The youth's name was Tu Bo, and true to his word, he showed up the next day with the manual.
It was the first time Gu Yuze had seen a manual from the Lingyun Sect.
The manual, 'Basics of Spiritual Energy,' sent a sudden chill through his body the moment he touched the jade slip.
This was not the kind of energy found in manuals accessible to novice disciples.
Gu Yuze continued reading. The first step was to channel spiritual energy flow through a special meridian known as the Earth Meridian and then circulate it through the entire meridian.
It seemed simple enough, but there was no such thing as an Earth Meridian. Gu Yuze continued to read, and the more he did, he could not help but feel goosebumps. A cold feeling began to rise within his heart.
This manual was really insidious.
"How long have you used this manual? Which side of the library did you find it on?" But even as he portrayed a calm appearance, his mind was a raging sea.
Tu Bo paused , guilt flickering across his eyes.
"You did not find it in the library, did you?"
Tu Bo shook his head. "It is really good, I promise. I have advanced so quickly since I started using it last year." He scratched his head. "I found it on the ground. In front of someone's door."
"My door. You found it in front of my door, didn't you?" That was probably the reason he had been so kind to him, helping him with the slab and giving him advice. It was all because he had taken the manual in front of his door, and he felt guilty that he had taken the chance that Gu Yuze had to advance in his cultivation.
He must have used a lot of excuses to justify what he did, but in the end, he still brought the manual to Gu Yuze.
"I am sorry. I wanted to give it back, but I told myself you would not be interested in it. I am sorry." Tu Bo apologized, bowing slightly.
That was all if he was truly sincere. There was a possibility that Tu Bo had been sent to bring this manual to him.
Gu Yuze noted this in his heart and hesitated in telling Tu Bo to stop cultivating this manual. Perhaps he shouldn't; at this time, he would not believe him, thinking that Gu Yuze was saying it only because he was upset and wanted revenge.
Gu Yuze looked at the manual again. There was no such thing as an Earth Meridian. What this manual would create was another dantian—an unnatural one.
The manual's true purpose was to turn the cultivator into a spiritual energy vortex that drains energy from their surroundings—including living beings.
A sentient, ravenous dantain.
Gu Yuze could recall hunting someone like this when he was younger, maybe 16. The person was a member of the Wusheng; when they had tried to stop cultivating, they suffered violent body spasms, ruptured meridians, and terrifying hallucinations.
And this beautiful present had been left for the little ghost king in the Lingyun Sect, one of the most orthodox Taoist sects.
What had happened? Had the little ghost king accepted this manual and cultivated it? He frowned; he felt like he was in the middle of a large chessboard and he was a pawn in some kind of game he was not qualified to play.
The seal, the manual.
Gu Yuze looked up at Tu Bo, "Thank you for giving it to me. What is your ghost's name? Let me chat you up."
Tu Bo looked relieved, and he happily gave him his account name before heading into the yard to begin his chores.
As Tu Bo went inside, Gu Yuze put the manual in his pocket and started to head to the supervisor, Yi Hai.
It was hard to believe that Yi Hai entered the sect the same set as Gu Yuze; not only was he an Early Stage Practitioner, but he was also a supervisor who just needed to stand and watch people doing their jobs, earning a sweet 10 points per hour while Gu Yuze broke his back for 5 points a day.
Ah! The unfairness of life. And Gu Yuze was sure he was cultivating happily without people putting seals on him or planting evil manuals on his doorstep.
"Senior Brother Yi. Yesterday, I finished the outstanding days." He passed his disciple token to Yi Hai, where it was noted that he worked for 14 hours yesterday.
"You did not attend your lectures?" Yi Hai asked.
Gu Yuze shook his head. There was no need. Not just the little ghost king, nor Gu Yuze, had any skill in formations. There was no need for him to waste his time in a class that hated him with a teacher that rightly had no expectations for him.
"You can leave early today." Yi Hai said before focusing on the text, he was ready.
Gu Yuze did not move, forcing Yi Hai to stop what he was doing and focus on him.
"What is it, Junior Brother Gu?"
He was no longer addressing him as Gu Yuze, so that was an improvement.
"Can I do the rest of the week's chores today?" It was not ideal, as the daily chores were a way for the sect to teach discipline. A rubbish way if they asked him, "I want to enter closed door meditation."
Yi Hai looked visibly shaken. "Is the Shaodi Cave really that terrifying?"
"What did you say, Senior Brother Yi?"
"Nothing. Fine. I would make an exception; you can finish the rest of the week's chores."
Gu Yuze folded his hands and bowed, "Thank you, Senior Brother Yi." He turned to leave when he heard Yi Hai's voice.
"Wait!"
Yi Hai reached into his pocket and pulled out a pillbox. "These are the remaining fasting pills from the last time I did a closed-door meditation. The ones that the sect would give you would not be enough. No need to thank me. Just keep working hard, don't lose face for our set again."
Gu Yuze resisted the urge to roll his eyes, accepting it in good faith.
Yi Hai. He noted the favour. He would pay him back.