The students left their study rooms as the dismissal bell rang for the third time. Some of the boarding students hurried towards the dining hall so as not to miss the special back-to-school feast. Some who had to return to Chang’an City hurriedly left for the meadows to not miss the celebratory feast that their friends in the city had prepared for them. Most of the students, however, followed the quiet pathway at the side of the study rooms and towards the depths of the Academy after packing up their books and stationaries.
Ning Que raised his head to look at the signage, and found out that the Old Library was in that direction. He thought about what the chief professor mentioned this morning in the first lesson and couldn’t help feeling curious. He waved to bid Chu Youxian goodbye and followed the crowd towards that alley.
There was no discernable pattern in building placements within the Academy. There were buildings in the east and corridors in the west, scattered in the meadows at the foot of the mountain, and yet, the disorder seemed perfectly natural. There were numerous pathways sequestered in the corridors of the study room with a flat roof. There were no signs in the silent pathways that led to everywhere and no one knew where they led to.
While Ning Que seemed like his usual playful self on the surface, he did not want to follow the crowd. It didn’t take long before he left the masses and walked along the quiet path alone. The afternoon sun shone right above his head, casting a shadow on the path covered by the flat roof as well as his right shoulder. The shadow felt like an actual weight on his shoulder.
He didn’t know how long it took to walk to the end of the path. The path opened to a bright, wide scene before him. Ning Que tucked his headscarf that had been blown about by the wind around his neck and looked at the woods before him. Who knew there was such a beautiful sight hidden in the depths of the Academy, he thought as he looked at the verdant greenery before him.
The thickets of rushes growing in the pond stood proudly in the spring winds, verdant and stong. They looked like rows and rows of corn on the field, a vivid splash of color against the strong lashing winds. They bloated reeds waved as the wind danced through them, refreshing them again.
Ning Que walked on the wet gravel while looking at the darting figures of the fish within the pond. He could hear the bugs calling from within the forests. As he walked on, the stress within him that had been wound up tightly like strings on an instrument finally loosened and he relaxed slightly. There would be classmates who would walk by occasionally, and he would nod his head in greeting while maintaining the same pace.
The gravel path beneath his feet had yet to be polished. The bumps were great traction to prevent slipping. He walked around the pond before entering the woods. Thousands of stones laid beneath his feet, forming a long flat path that led to an old, three-story wooden building at the foot of the mountain.
The facade of the building looked extremely normal. There were no grand trimmings nor decorations. The roof had no fancy hooked flair either. It was a simple building that was built at the foot of the mountain. However, the materials used to built the building were not ordinary. The building must have weathered through several years of storms and winds and watched many students come and go from the Academy and yet, there were no signs of it falling apart.
Ning Que raised his head and looked at the horizontal board above the building with “The Old Library” inscribed on it. He couldn’t help but think that the instructors in the Academy were really lazy. A building used to house books was called The Old Library simply because it was old?
“I know you are all curious about why this building is called The Old Library. The reason is simple. This building is used to house books for the Academy. Books are used to record our thoughts. Once our thoughts leave our minds and are inscribed on paper, it is no longer new, but an old object. As such, every book is an old book.”
There were many people in the building before the tightly shut doors. A middle-aged instructor explained the naming of The Old Library to the students with a smile on his face.
“Now that you are part of the Academy, remember that the Academy does not respect words nor paper. We do not place books on an altar and worship them. Books are books. They are merely tools and not gods. Only our thoughts are new. This place is called The Old Library to remind you of this.”
The students nodded in understanding, but not everyone understood the hidden depths in the message. Ning Que understood some, but he wasn’t sure if what he understood was what was meant to be conveyed.
“Let me tell you about the rules of The Old Library”. The middle-aged instructor who was in charge of managing The Old Library said. “There are two instructors and four staffs. We must serve the professors and students here, which is why we are open any time of the day. You may come here to read anytime. But please, remember these three points.”
“Firstly, The Old Library is the most complete library in the world. Other than having groups of a hundred people searching worldwide for books, the alumni before you have spent a lot of money in purchasing books. They have worked very hard and spent a lot of money. This means you have to ensure your hands are clean before taking the books and please, do not allow your spit to land on the books. You do not have to go all the way to care for them, but do not treat them as toilet paper.”
