Why do I have so many masters?

Wang Anfeng entered the Book Pavilion of Fufeng Academy without the slightest hitch.

For one, this era glorified martial arts, with heroes vying for supremacy, the secret martial arts tomes being the core of all sects, while ordinary texts were not much valued.

Secondly,

Fufeng Academy was known as the holder of the world's tenth-largest collection of books.

The position of library steward had always been vacant.

Gu Jianzhang and others were returning to the Academy and along the way, brought Wang Anfeng to the Book Pavilion, plainly stating that should he wish to take up the post of library steward, it was possible; then, they bade each other farewell. As they were leaving, their expressions seemed oddly peculiar, as if they had more to say but refrained.

Wang Anfeng watched them leave, took a deep breath, and slowly turned around to face the towering hundred-zhang-high building before him.

The copper bell rang with the wind, but the giant forceful wind was no longer visible, perhaps because he was now at the base of the building. The sense of massiveness grew stronger, almost as if the weight of the era with all its vicissitudes and solidity were pressing down—it was not overbearing but rather profound.

The young man took a deep breath, his eyes shining with a bright determination.

This, indeed, was the Wind Character Tower.

The bird of the Peng flies off to the Northern darkness, waters striking a span of three thousand leagues, spiraling up through the turbulent layer nine million leagues high.

From that height, the wind is below it; bearing the blue sky on its back, it sets its course southward.

The vast winds beneath the scholars of the Academy were, in fact, the countless books housed within this hundred-zhang-tall tower.

The world's tenth-largest collection of books.

The Green-Maned Horse had been left at the stable at the entrance of the Academy; Wang Anfeng, carrying a qin on his back and a sword, slowly pushed open the wooden door. The grandiose Wind Character Tower had not a single decoration; all four walls served as bookshelves upon which were arranged densely-packed books spanning thousands of years.

From ages past to the present, every direction, all things under heaven and earth, rise and fall, governance and chaos, scholar, peasant, craftsman, merchant, the Three Teachings, and the Nine Schools of Thought. Apart from genuine martial arts manuals, even the famous treatises on martial arts by various masters were all here.

This place was a testament to the heavens above, the earth below, and the people at the center; it lacked nothing.

At the top of the Wind Character Tower, a huge luminous pearl, accompanied by numerous jade treasures, formed a diagram of the Zhou Tian stars, making the inside as bright as day.

The wooden stairs spiraled upwards, skillfully crafted, totalling nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine steps, echoing the saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and that 'I' am the peak from which one can reach tens of thousands or even boundlessly.

Every so often, the sound of clothing cutting through the air could be heard, as figures clad in Confucian robes or vigorous attire leapt and performed Qinggong in mid-air, fetching and returning ancient tomes in the lustrous glow of pearls and jades, their movements light and airy, descending along the wooden stairs with fluttering garments, appearing almost like immortals from the beyond.

"Youngster, what brings you here? Why have I never seen your face before?"

As Wang Anfeng was observing the scene within the Wind Character Tower, a sudden aged voice came to his ears. Turning his body slightly, he saw an elder sitting at the center of the tower, behind a desk piled with various texts.

Despite what seemed to be nearly a hundred meters between them, the voice sounded as though it was whispering in his ear, the words clear and distinct, indicating that the elder must be a martial arts predecessor. Not daring to be negligent, Anfeng slowed his pace and approached carefully, cupping his fist and replying softly,

"I have seen Master Ren."

"Wang Anfeng here, and I would like to try for the position of library steward at the Academy..."

The elder looked up at him, and without moving his lips, the youth heard a voice in his ear:

"You've practiced martial arts?"

The youth nodded, saying,

"I have practiced a bit."

The elder nodded, seemingly nonchalant as he turned a page, speaking:

"After everyone leaves at the end of the day, sweep the wooden stairs."

"You may read any book here as you wish."

"In the wooden house behind the Wind Character Tower, you can stay; your monthly silver coin will be provided by someone."

Wang Anfeng slightly startled, then lifted his eyes to look, and nearly ten thousand wooden steps spiraled upwards; he let out a sigh of relief in his heart.

