Third Master Qu and Yu Deyi were both taken aback. "You're saying Zhang Xiaohu only borrowed one book a day, returned it punctually the next day, then borrowed another? And he was just borrowing them one by one without any particular purpose?"
The steward nodded in affirmation.
Third Master Qu pondered for a moment but could not make heads or tails of it. He waved a hand and said, "Forget it. I'll find time to ask him someday. You're only responsible for registration anyway. The fist manuals and saber manuals inside aren't exactly scarce goods. He's one of the Martial Arts Hall now, so let him read them. I know about this matter. You've done well; just keep a closer eye on things from now on. You may leave."
Having received Third Master Qu's praise, the steward scampered off in high spirits.
After the steward had gone far away, Third Master Qu asked Yu Deyi, "What do you think?"
Yu Deyi smiled at Third Master Qu. "Hasn't Uncle Qu already formed a plan? Why test your nephew further?"
Third Master Qu merely smiled without speaking.
Yu Deyi continued, "Zhang Xiaohu is borrowing the fist manuals for no reason other than to let his younger brother read them. His brother may have been born with divine strength, but he cannot practice martial arts in this lifetime. Reading those fist manuals is nothing more than indulging his eyes. Let him read. Even if he read every fist manual in that library, could manuals commonly circulating through the martial world really produce a martial arts master? If that were so, wouldn't that steward find it easier than anyone else to learn profound martial arts? If he only exchanged a manual once a month, I might suspect Zhang Xiaohu's brother was genuinely practicing martial