gone out for training. She also needed to work harder, so that when the time came, she could complete Dual Cultivation with Tian Ge and enter the Divine Power Realm in one leap, becoming one of the outstanding young talents of Jade Capital City. With Tian Ge's support then, no one in the Fang Family would be able to compete with her.

Ren Jie was a puppet family head, but she would become the true head of the Fang Family, the head of one of the five most powerful families in the Bright Jade Dynasty.

Ren Jie remained in the Library Pavilion for nearly twenty hours. He only rested for a little over an hour in the middle; the rest of the time, he read with boundless energy. Sometimes he paused to eat something. Occasionally, his mind wandered to memories of his time on Earth, and he thought that if he had possessed such a realm and such memory on Earth, studying casually for a few days would have been enough to earn at least several degrees.

The Ren Family's Library Pavilion was incomparably vast. Even at Ren Jie's terrifying reading speed, after reading for more than a full day and night, he had only covered a tiny fraction of it. Fortunately, Ren Jie did not truly intend to become a scholar or research anything. He merely wanted to fill his formerly blank mind and gain a relatively clear understanding of this world. That was enough.

As for many other things, they could not be learned from books anyway. He was simply enjoying the reading and, while he was at it, looked through plenty of miscellaneous material.

When Ren Jie emerged from the Library Pavilion, the sun was already setting. The evening clouds painted half the sky red, and the heavens stretched vast and lofty, far beyond anything from his previous life. Stretching lazily, Ren Jie glanced at the people lined up to escort him out through another entrance and discovered they had all been replaced since yesterday, when he had arrived.

Perhaps it was a shift change. Still, these people seemed like newcomers. Ren Jie thought about it casually as he had someone prepare a carriage to return to the academy.

Though he was now the family head, if he could truly control the Ren Family as thoroughly as his father had, he would absolutely be one of the most powerful figures in the Bright Jade Dynasty. But for now, he was like those young emperors who inherited the throne early; he still had to complete his studies at Jade Emperor Academy.

Fortunately, Jade Emperor Academy was known as the academy for Hedonistic Young Masters, and its academic requirements were not particularly strict. Of course, ordinary Hedonistic Young Masters who failed to meet the basic standards would still be advised to leave or thrown out. But Ren Jie was a direct descendant of the Ren Family, one of the Five Great Families, and had even inherited the position of family head. Who would dare drive him out? Who would dare throw him out? That was why the original Ren Jie had been willing to study here.

This time, when he returned to the Ren Family to attend the elder council meeting, he had erupted once, but Ren Jie had also sensed that the entire Ren Family was like a whirlpool of conflict. Therefore, the moment he left the Library Pavilion, he decided to return to Jade Emperor Academy first.