“Secondly, we cannot find any other books out there that is not here. So when there is something that you can’t find here, think. Is the book that you want to read worth reading? If it’s pornography, is it the most exciting one? If it is a trashy book, is it one that is a major work? If not, do not ask us for it, for we have decided that those books are useless.”
“Last, which it’s also the most important point, you are not allowed to take any book out of The Old Library. You’re not allowed to copy the books either. Do not look at me that way and don’t tell me about the spirit of sharing and freedom. These are the rules of the Academy. Professor Cao Zhifeng from the third class this afternoon must have already taught you with his fist. You are not to second guess the rules. You may be curious about them, but don’t hope for any explanations.”
The instructor stood beneath the signage of The Old Library and smiled sinisterly at the students who had a myriad of different expressions. He looked like a shrewd businessman giving out loans, or a rich man hoarding his gold while flaunting it at the poor. He said warmly,” Do not attempt to test these rules. Even if you were the world’s greatest book thief, there is only one end for you if you tried anything in The Old Libary, and that is death. And it’d be a horrible death.”
There was a sudden uproar within the crowd of students. Ning Que stood amongst them, shaking his head. It didn’t matter if the building housed every book in the world. How would one remember anything if they weren’t allowed to copy nor borrow the books? He had other questions regarding the books kept in the building, and he was sure that there are others with similar questions. As such, he decided to quell his anxiety and waited.
There was no surprise when a student raised his hand and asked. “Sir, you said that The Old Library had all kinds of books?”
The instructor’s gaze shifted to find the bold student who dared raise a question. He furrowed his brows and said distastefully, “Are you doubting my words?”
“I do not dare.” The student shrunk in the gaze of the instructor and said, “I’m … I’m just curious. Are there any… books about cultivation in the building?”
The instructor’s expression softened and he smiled. With confidence, he said, ” To the public, books about the enigma would be rare, but to the Academy? If you want to read about the legendary Seven Tome of Arcane or lanke scriptures, it is true that we do not have them. Other than these, we have everything that you can read about cultivation.”
Upon hearing these, Ning Que clenched his fist. while there was no change in his expression, his heart started beating faster. He raised his head subconsciously and stared at the ordinary looking building with three stories. His burning gaze seemed to set the wooden building on fire.
Cultivation has been his dream since he was a child. While he had been disappointed time and time again, the best part about a dream was that it was difficult to attain but would keep reeling you in so that you’d keep trying. And on occasion, it would reveal just a little something to tempt you, seducing you, saying, “Come and catch me if you can!”
While he had long given up hopes on cultivation, the discovery of a building filled with books on it was like finding gold to a young lad who had given his all on the frontiers and had bought the Article on the Response of the Tao after visiting a number of markets.
“Just a reminder to all the students here, please, reign in your gazes, or The Old Library might really go up in flames. The principal might just cut up all of us and eat us up.”
The instructor smiled faintly at Ning Que before straightening his face. He looked at the students severely and said, “I have to warn you, the books on enigma that you’re all interested about, you cannot memorize them, you can only experience it. As for the theories behind it, I shall of course, not explain. As humans, we all have limitations. If you do not have the potential for cultivation, but attempt to force your way through the books, it will only lead to negative results. When that time comes, do not complain that I did not warn you so.”
…
…
The wooden doors of The Old Library opened slowly. All was silent within. Walking into the library felt like walking into an unknown world. There were no dust nor cobwebs but it gave one the sense that it had gone through the vicissitudes of life. The students outside the building fell silent. They adjusted their robes and calmed themselves before crossing over the doorstill.
The building was bigger on the inside than it looked. The open spaces were filled with countless shelves arranged according to the six subjects, years and genres. They had every book you could think of. High and low, old and new, all gathered in one place, like years of scholars standing shoulder to shoulder watching you.
The students dispersed as they entered the building in search of books they are interested in. Ning Que walked through rows of bookshelves alone, pulling out the odd book to flip through occasionally. He suddenly noted a writing desk under the window. On the desk was paper, brush and ink. It piqued his curiosity, for why were there such things in the library if you were not allowed to copy the books?
He found a book about calligraphy in the South Jin Kingdom. Ning Que walked around while reading. His surroundings got gradually quieter. He raised his head to find a flight of clean stairs before his eyes.
The stairs were meant to access the upper level. He was on the first floor. That meant that at the top of the stairs, was the second floor.
…