Much more leisurely than he had anticipated.

As he thought this, the youth's thoughts began to drift, considering if Mr. Ying were to assign him a task, perhaps it would involve carrying a thousand catty chain without breaking the wooden steps, and moreover, each step must be placed precisely on the positions dictated by the Nine Palace Steps...

..................…

A piece of news had been circulating around Fufeng Academy recently.

The vacant position of Book Pavilion Guardian, which had been empty for about two hundred days, was finally taken up again by a youth fond of wearing blue garments, who appeared easy to talk to. Upon closer inspection, the wooden steps were swept clean, and that youth was seated cross-legged under a bookshelf, engrossed in reading an ancient book.

The youthful bookworm was content when reading, and the students of the Academy were quite excited. The students from the Yin Yang Family opened a betting pool overnight, wagering on how long the new Book Pavilion Guardian would last.

Opinions were mixed, with some saying three days, others five days, but none believed longer than seven days.

Prior to this, the longest someone held out was a Ninth Grade martial artist, who would sweep the ten thousand steps at night and force himself to read and cultivate during the day. He lasted over twenty days, almost destabilizing his foundation, until he finally found the singular copy he had been seeking.

Having taken down the content, he bade farewell and left, pale-faced with a shaky gait, almost like a grievous ghostly spirit.

It is said that afterward, he once got drunk with a friend who jokingly called him 'Sweeper,' leading to him receiving a thorough beating.

The next day, sober and full of remorse, he brought food and drink to visit his friend.

The friend sighed, saying that 'Sweeper' was just a jest, and there was no need to take it seriously.

Yet, upon the mere mention of 'sweeper,' fists were thrown again, and the beating was renewed.

Those who came to Fufeng Academy to take up the role of Book Pavilion Guardian were typically people who desperately sought rare ancient books but lacked the connections or background. The Academy's Master, who hailed from the Confucian Sect, believed in teaching without discrimination, and had long since tacitly approved of this matter.

However, guarding the Wind Character Tower and the ten thousand wooden steps became the ultimate challenge.

If one wasn't a martial artist, one simply couldn't withstand the immense workload.

Even for martial artists, such monotonous work was a torment on the mind. Day after day, sweeping the ten thousand steps and searching for rare books during daylight.

There was hardly any time to rest or to practice martial arts.

In the short term, one could rely on physical endurance, but as time went on, it would inevitably damage the foundation.

This matter had become a rare spice in the otherwise calm life of the Academy, with countless students casting their eyes on this event. They publicly recited the works of Saints, while covertly, they calculated how much silver coins they could earn.

Gathering friends and promising feasts upon victory went without saying, and the 'military strategies' unfolded by the students and Masters from the Military Family over the gambling were quite extraordinary. Experience new tales on empire

The Military Family students showed enormous enthusiasm for such 'improper matters,' applying all thirty-six stratagems and miraculous military tactics. The previously rigid methods suddenly seemed to unlock new potential, somehow avoiding the Masters' discovery of their gambling, and they took great pride in this accomplishment, cheering and celebrating prematurely.

However, after three days, wails could suddenly be heard from the dormitories, like the mourning of mountain primates, interspersed with schadenfreude laughter.

After five days, their expressions all turned grave.

After seven days, it turned into a scene of widespread lamentation.

Inside the Wind Character Tower, Wang Anfeng yawned. The training Mr. Ying had given him at Shaolin Temple had intensified the day before, making him quite weary.

A young man from the Military Family, clad in red clothes and silver armor, walked past him, looking like he had stayed up all night with two large bags hanging under his eyes. As he passed by, he fixedly stared at Wang Anfeng, who, puzzled, merely nodded with a smile and, having finished the book in his hands, put it back in its place and drew a new one, scanning the name on the spine.

The image of the portly man from his initial arrival in Fufeng City, who mentioned the constable chasing after Yi Nanping, flashed through the young man's mind, his expression becoming serious.

Constable Wuxin?

The hand that was about to replace the book paused slightly before opening it.